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I'm still recovering from the very concept of DLSS 5 and adding Nvidia gen AI weirdness to the best graphics cards, and I was originally convinced it was an RTX 6090 feature. That's not to say it'd get a pass if announced alongside next-gen GPUs, but now that enthusiast sites like Igor's Lab are sharing similar speculation, I'm more convinced the tech was pushed forward to the here and now.
The article in question covers whether DLSS 5 was originally an RTX 6090 feature, but I want to stress that it's a conversation rather than an official confirmation. Again, I would have aired the same criticisms at Nvidia if it held back its gen AI shenanigans until a next-generation GPU reveal, but highlighting some current facts that hint at the behind-the-scenes thought processes can help illustrate how we got here in the first place.
Igor's Lab pitches the idea that cards like the RTX 5080 are laying the ground for future GPU features, and suggests DLSS 5 is "less of a product launch and more of a placeholder with symbolic significance." This adds up, considering the initial demo was apparently running on two RTX 5090 cards, and while Blackwell GPUs can technically pull it off, the jump from multi-Frame Generation to heavier gen AI elements feels pretty huge.
That begs the question, why would Nvidia decide to push what could be described as a "tech demo" awkwardly onto the stage? The Igor's Lab post suggests that the company "clearly needed a new AI statement in the consumer segment" that ties the GeForce brand with its overarching narratives. I can certainly buy into that as someone who views the whole situation as a bubble, and since the green team is arguably at the core, it'll be continually trying to avoid a pop.
There's also a chance that RTX 60-series GPUs won't show up any time soon, thanks to AI-fuelled component shortages. I do find the idea of Nvidia's next-gen plans being held up by the very tech it's planning to use amusing, and the concept of stretching existing generations isn't shocking, given that whispers of an RTX 3060 comeback are making the rounds.
The takeaway here is that while Nvidia hasn't officially confirmed that DLSS 5 was an RTX 6090 feature, the theory really adds up. Any potential original plans aside, the GPU feature is coming this fall, and if the green team really is trying to maintain a gen AI narrative and gauge consumer interest before going all in with its future-gen Rubin architecture, now is the time to make your feelings known.
Personally, I'll be switching DLSS 5 off on any graphics card that ends up in my gaming PC. Even placing the gen AI nonsense aside, I almost feel like Nvidia is hoping players will beta test a feature that, in another timeline, wouldn't be a thing on RTX 50-series GPUs.
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