Nvidia boosts DLSS 5 performance and reduces memory use

Nvidia says its latest DLSS 5 update doubles the performance of the AI model that powers the technology. The company says the model is now 10 times more performant than the baseline from its March 2026 preview, after an earlier 5x improvement for the launch in NBA 2K27.

According to Nvidia, the October update reduces the model’s footprint by 24% to roughly 118 million parameters and cuts 4K video memory use by 20%. The company says GPU overhead is half that of the September launch version, with comparable visual fidelity. Nvidia’s testing in NBA 2K27 showed frame-rate gains of 30% to 40%.

The update launches on October 16 for RTX 5000 GPUs, RTX Spark laptops and GeForce Now. DLSS 5 is also coming to Hogwarts Legacy on November 5 and to Where Winds Meet at an unspecified date. Nvidia says DLSS 5 will arrive in RTX Remix on October 23.

Nvidia also announced a frame-generation performance mode called Preset C in the Nvidia app. The company says its faster, lighter algorithm can deliver up to 35% higher frame rates with an RTX 5060. Some users have reported more glitches and visual artifacts with the mode, though reports vary.

The update addresses criticism that DLSS 5 carries a heavy performance cost and requires a powerful RTX 5000 GPU. Some gamers are asking for support on older cards. Nvidia has said it plans to work on support for the RTX 4000 series after tuning performance on RTX 5000. The company describes 2026 as a “year of relentless DLSS innovation.”