NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 reveal trailer faces heavy backlash on YouTube
NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 reveal is getting a poor reception on YouTube, based on public engagement figures reported by VGC. The main reveal trailer had passed 1 million views at the time of reporting, but only around 16% of ratings were positive . VGC said the video had roughly 16,100 likes and 82,500 dislikes.
The reaction was similar across NVIDIA’s individual game demos. Videos for Resident Evil Requiem, Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, and EA Sports FC all posted approval ratios below 20%, according to the same report. The Zorah Unreal tech demo performed better, but still had more dislikes than likes, with a reported positive ratio of about 37%.
NVIDIA DLSS5 official videos (as reported by VGC)
- Official reveal trailer – 16.3% positive (16,107 likes, 82,515 dislikes)
- Resident Evil Requiem – 14.9% positive (2,675 likes, 15,300 dislikes)
- Starfield – 18.2% positive (1,510 likes, 6,751 dislikes)
- Hogwarts Legacy – 18.7% positive (3,924 likes, 17,016 dislikes)
- EA Sports FC – 14.5% positive (717 likes, 4,232 dislikes)
- Zorah Unreal Tech Demo – 37% positive (12,290 likes, 20,863 dislikes)
Source: NVIDIA
The backlash appears to be focused on how DLSS 5 changes image output. NVIDIA explains the technology as a new AI-based rendering approach that can adjust lighting and materials for a more photoreal result. Some players, however, see it as an unwanted generative AI layer that changes a game’s original art direction.
The company said DLSS 5 is not a filter and that developers retain full artistic control over the effect. According to NVIDIA, the SDK includes controls for intensity, color grading, and masking, allowing studios to decide where the effect should and should not apply.
The DLSS 5 memes have entered the mainstream, and apparently someone has even created a DLSS5 meme generator . Just keep in mind this is not based on actual DLSS 5 algorithm.
Source: DLSS5 Generator
The criticism also led to a response from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who said gamers are ‘completely wrong.’ That follows broader discussion around DLSS 5 since its reveal, with many players questioning whether AI-driven visual changes should be enabled in games at all. Worth adding that yesterday Digital Foundry released a new video on DLSS5 after they received many negative comments after the first coverage.
Sources: VGC
