- Ex-SIE boss says that DLSS 5 is more of a short-lived party trick that will fall apart quickly.
- He argues that it’s not very good and just a shallow use of AI to slap uninteresting filters onto games.
- Shawn believes that all the funding spent on AI tools could have been used to fuel good games.
Nvidia’s DLSS 5 reveal saw quite a volatile reception and controversy in the industry. While some gamers were quick to support the ‘impressive life-like filters,’ many found them soulless and felt that the upgraded visuals stole from the core identity of titles.
Former Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Shawn Layden now claims that DLSS 5 is more of a short-lived party trick. He believes that, when thoroughly examined, Nvidia’s new technology won’t hold up as well as its supporters think.
Why it matters: Shawn’s dismissal of DLSS 5 contrasts with current industry executives and supports broader gamer concerns about Nvidia’s upcoming upscaler.
Speaking to PSI on YouTube, Shawn Layden believes that current AI technology and ‘AI Slop’ are no creative threat to gaming at the moment. AI tools like DLSS 5 are just rudimentary enhancements that don’t even ‘hold up to scrutiny.’
I don’t think it’s very good. […] I see it for what it is now, which is like a party trick.
-Former SIE Boss, Shawn Layden.
Shawn believes that AI might produce faster titles but not necessarily better ones, since games are not like movies because of their complex systems. Therefore, a flashy AI demo only looks good as a short video, not as a replacement for traditional gaming.
It’s like, hey, look what I can do over here. But when you start to interrogate it, it falls apart rather quickly.
The former CEO also compares DLSS 5 and other AI tools to the Renderwave gaming era, where many developers using that widely licensed engine led to titles that looked awfully similar.
Nvidia’s new upscaler could bring that sameness back since studios would use the same filters and lighting logic and other visual shortcuts to make their games look ‘better.’
Therefore, he believes that all this funding should be spent on making good games instead of creating rudimentary AI tools.
Do you agree with the assumptions made by Shawn Layden about Nvidia’s DLSS 5? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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