By Kyle Barr
Publication Date: 2026-03-16 21:00:00
Tired of DLSS 4.5? Nvidia said DLSS 5 is on the way, and it’s bringing real-time slop-ification to PC gaming. The best I can say is if you love uncanny and overly manicured AI images of people, you’ll love what Nvidia hopes to do to your favorite game.
Nvidia announced at GTC 2026 that DLSS 5 brings forth a new “real-time rendering model” that is supposed to make in-game lighting effects look even more realistic bouncing off characters’ skin. Actually, it does much more than that. Nvidia said that AI takes each game’s color and motion vector and “infuses” the scene with new materials. Like many generative AI video apps, the AI is supposed to be able to keep the images consistent from frame to frame. And just like an AI video, the characters in-game look like homunculi drafted from the bargain bin of internet supermodel stock images.
Resident Evil Requiem running with DLSS 5 (left) and without DLSS 5 (right). © Nvidia
A lifetime of being betrayed by CGI-rendered and otherwise touched-up game trailers has taught me to wait until I see a game’s graphics firsthand before having any knee-jerk reactions. However, since first witnessing the next update to Nvidia’s DLSS and its impact on games like Resident Evil Requiem, I can’t peel away the rictus grimace off my face.
These slop-ified characters look horrific
