NVIDIA has officially announced DLSS 5, its next major step in AI-powered graphics, with the new technology set to launch tomorrow, September 3. DLSS 5 introduces 3D-Guided Neural Rendering, a new technology designed to bring real-time game graphics closer to Hollywood-level photorealism. The technology will make its debut in NBA 2K27, developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. DLSS 5 will be available on all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and laptops, as well as through GeForce NOW.
💻DLSS 5 Introduces 3D-Guided Neural Rendering
Unlike previous DLSS technologies that primarily focus on image reconstruction and frame generation, DLSS 5 adds a new neural rendering stage to the graphics pipeline.
NVIDIA says 3D-Guided Neural Rendering can enhance how light interacts with characters and materials, producing more realistic skin, hair, shadows, lighting, and material responses while preserving the underlying geometry created by game artists.
In NBA 2K27, for example, DLSS 5 can reproduce more natural subsurface scattering in players' skin, improved lighting on facial hair, and deeper contact shadows. NVIDIA says the technology is designed to enhance the visual result without changing the artistic intent or geometry of the original assets.
💻DLSS 5 Works With Existing DLSS Technologies
DLSS 5 does not replace the existing DLSS pipeline. Instead, NVIDIA says it expands the rendering process by working alongside technologies such as DLSS Super Resolution, Multi Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction.
The neural rendering technology can also complement traditional rasterization, ray tracing and path tracing, combining conventional rendering techniques with AI-generated visual enhancements.
NVIDIA is giving developers artistic controls over the technology, allowing them to tune the neural rendering effects while maintaining control over the final look of their games.
📈RTX 5070 Can Reach Up to 260 FPS at 1440p
NVIDIA has also published performance figures for NBA 2K27 with DLSS 5 enabled. At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings and ray tracing, NVIDIA reports up to 590 FPS on the GeForce RTX 5090, 410 FPS on the RTX 5080, 350 FPS on the RTX 5070 Ti and 260 FPS on the RTX 5070. At 1080p, NVIDIA says practically all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs can run NBA 2K27 with ray tracing at Ultra settings using DLSS 5.
📅DLSS 5 Launches September 3
DLSS 5 will become available on September 3 at 9:00 PM Pacific Time, with NBA 2K27 serving as its first official showcase.
Players will need the new GeForce Game Ready Driver launching at the same time to enable the DLSS Neural Rendering option in the game. NVIDIA says users will be able to enable or disable the feature during gameplay and replays using the F9 key.
The launch of NBA 2K27 is only the beginning. NVIDIA has confirmed that more games will integrate DLSS 5 in the coming weeks and months, potentially making 3D-Guided Neural Rendering one of the most significant additions to the company's RTX graphics ecosystem.
❓A New Era for Real-Time Graphics?
DLSS has evolved considerably since its original introduction, moving from AI-powered image reconstruction to frame generation and increasingly sophisticated neural rendering techniques. With DLSS 5, NVIDIA is now taking that approach further by using AI not only to reconstruct frames, but also to influence how scenes, materials and lighting are perceived.
The first real test will arrive tomorrow with NBA 2K27. If NVIDIA's technology delivers the visual improvements shown in its demonstrations, DLSS 5 could become an important new tool for developers looking to push real-time graphics further without relying exclusively on increasingly expensive traditional rendering techniques.