The DLSS 5 backlash train is still rolling, and now Nvidia‘s CEO has stepped in to address it directly. At a press Q&A during GTC 2026, Jensen Huang told critics they are “completely wrong” about the technology, offering his most direct response to the outcry so far.
What exactly did Huang say?
According to Tom’s Hardware, Huang dismissed the wave of criticism, arguing that DLSS 5 is not a post-processing filter slapped on top of a finished frame. Instead, it’s a generative system that operates at the geometry level and works with a scene’s existing structure rather than overriding it.
He reinforced recent reassurances from Nvidia and Bethesda, saying that developers can fine-tune the generative AI to match their artistic style, and that the technology “doesn’t change the artistic control.” Huang also suggested that developers could use it to create wildly different looks while retaining full control over the final result.
Why are gamers so skeptical?
As we covered earlier, the backlash kicked off almost immediately after DLSS 5 was unveiled. Users on social media have largely argued that the technology produces a generic look that overrides a game’s original art direction. Much of the pushback has focused on how DLSS 5 changed the appearance of characters, with many saying the results looked closer to AI-generated imagery than the intended style.
In other words, the main concern is that the neural rendering technology could give Nvidia too much influence over how games actually look, regardless of what developers want. But Nvidia and developers like Bethesda have already pushed back on that claim, stating that the demos only offer an early look at what the technology can do and not the final implementation. DLSS 5 is set for a fall launch, so it remains to be seen how things will actually pan out.
