NVIDIA is making changes to DLSS 5 ahead of its arrival in Hogwarts Legacy, following criticism that the AI-powered graphics technology altered characters’ appearances too dramatically. Updated comparison images released on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) show more restrained visual changes, with character faces and surrounding environments appearing closer to the original game.
The update suggests NVIDIA and its development partners are responding to concerns about how much influence AI-based rendering should have over a game's artistic style. DLSS 5 is designed to improve lighting and material details, but its initial demonstrations drew criticism from players who felt the results changed the intended look of familiar characters.
Character Faces Look More Natural in New Comparisons
When NVIDIA first demonstrated DLSS 5 in March, some comparisons attracted negative reactions online. Players pointed to changes in facial features and skin appearance, arguing that the technology made certain characters look noticeably different from their original designs.
The latest Hogwarts Legacy comparisons show a subtler effect. Facial changes appear less pronounced, while improvements to lighting and environmental details remain visible. The adjustment could help address concerns that AI rendering might override the work of artists and character designers.
NVIDIA has maintained that developers have detailed controls over how DLSS 5 is implemented. Avalanche Software, the studio behind Hogwarts Legacy, has used these controls to tune the technology to better preserve the game's original artistic direction.
DLSS 5 Arrives on November 5
NVIDIA has confirmed that DLSS 5 will arrive in Hogwarts Legacy on November 5. The update will introduce neural rendering alongside upgrades to the game's existing DLSS features.
The technology uses information from the game's rendering engine as a foundation for generating more realistic lighting and material details. Unlike conventional upscaling, which reconstructs images from existing visual information, DLSS 5 uses neural rendering to modify how selected elements appear.
The technology is also coming to Where Winds Meet in late November. Both releases will give players a clearer idea of how the system performs in different games.
Also Read: Top New Games Getting NVIDIA DLSS and RTX Features in 2026
NVIDIA Also Promises Faster Performance
Alongside the visual adjustments, NVIDIA has announced a more efficient DLSS 5 model. The October update reduces the model's footprint by 24% to around 118 million parameters and cuts 4K video memory usage by 20%. NVIDIA says the revised model delivers twice the performance of the September version while maintaining comparable visual quality.
A separate Frame Generation performance mode is also entering beta, with NVIDIA claiming gains of up to 35% on supported hardware, alongside minor image-quality trade-offs.