Modders got Nvidia's controversial DLSS 5 running early, and it's a huge performance hit

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What we know so far: DLSS 5's neural rendering powered by AI is easily Nvidia's most controversial gaming product, sparking widespread derision when the company unveiled it in March. Nvidia has said little since beyond a vague "this fall" release window, but a recent leak suggests the company isn't just moving forward with DLSS 5, it could arrive sooner than expected.

Data miners discovered what appears to be a DLL for Nvidia's upcoming DLSS 5 tech in NBA 2K27's installation files soon after the game's early access period started this week. While the basketball simulator does not yet officially support DLSS 5, modders have already begun testing its AI-generated "photorealism" filter in Control.

While the DLL does not explicitly mention DLSS 5, it contains the acronym "NR," presumably standing for neural rendering, Nvidia's name for how DLSS 5 uses AI to infer new lighting details using 2D frames and motion vectors.