Starfield Fans Defend NVIDIA DLSS 5, Finding It Transformative

The reveal of NVIDIA DLSS 5 last week was met with widespread skepticism, but the Starfield community doesn’t seem to share the sentiment, judging by the reception of a video showcase shared on YouTube a few days ago by Plano Plays Games.

The off-screen video was taken during last week’s GTC 2026, chronicling the hands-on time the YouTuber had with Starfield running with NVIDIA DLSS 5. While the off-screen footage isn’t of the best quality, it does a good job showing how the upcoming new version of NVIDIA’s tech generally does a good job enhancing the lighting of New Atlantis and its futuristic, pristine feel.

Some issues remain evident in regards to artistic intent, especially when it comes to the photorealistic character faces which don’t seem to mesh well with animations and art style, though to a slightly lesser extent than in other games used to showcase DLSS 5, such as Resident Evil Requiem. With no combat sequence shown, it is currently impossible to know how the tech handles fast-paced scenarios.

As already mentioned, what is somewhat surprising is the community’s reaction to this Starfield NVIDIA DLSS 5 showcase, which has been generally positive. User UniOnDirectOr called it a “night and day difference,” while igorallexsander described it as an “amazing technology.” Others, such as Dan_102, are already dismissing the “AI witch hunt,” feeling that the game looks “incredible” with DLSS 5 active.

Even when the community expresses a more balanced take, the feedback remains mostly positive. User boneymines11 noted that it is “really impressive for a first iteration” and highlighted the lack of noticeable dips in quality during motion. They further argued that the tech is adding to the artists’ work rather than replacing it, stating that the base level of quality provided by the developers is still required for the final result to look this good.

No matter how NVIDIA DLSS 5 may look in its very early iteration, it is not escaping from the allegations that it makes games look like “AI slop.” NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently said that he feels “empathetic” with critics, disliking AI slop himself, but maintained that is not what the tech will do. This common sentiment only highlights how the reveal left much to be desired, as Alessio Palumbo explained in his recent analysis.

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