Nvidia DLSS 5’s AI yassification filter reportedly escapes containment ahead of release, thanks to modders digging files out of NBA 2K27
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Modders have reportedly extracted files believed to relate to Nvidia’s unreleased DLSS 5 neural-rendering technology from NBA 2K27’s PC early-access build and made them work unofficially in Remedy’s Control. The experiment provides an early, limited look at the controversial AI facial-rendering feature ahead of Nvidia’s expected launch later this year, though its unstable performance means it is not a reliable indication of the finished product.
The RenoDX community reportedly found runtime components in a file called nvngx_dlssnr.dll, allowing effects on character models and seven selectable facial-filter styles. HDR was said not to function, while performance reportedly suffered severely even on an RTX 5070 Ti; a contributor described the test as essentially unusable. Modders also suggested the technology may use inputs already available for DLSS upscaling, potentially making it easier to adapt for Unreal Engine 5 games.
- Modders reportedly ran unreleased DLSS 5 files in Control.
- The unofficial implementation performed poorly and lacked HDR support.
- Tests suggest DLSS 5 could be adaptable to Unreal Engine 5 games.
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DLSS is Nvidia’s name for a group of artificial-intelligence tools used in PC games, mainly to improve image quality or increase frame rates. They work on Nvidia graphics cards by using data from the game to create or enhance parts of the picture.
Nvidia is expected to add new facial-rendering features to DLSS 5, which could alter how characters’ faces appear on screen. NBA 2K27 is a basketball game, while Control is a separate action game used by modders to test the files they found.
Modders are people who alter games outside their official development process. Their early tests can reveal how unfinished technology behaves, but they do not necessarily show how it will perform or be supported when Nvidia releases it officially.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that the leak offers a useful, if unofficial, preview of an emerging rendering tool and demonstrates the inventive value of the modding community. If the feature can improve facial detail using data already available to DLSS, it could eventually help developers deliver richer-looking characters with less bespoke art work, while giving players meaningful stylistic choice. They would also stress that early technical experiments can reveal compatibility issues before a formal launch.
The case against
Critics argue that an AI facial-filter system risks imposing a homogenised, cosmetically enhanced look on characters, weakening artistic intent and the variety of human faces. The reported performance cost and missing HDR support suggest that the technology may currently offer little practical benefit, particularly if it consumes substantial hardware resources for a subjective visual effect. They may also question the ethics and reliability of assessing unreleased software through files extracted from another game rather than through supported, properly tested releases.
Full account
Modders have reportedly enabled an unfinished or unauthorised form of Nvidia’s forthcoming DLSS 5 Neural Rendering technology in several PC games after relevant software files were discovered in an early-access build of NBA 2K27. Reports say the file, named nvngx_dlssnr.dll, was extracted by members of the RenoDX community and first made to run in Remedy Entertainment’s Control. Nvidia announced DLSS 5 in March as a real-time AI system intended to improve the apparent realism of lighting and materials, with a formal release expected later in the year.
Footage shared by testers suggests that the feature can substantially alter the appearance of characters and scenes. In Control, adjustments appear to change protagonist Jesse Faden’s complexion, facial definition and the prominence of features such as lines around the face and eye-area detail. Other demonstrations reportedly show effects in titles including GTA: San Andreas, GTA V, Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077, Palworld and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Some examples appear to affect lighting, shadows, texture detail and colour temperature as well as faces.
The experiments also underline the technology’s apparent immaturity in this form. Testers have reported serious performance costs, including large frame-rate reductions and heavy video-memory use when changing presets. Source 1 says the Control implementation was limited chiefly to character models, lacked working HDR and performed poorly even on an RTX 5070 Ti; a RenoDX contributor reportedly described it as effectively unusable. Source 2 cites tests in which GTA V fell from about 90 to 29 frames per second, while a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth user said frame rates were roughly halved.
Reaction has been divided. Critics have compared the visual changes to aggressive AI photo filters, arguing that they can make faces look artificial or over-processed; others believe the additional detail may improve some games. The leaked implementation should not be treated as representative of Nvidia’s intended final product, but modders say its use of inputs already available to existing DLSS systems could indicate that support may be comparatively straightforward to add to some games, particularly those using Unreal Engine 5. Reports also say the code was initially demonstrated on RTX 50-series hardware before being run on RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 cards.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 concentrates on the initial Control test, the seven apparent face-filter styles, missing HDR, and the possibility that Unreal Engine 5 games may be easier to adapt. Source 2 gives a wider catalogue of games and more concrete examples of visual changes and frame-rate losses, as well as reports of use on RTX 40-series cards. Both describe the NBA 2K27 file discovery, RenoDX’s involvement, mixed reactions and significant performance concerns.