TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 2,013
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
This has been one of the most controversial reveals of an Nvidia technology I can remember, and people have a lot of thoughts.
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At the Nvidia GTC 2026 keynote, leather-clad CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang introduced an almost entirely context-free sizzle reel for its new DLSS 5 technology, coming to GPUs near you this Fall.
And the reaction has been… probably not what Nvidia expected. In some quarters it's seen as transformative, in others it's seen as transformative. On the one hand it has the potential to deliver a new level of photorealism into PC games this year, but on the other it has the more obvious potential to homogenise game graphics, and most especially characters, way beyond developers and artists' original intentions.
Exhibit A: Grace Ashcroft.The discourse, on the whole, has certainly not been positive. And we certainly have opinions…
Ah, what a mess. While I'm not completely opposed to the idea of generative AI being injected into my games in new and interesting ways, I couldn't help but react in horror as to what Nvidia's new tech can do to character faces.
I'm sure this is a personal taste thing, but the fact that Grace Ashcroft appears to have been Instagram-filtered into a completely different person is genuinely worrying. Nvidia seems keen to point out that developers will have control over just how far the AI will go in terms of sprucing things up, but turning the tech up to 11 from the get-go was always going to provoke an outcry.
Not to mention the AI beauty standards angle. Plumped lips, heavy eye makeup, a chiselled "I've just had expensive surgery" jawline. It all feels a little… well, gross, if I'm honest. I do wonder what the original character artists think about what's been done to their carefully-crafted models, and whether they feel it's an improvement.
And then there's the scene lighting overall. Everything seems to have been hit with a hefty dose of the contrast stick, with what looks suspiciously like our old friend bloom making an overt appearance. Again, personal taste will factor in here—but while some areas look to be much improved, others seem to have been tweaked by a teenager experimenting with Photoshop sliders.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
It's not pleasant imagery to my eyes, and that was before I saw it in motion. Combine the plasticin...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Every Thursday
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Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
At the Nvidia GTC 2026 keynote, leather-clad CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang introduced an almost entirely context-free sizzle reel for its new DLSS 5 technology, coming to GPUs near you this Fall.
And the reaction has been… probably not what Nvidia expected. In some quarters it's seen as transformative, in others it's seen as transformative. On the one hand it has the potential to deliver a new level of photorealism into PC games this year, but on the other it has the more obvious potential to homogenise game graphics, and most especially characters, way beyond developers and artists' original intentions.
Exhibit A: Grace Ashcroft.The discourse, on the whole, has certainly not been positive. And we certainly have opinions…
Ah, what a mess. While I'm not completely opposed to the idea of generative AI being injected into my games in new and interesting ways, I couldn't help but react in horror as to what Nvidia's new tech can do to character faces.
I'm sure this is a personal taste thing, but the fact that Grace Ashcroft appears to have been Instagram-filtered into a completely different person is genuinely worrying. Nvidia seems keen to point out that developers will have control over just how far the AI will go in terms of sprucing things up, but turning the tech up to 11 from the get-go was always going to provoke an outcry.
Not to mention the AI beauty standards angle. Plumped lips, heavy eye makeup, a chiselled "I've just had expensive surgery" jawline. It all feels a little… well, gross, if I'm honest. I do wonder what the original character artists think about what's been done to their carefully-crafted models, and whether they feel it's an improvement.
And then there's the scene lighting overall. Everything seems to have been hit with a hefty dose of the contrast stick, with what looks suspiciously like our old friend bloom making an overt appearance. Again, personal taste will factor in here—but while some areas look to be much improved, others seem to have been tweaked by a teenager experimenting with Photoshop sliders.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
It's not pleasant imagery to my eyes, and that was before I saw it in motion. Combine the plasticin...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?