Witchfire Developer Changes His Mind About NVIDIA DLSS 5

Witchfire director Adrian Chmielarz has changed his opinion about NVIDIA DLSS 5, praising the technology after initially criticizing its impact on game visuals.

Chmielarz, who founded independent developer The Astronauts, discussed the controversial neural rendering technology in an interview published on October 20, 2026.

According to his original interview with Wccftech, the developer was disappointed by NVIDIA's first DLSS 5 demonstration, particularly the artificial appearance of some characters and environments.

However, his opinion changed after watching more recent examples in which the technology was applied with greater restraint.

Chmielarz now believes DLSS 5 can improve visual detail without significantly altering a game's original artistic direction, provided developers carefully control its effects.

He compared the technology to adding seasoning to food, explaining that excessive use can overwhelm the intended result, while smaller adjustments can produce a more appealing image.

The Witchfire director also acknowledged that DLSS 5 may not be suitable for every game, emphasizing that its effectiveness depends on how developers implement it.

One of the main criticisms surrounding NVIDIA's technology has been its potential to change character faces, lighting, and other visual elements beyond the intentions of the original artists.

NVIDIA has promoted developer controls that allow studios to adjust the intensity and application of its neural rendering features.

Chmielarz believes DLSS 5 could eventually follow a similar path to DLSS 3, which initially faced criticism over AI-generated frames but later gained wider adoption.

His comments reflect a more favorable view of the technology rather than an announcement that Witchfire will officially support DLSS 5.

For now, the developer's position is that careful implementation matters more than applying the strongest possible neural rendering effects.