Nvidia's DLSS 5 has made a strong first impression in NBA 2K27, according to French tech outlet Frandroid. The publication says the new upscaling technology has finally won it over, though it cautions that the feature comes with a significant performance trade-off.
The launch is tied to the game's release, with multiple French outlets reporting that DLSS 5 will be available starting September 3 or 4, exclusively in NBA 2K27. Frandroid's hands-on impression highlights the visual quality of the new neural rendering approach, but it also flags a serious concern: enabling DLSS 5 can reduce frame rates by 50 to 60 percent in certain scenarios, as reported by Instant Gaming News.
That performance drop is notable because DLSS has traditionally been marketed as a way to boost frame rates, not lower them. The new version appears to shift priorities, focusing on image fidelity and neural rendering rather than raw speed. Cowcotland confirms that Nvidia has officially announced DLSS 5, and Les Numériques adds that the feature is exclusive to NBA 2K27 at launch.
For now, DLSS 5 seems to be a showcase for what Nvidia's next-generation upscaling can do visually, rather than a tool for squeezing out higher frame rates. Gamers with high-refresh-rate displays may want to wait for benchmarks before updating their settings, especially if they are sensitive to performance dips.
What to watch next: whether Nvidia extends DLSS 5 to other titles and whether future patches reduce the performance cost.
