Nvidia Launches Controversial DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27 with 370 FPS Claim

Nvidia's highly contested graphics software, DLSS 5, is launching September 3, 2026 in NBA 2K27, a game that will serve as its first title. The rollout covers GeForce RTX 50 Series desktop and laptop GPUs, as well as GeForce NOW.

DLSS 5 marks a shift to 3D-Guided Neural Rendering, which builds photoreal lighting and lifelike materials directly into the frame rather than sharpening or interpolating pixels after the fact. Nvidia's benchmark numbers show frame rates north of 500 fps on flagship cards, while independent analysis pegs the underlying rendering cost at a 50% average performance penalty before frame generation kicks in.

NBA 2K27 is the sole launch vehicle for DLSS 5 on day one, and players will need either an RTX 50-series GPU or a GeForce NOW subscription to try it. Nvidia's GeForce news post confirms the same access requirements and adds that DLSS 5 support is coming afterward to STAR WARS Zero Company, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and The Blood of Dawnwalker.

The backlash against DLSS 5 predates its launch by months, with critics arguing that Nvidia is using multiplied frames to mask a technology that halves genuine rendering throughput. Enthusiast reviewers have made this argument since DLSS 3's Frame Generation debuted in 2022, and DLSS 5's reliance on 6x Multi Frame Generation multiplies both the benefit and the objection.