Madlad applies DLSS 5 to Duke Nukem and Pong
The world of artificial intelligence is constantly pushing the boundaries of what we expect from graphics, and Nvidia’s introduction of DLSS 5, with its focus on photographic realism, has sparked intense debate. While most of the internet has settled into accepting the new visual fidelity, the real test of this technology lies in its application to the truly forgotten corners of gaming history.
Some enthusiasts, however, aren’t content to stick to modern AAA titles. They are determined to see what happens when bleeding-edge tech meets the ancient, the classic, and the utterly retro. This pursuit led Valery Kryzhanovsky on a unique mission: attempting to inject the advanced DLSS 5 rendering into classic, old-school games like the original 1991 Duke Nukem and even the pioneering 1972 title, Pong.
The goal wasn’t just novelty; it was a deep dive into the mechanics of the technology. Kryzhanovsky’s testing spanned a wide spectrum, ranging from 2D platformers and RPGs up to contemporary epics like The Witcher 3 and Marvel’s Spider-Man, proving that the application of DLSS 5 isn’t limited to modern landscapes.
When tackling these classic titles, the results were surprisingly interesting. In a demonstration of depth, the gameplay from Duke Nukem actually gained visual interest. Where sprites were applied, rectangular visual elements appeared embossed, successfully adding a palpable sense of depth to the 2D world. The filter demonstrated a commendable ability to detect objects like players, enemies, and bullets without unduly distorting the inner details of the sprites.
However, the process of weaving this advanced rendering into old code required careful technical finesse. The experiment involved running the games through DOSBox and utilizing the popular ReShade filter to layer the DLSS 5 effects on top. To manage this complex process, a specialized utility, RenoDX, provided the necessary interface for configuring the parameters.
The real complexity emerged when determining the optimal injection point. Since DLSS 5 was designed for motion vectors and dynamic 3D scenes, applying it to static 2D images posed a challenge. Kryzhanovsky discovered that the location where the filter was applied is just as crucial as the filter’s strength, the color preset used, or the number of passes.
He found that choosing the injection point dictates the outcome. For instance, injecting the filter at the render stage dramatically altered actual face geometry in 3D titles, such as RBDOOM-3-BFG, highlighting how deep the interaction with the game’s core structure can be.
Ultimately, the successful application of force-injected DLSS 5 seemed to work best with still images, a fact beautifully illustrated by the consistent results achieved in Heroes of Might and Magic. While the technology shows tremendous promise, the creator notes that it remains somewhat undercooked. The current limitation—analyzing only the single current frame without incorporating a temporal element—is a key drawback that future iterations will need to address to achieve true, seamless photographic realism.
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