NVIDIA’s recently announced DLSS 5 has sparked intense debate in the gaming industry.
While some major studios appear supportive, prominent indie voices are pushing back strongly against the new generative AI rendering technology.
Dave Oshry, co-founder and CEO of New Blood Interactive — the publisher behind hits like Dusk, Ultrakill, Gloomwood, and Amid Evil — has issued one of the most direct criticisms yet.
In a new interview, he called on developers and players to actively resist DLSS 5, likening the fight to past industry battles against NFTs, crypto games, and predatory monetization.
What Dave Oshry Actually Said About DLSS 5 and NVIDIA
Oshry didn’t hold back in his comments:
“We as developers and players need to push back against this bullshit just like we did with NFTs and crypto games and try in vain to do with predatory micro transactions, loot boxes and battle passes.”
He went further, arguing that DLSS 5 represents a fundamental shift in how games look:
“This is fundamentally changing the way video games look based on artificial intelligence that’s been trained on Instagram models and Epstein memes… At this rate, why make game art at all? Why not just draw some shapes and colours and let AI generate what it thinks it should look like?”
On practical action, Oshry suggested a clear strategy:
“The only thing we can do besides calling them out on it and making them feel bad is voting with our wallets. Cripple their sales, tank their stock price. Stop collaborating with them as developers. Then maybe they’ll think about going back to giving us what we want.”
Why New Blood Is Opposed to DLSS 5
New Blood Interactive specialises in retro-styled indie games that prioritise crisp pixel art, intentional aesthetics, and high performance on accessible hardware.
Oshry noted that the studio’s only experience with NVIDIA’s upscaling and ray tracing tech came with Amid Evil, where implementing DLSS and RTX proved to be “a huge pain in the ass,” arguably made the game look worse, delivered no noticeable sales boost, and required free GPUs from NVIDIA as incentive.
He clarified he has “no dog in this fight other than being a PC gamer,” but believes generative AI like DLSS 5 risks undermining human artistry in favour of AI-generated “cinematic” looks that many players and developers don’t actually want.
David Szymanski (developer of Dusk, Iron Lung, and Gloomwood) echoed these concerns, criticising how DLSS 5’s AI-driven lighting and contrast can make scenes feel less believable and artistic direction less respected.
The Broader DLSS 5 Controversy
DLSS 5 uses generative AI to enhance image quality, lighting, and effects in real time, often requiring high-end hardware such as multiple RTX 5090-class GPUs in NVIDIA’s demonstrations.
Critics argue it functions more like an AI filter than traditional upscaling, potentially overriding developers’ intended visual design.
While executives from companies like Capcom have shown support, some internal developers reportedly learned about the technology at the same time as the public.
Defenders point to technical improvements like better subsurface scattering, but many in the indie and AA space view it as another step toward hardware-locked, AI-heavy visuals that hurt accessibility and artistic integrity.
What This Means for Indie Developers and Players
Oshry’s strong stance highlights a growing divide in the industry.
Many retro and indie-focused studios want to preserve clear, intentional art direction without relying on expensive proprietary AI tools.
By encouraging developers to stop collaborating with NVIDIA on these features and urging players to “vote with their wallets,” Oshry hopes to pressure the company to prioritise technologies that benefit games without replacing human creativity.
For PC gamers, the debate raises questions about future titles: will more games ship with DLSS 5 as a near-mandatory feature for optimal visuals, similar to how some modern titles lean heavily on temporal upscaling and ray tracing?
New Blood’s catalogue — known for fast-paced, stylish retro shooters — will likely continue to focus on performance and artistic clarity over cutting-edge AI features.
This approach resonates with players who prefer crisp visuals on a wide range of hardware rather than “slop” generated by AI trained on non-gaming data.
The conversation around DLSS 5 is still evolving, with strong opinions on both sides.
Whether Oshry’s call to action gains traction among other developers remains to be seen, but it has already ignited passionate discussion across gaming communities.
GamesHub will continue following reactions to DLSS 5, NVIDIA’s response, and how it affects upcoming game releases.
In the meantime, many players and smaller studios appear ready to support games that prioritise traditional artistry over the latest generative AI trends.
