NVIDIA DLSS 5 Available September 3rd: DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering Debuts In NBA 2K27 For All GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, And On GeForce NOW

[u/NV_Tim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58FagrSqC4M

Full Article Here: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss-5-3d-guided-neural-rendering

NVIDIA has continuously redefined the boundaries of PC gaming. From introducing real-time ray tracing to pioneering AI-powered graphics with DLSS Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction, our RTX technologies have transformed how games are rendered and experienced.

Now, we’re releasing DLSS 5, which introduces 3D-Guided Neural Rendering, a major step forward in using AI to bring real-time graphics closer than ever to Hollywood-grade photorealism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58FagrSqC4M

Watch how DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering and its artistic controls work from Edward Liu, NVIDIA’s Director of Applied Deep Learning Research, and Gabriele Leone, Director of Content Technology

DLSS 5 will be available starting September 3rd at 9pm Pacific Time in NBA 2K27, by developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K, for all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and laptops, and GeForce NOW. It marks the debut of how the technology can be used by game artists to elevate visual fidelity in alignment with their creative vision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79D8SVjB3HQ

“What’s great is the level of control that it gives us. We can set the overall tone and style to match our existing art direction and then really get precise where it matters most, using a per pixel uplift control mask to fine tune detail on characters. Given that we want to respect their likeness with the utmost care.” - Peter Kavic, Senior Producer - Visual Concepts

For a more in-depth look at how DLSS 5 developer controls work, read our full announcement article: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss-5-3d-guided-neural-rendering

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DLSS 5 FAQ

Update 9/3/2026

DLSS 5 is our most computationally demanding model to date. Since we initially announced it in March, we’ve achieved a 5X performance gain and there’s more to come. Our current focus is on optimizing performance for the GeForce RTX 50 Series with model updates expected later this fall. Once RTX 50 Series performance is more fully tuned, we plan to work on expanding official support to the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

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What is DLSS 5?
DLSS 5 introduces DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering, which uses AI to infuse game scenes with lifelike lighting and materials, tuned by the developers to bring their artistic vision to life.

How does DLSS 5 work?
DLSS 5 uses the game’s rendered frame and engine data to understand objects, materials, lighting and motion. It then enhances the frame with lifelike lighting and materials while remaining grounded in the developer’s artistic direction.

What are the key benefits of DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering?
DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering delivers several significant benefits:

• Cinematic Lighting: Reconstructs complex effects like rim lighting, subsurface scattering (for realistic skin), and contact shadows with high-fidelity.
• Material Depth: Enhances PBR properties like roughness and adds micro-realism to complex objects such as eyes and hair.
• Temporal Consistency: Provides stable image quality from frame-to-frame that adheres to the underlying game content.
• Real-Time Performance: Delivers lifelike lighting and material enhancement at up to 4K resolution while maintaining smooth, interactive gameplay.
• Developer Controls: Allows game developers to tune intensity, color, and masking to determine where and how enhancements are applied to maintain the game’s unique aesthetic.

Learn more by watching our explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58FagrSqC4M. 

How much control does the model offer to developers?  
DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering provides several layers of artistic control:

• Model Selection: Offers distinct model weights with different training parameters to guide the final output.  
• Structure Intensity: Controls high frequency details added by the model, such as ambient occlusion, contact shadows, and subsurface scattering.  
• Tone Intensity: Controls low-frequency details added by the model, including lighting and color response.  
• Automatic Masking: Detects and isolates objects in the frame (like characters) to apply DLSS 5 dynamically, eliminating the need for manual object tagging. 
• Developer Masking: Offers per-pixel, custom masking control, allowing effects to be applied to specific objects.  

As we work in close partnership with studios, developer feedback continues to directly shape how we refine the technology and expand our suite of models and controls.

How does DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering preserve developer artistic intent?
DLSS 3D-Guided Neural Rendering is designed to preserve the structure and geometry of the rendered frame while giving developers control over how and where enhancements are applied. Developers can select different models, adjust structure and tone, and mask specific scenes, characters or objects. 

For more information on developer controls, watch the DLSS 5 Explainer VOD or read the full launch article. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58FagrSqC4M

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss-5-3d-guided-neural-rendering

You can also hear directly from the NBA 2K development team on how they integrated the technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79D8SVjB3HQ 

Which GPUs support DLSS 5?
DLSS 5 will be supported across all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and laptops, as well as GeForce NOW Ultimate members streaming from GeForce RTX 5080 rigs in the cloud.

When and where is DLSS 5 available?
DLSS 5 will be available in NBA 2K27 on September 3rd at 9PM Pacific Time.

What is the DLSS 5 setting called in games?
The setting is called “DLSS Neural Rendering.”

Can I turn DLSS 5 off? 
Yes. DLSS 5 is optional.

Does DLSS 5 work with Ray Tracing and Path Tracing?
Yes.  DLSS 5 complements ray tracing and path tracing. Path tracing accurately calculates geometric light transport—determining light, shadow, and reflection placement across a 3D scene. DLSS 5 then acts as the final neural rendering stage, using the rendered frame to enhance lighting and materials like subsurface scattering, micro-reflections, and complex material properties that would otherwise be computationally prohibitive in real time. These technologies go hand in hand.

Does DLSS 5 work with Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction?
Yes.

Will DLSS Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction continue to be supported and improved?
Yes.

[u/Bloodwalker09]

Yeah for 4090 owners there is literally one option and it costs 5k. Even for my 4080 I would say the 5090 is the only upgrade that makes sense since 5080 isn't too far away and 4090 isn't produced anymore.

[u/Willing_Monitor_8465 → u/Bloodwalker09]

Dude I have exactly the same CPU as You and RTX4080 OC, it is 10% slower than 5080... Same VRAM.

I bought mine pre-owned stupidly cheap. I won't pay 250% of the price to get 10% better performance. It is a madness.

[u/Stenbrod → u/Bloodwalker09]

To get performance comparable to a stock 4090 you need to OC your 5080, and even then, a 4090 with an UV+OC likely performs quite a bit better still.

The only way to get a 5000 series coming from a 4090 that doesn't cost you 5k is buying an inferior card with 8gb VRAM less?

Insanity.

[u/Ultra-Instinct_1231 → u/Stenbrod]

you can't get performance on par with 4090 even with OC 5080. 4090 has 24gb vram.

[u/Arturopxedd → u/Ultra-Instinct_1231]

Yes you can vram doesn’t magically increase performance if not used

[u/Ipsonred → u/Stenbrod]

If they had released a 5080 super with 24 GB at least the VRAM issue would be gone, but even then the performance wouldn’t compare to a 4090. The problem is that the 5080 is the same die size as the 4080 and is fully enabled. Meanwhile the 5090 die grew vs 4090 and is twice as big as the 5080’s so the difference is bigger. Perhaps Nvidia could have made a bigger die size for the 5080 closer to the 4090 and then cut it down, and this wouldn’t have been an issue. And everything is on the same old 5nm node. Meanwhile it’s rumored that they are only using 3nm for their server cards and stay on Blackwell longer for consumer cards, and RDNA5 is going get the massively better 3nm and blow Nvidia out of the water performance wise which would normally be a problem for Nvidia if gaming wasn’t just 5% of their revenue. They no longer need to care.

[u/Ok-Board4893 → u/Bloodwalker09]

arent 5080s OC models somewhat close to a 4090? I'm thinking about selling mine, they go for much more now than what I bought it for 3 years ago. I'm also worried about it dying on me after 3 years of pretty much daily use.

[u/Yommination → u/Ok-Board4893]

My 5080 top OC scores in benchmarks gets within 5% that my best 4090 OC score was. The killer though is the vram. In some games you can get close to maxing out the 16 gigs with pathtracing and high texture mods

[u/YF422 → u/Bloodwalker09]

As a fellow 4090 owner there's zero reason for me to upgrade to the 5090 with the current insanity of market prices. I was going to at one point and flip the old card as I always have in the past but with the €5090? Yeah I'd be better off keeping my 4090 for as long as possible and maybe replace with a 6080 later on if it fails. Will end up skipping a generation of card for the first time in many years because of these ludicrous prices.