Nvidia unveiled its latest AI upscaling technology, DLSS 5, at its GTC conference. The tech aims to make character faces in games look more realistic via generative AI. However, this approach has sparked significant backlash from both gamers and developers who argue it compromises on artistic intent.

During a demo of games like Resident Evil Requiem, Assassin's Creed, and Starfield, the technology introduced new facial features and over-sexualized characters, leading to comparisons with Snapchat filters. The Verge described it as 'motion smoothing, but worse.' Concerns also include unexpected artifacts, such as a soccer ball in a FIFA game looking like it has pieces of net attached to it.

James Brady, a video game artist and designer, criticized the technology for devaluing artists' creativity. Raúl Izquierdo, an indie developer, echoed this sentiment, stating that AI doesn't always respect an artist's style or art direction. Developers at Capcom and Ubisoft expressed surprise at seeing what the tech would look like in their games.

The reaction from gamers is understandable given the reliance on such technologies to enhance game visuals without proper optimization. Marwan Mahmoud of Incrypt believes that some games have become too dependent on these technologies, detracting from the overall gaming experience. Sterling Reames emphasized that people just want better games, not necessarily over-the-top realism.

Nvidia's demo ran on its most powerful consumer graphics cards, sparking debate about whether this technology should only be available on high-end hardware. Raúl Izquierdo suggested that if Nvidia had demonstrated the tech on older GPUs like the RTX 2080, it might have been viewed differently.