r/Games: Insider report says developers learned about DLSS 5 at the public reveal

The latest controversy around DLSS 5 is no longer only about whether players like the visual results. It is increasingly about how the technology was introduced to the studios expected to use it. A March 18 r/Games post highlighted an Insider Gaming report that combined NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s public defense of DLSS 5 with a more awkward claim from partner developers: some of them say they were not briefed ahead of the reveal.

According to Insider Gaming, Huang responded to criticism during this year’s GTC event by saying detractors were wrong about DLSS 5. The report says he described the feature as a form of neural rendering that combines developer-controlled geometry and textures with generative AI, rather than a simple post-process effect applied after the fact. In NVIDIA’s framing, that means the technology still leaves direct artistic control in developer hands.

The messaging gap is becoming the story

That official defense has not ended the backlash. Insider Gaming also pointed to Bethesda’s response after early criticism of DLSS 5 footage tied to Starfield. Bethesda said its art teams would continue adjusting the lighting and final effect, and that the feature would remain optional for players. That statement matters because it tries to reassure players that artistic direction is not being handed over wholesale to automation.

The more revealing part of the report came later. Insider Gaming said developers and artists at studios that had agreed to DLSS 5, including CAPCOM and Ubisoft, told the outlet they learned about the technology at the same time as the public. One Ubisoft developer reportedly said there had been no earlier heads-up. Insider Gaming also said some people at CAPCOM were surprised because the publisher has historically taken a cautious or negative view toward generative AI in game development.

That creates a credibility problem for NVIDIA’s rollout. Even if the company is right that DLSS 5 can be tuned by studios and used selectively, developers generally do not like being placed in the position of explaining a major AI-adjacent technology after the audience has already seen it. The practical consequence is that the argument over DLSS 5 now covers more than image quality. It also includes trust, internal communication, and how much say partner studios really have in the timing and framing of new rendering tools.