Indie Devs Show Why Art Direction Still Matters In DLSS 5 Era

NVIDIA's highly controversial DLSS 5 and its 3D-Guided Neural Rendering technology debuted with 2K Games' NBA 2K27, shortly after a leaked version circulated online and was modded into several games. Aside from its massive performance impact of up to 60%, the technology's biggest controversy lies in how dramatically it can change the visuals, sometimes making them barely recognizable and compromising the game's original artistic vision and identity.

DLSS 5 launched with options that allow users to tweak the changes it introduces. However, as the industry gets closer to a point where photorealistic graphics are becoming less of a novelty, simply making a game look more realistic is no longer guaranteed to make it look better. The DLSS 5 controversy has only made that point clearer, prompting indie developers to share snippets of their own games online and demonstrate how distinctive art direction can create a great visual experience without relying on AI-enhanced realism.

We've collected some of these examples below, featuring both released and upcoming games, including Planet of Lana, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, The Explorator, and Liminal Point. Check them out, there might be something that catches your eye:

Also, don't forget to check out our interview section, where we chat with devs about their work, creative process, and the challenges they face.