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It's safe to say plenty of PC players are already planning to turn Nvidia DLSS 5 off when the feature graces the best graphics card contenders. While the next-generation suite of GPU tools isn't scheduled to land until Fall 2026, it's already being labelled as "AI slop" by critics online and raising questions regarding developer creative control.
In case you missed it, DLSS 5 is a new version of Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling feature that has until now provided perks like upscaling, Frame Generation, and Path Tracing enhancements like Ray reconstruction. The tool has always had its critics, and graphics cards like the GeForce RTX 5080 are often accused of relying on "fake frames" since they can boost fps using multi-Frame Generation rather than traditional rasterization.
The issue with DLSS 5 is that, according to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, it uses generative AI techniques to alter elements like character faces, and while the aim is supposedly photorealism, early demos suggest it's actually drastically changing original visuals. I've already expressed my deep concerns with this, and I will continue to do so, but I figured I'd give you, lovely GamesRadar+ readers, a chance to say whether you'll be switching DLSS 5 off or keeping it on in compatible games.
When the time comes, there's a chance some players won't even realize they have DLSS 5 switched on. If you use the Nvidia app or let some games pick the best settings based on your build, you might find that specific tools are switched on by default. This makes sense in some scenarios since Super Sampling and Frame Generation can provide an fps boost, effectively providing a smoother experience, but the new generative AI tools may end up changing game elements if they're automatically enabled.
Of course, just like with every other version, DLSS 5 should be an optional setting. Ideally, developers will add separate toggles for the new photorealism elements, meaning that if your PC relies on AI upscaling to run things at reasonable frame rates, you won't have to sacrifice those tricks. If you go into the Nvidia App's "graphics" tab, you can also force specific selections at a driver level, which lets you override specific models and disable things like Frame Generation. I'm hoping the Neural Rendering Model or anything tied to the apparent photorealistic gen AI parts of DLSS 5 also get their own drop-down, as this will let players nuke elements as they see fit.
All this is based on the assumption that you'll be using a compatible Nvidia graphics card when DLSS 5 actually lands. AMD hasn't got a direct competitor to the monstrous RTX 5090 or even the RTX 5080 yet, but it does have a solid selection of mid-range and entry-level graphics cards, like the Radeon RX 9700. If it's an escape from AI you're looking for, you won't exactly get that with an RDNA 4 card, since they do boast Fluid Motion Frames and FSR upscaling tied to the tech, but the approach is admittedly more subtle since the GPUs stick to standard Frame Generation rather than Multi.
I would also be surprised if DLSS 5 even makes it to RTX 50-series GPUs as promised. The recent demo currently uses two RTX 5090 GPUs, and while that signifies it's still in development, it also makes me wonder if this was supposed to be an RTX-60 series perk. I'm not going to speculate on why Nvidia has chosen now to unleash its gen AI aspirations onto unsuspecting PC players, but all I'll say is that we've got quite a few months before you'll have to check how to turn DLSS 5 off.
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