Daniel Vávra, director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has publicly defended DLSS 5 AI technology against mounting criticism from gamers and developers, calling the backlash premature and inevitable to overcome. Vávra is stepping back from Warhorse Studios to focus on a film project, but his comments on DLSS 5 represent a rare high-profile defense of NVIDIA’s controversial upscaling tech, which has faced accusations of acting like an “Instagram filter” that overwrites artistic intent.
Key Takeaways
- Daniel Vávra backs DLSS 5 as an “uncanny beginning” that will eventually replace ray tracing
- DLSS 5 criticized for overriding game art styles and potentially cutting developer corners
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 supports DLSS 4.5 with improved lighting and frame rates on day one
- PC Gamer initially defended DLSS 5 but later noted it appears increasingly problematic
- Earlier DLSS versions praised for performance gains versus expensive ray tracing costs
Why DLSS 5 AI Technology Faces Such Fierce Resistance
DLSS 5 AI technology has triggered backlash across the gaming community for reasons that go beyond typical upscaling skepticism. Critics worry that the AI model fundamentally alters how games look by applying beauty standards and visual filters that override the original artistic vision. The fear is not just technical—it is philosophical. If DLSS 5 can rewrite a game’s visual character without developer control, what stops publishers from using it to cut corners on expensive ray tracing or asset quality?
PC Gamer’s Dave James initially offered a measured defense of DLSS 5 but later acknowledged that the technology appears increasingly problematic and difficult for developers to fine-tune. This shift in tone reflects a broader industry concern: developers may lack the granular control needed to prevent DLSS 5 from distorting their intended aesthetic. The worry is that DLSS 5 AI technology will become a cost-cutting tool rather than a performance-enhancing one.
Vávra’s Optimistic Stance on AI Upscaling Evolution
Vávra frames DLSS 5 AI technology as an inevitable evolutionary step, not a controversial shortcut. “This is just a little uncanny beginning,” he said, acknowledging current criticism while dismissing it as temporary. More boldly, he predicted that AI tech like DLSS 5 will “replace expensive raytracing someday,” suggesting the technology will mature beyond its current rough edges. His comment—”No way haters will stop this”—reflects confidence that industry momentum will override skepticism.
The Kingdom Come director’s optimism contrasts sharply with developer concerns about loss of control. Vávra appears to view DLSS 5 AI technology as a solved problem in waiting, while critics see it as fundamentally untunable. This disconnect matters because it shapes how studios will adopt—or resist—the technology in future projects.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Actual DLSS Support
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 itself does not yet ship with DLSS 5 AI technology. Instead, the game supports earlier DLSS versions on day one: DLSS Super Resolution, Reflex, Frame Generation (a newer AI model that uses less VRAM and delivers faster performance), Ray Reconstruction, and DLAA with upgraded transformer AI models. The game also supports DLSS 4 via NVIDIA’s DLSS Override on launch day, with gameplay demos showing DLSS 4.5 delivering improved lighting, linear space rendering, crisper fidelity, and better frame rates on RTX GPUs like the RTX 5090.
This matters because it reveals the gap between Vávra’s enthusiasm for DLSS 5 AI technology and what his own game actually implements. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is using proven, developer-friendly DLSS versions rather than betting on the controversial new tech. The game also supports AMD FSR for players with non-NVIDIA hardware, offering upscaling alternatives when GPU-bound. This practical choice—shipping with stable DLSS 4.5 rather than experimental DLSS 5—suggests that even studios aligned with NVIDIA recognize the current limitations of the newer AI model.
Will DLSS 5 AI Technology Actually Replace Ray Tracing?
Vávra’s prediction that DLSS 5 AI technology will replace ray tracing hinges on maturation and developer adoption. Ray tracing is expensive—it demands significant GPU resources and can tank frame rates on even high-end hardware. If DLSS 5 can deliver visually similar results at a fraction of the cost, studios will eventually choose it. But “eventually” is not the same as “soon,” and the current backlash suggests a bumpy adoption curve ahead.
The real question is whether DLSS 5 AI technology will earn developer trust or become a cautionary tale about AI overreach in creative software. Vávra’s confidence may prove prescient, or it may reflect the optimism of someone stepping away from day-to-day development decisions. Either way, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s actual DLSS implementation—built on proven, tunable versions—speaks louder than the director’s predictions about unproven tech.
Is DLSS 5 AI technology worth the controversy?
Not yet. DLSS 5 AI technology remains experimental and poorly understood by developers who lack fine-tuning control. The current backlash reflects legitimate concerns about artistic integrity and cost-cutting incentives, not irrational hype-resistance. Vávra may be right that the technology will eventually mature, but that maturation will require NVIDIA to give developers far more control than the current iteration appears to offer.
Will Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 add DLSS 5 AI technology later?
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 ships with DLSS 4.5, which is mature and developer-friendly. A future DLSS 5 patch is possible, but the game’s launch focus on earlier DLSS versions suggests caution about the newer technology. Vávra’s public defense of DLSS 5 AI technology does not necessarily mean Warhorse Studios is rushing to integrate it.
What is the difference between DLSS 5 and earlier DLSS versions?
DLSS 5 AI technology uses a newer generative AI model to reconstruct frames, while DLSS 4.5 relies on more traditional upscaling and frame generation techniques. DLSS 5 promises better visual quality but gives developers less control over the output. Earlier versions like DLSS 4.5 are more predictable and tunable, which is why Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 chose them for launch.
Vávra’s defense of DLSS 5 AI technology reflects a broader industry bet: that AI will eventually solve performance problems more elegantly than traditional techniques. Whether that bet pays off depends on NVIDIA’s willingness to hand developers real control and on the gaming community’s patience with the “uncanny beginning” phase. For now, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is playing it safe with proven DLSS versions, and that pragmatism may be the smartest call anyone is making on this technology.
This article was written with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
Source: Windows Central
