tech
March 17, 2026
Gamers furious at Nvidia: Starfield and Resident Evil look unrecognizable
Nvidia unveiled DLSS 5 technology at the GTC Live 2026 event, promising a revolution, but initial in-game character face renderings have sparked harsh public criticism. Although the company claims this is the biggest breakthrough since 2018, many users compare the new visual style to Snapchat beauty filters. The technology uses artificial intelligence to 'inject' photorealistic lighting directly into pixels, but the result often appears unnatural.
TL;DR
- Nvidia introduced DLSS 5 technology at GTC Live 2026, promising revolutionary visual improvements.
- Initial demonstrations of character faces in games have received strong public criticism, with comparisons to Snapchat filters.
- The technology uses AI to inject photorealistic lighting, but results for faces are often perceived as unnatural.
- Experts note that DLSS 5 alters character design, leading to a 'generative' look for faces, which some label 'AI slop'.
- Female characters, in particular, appear to have altered eyes and makeup not originally intended by designers.
- Todd Howard of Bethesda supports the new look, while fans express concern over the artistic integrity of video games.
- DLSS 5 demonstrates remarkable results with background objects and materials, such as realistic water effects.
- Major companies like Ubisoft, Capcom, and Warner Bros will implement the technology in the fall, despite 'uncanny valley' criticisms.
- Nvidia states the technology is still under development, with improvements expected before official release.
- The industry is moving towards generative rendering, but player acceptance of this new visual style is yet to be determined.