It's clear NVIDIA was not expecting such intense backlash to DLSS 5. They've put years of work into baking this technology into their next-gen chips, without once considering that people would hate it 🤣
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@stroughtonsmith I just checked out a few examples. Looks like the end of 30 years of cartoonish CG humans?
It’s 2026, so why do all computer games still look like Temu Pixar?
@whophd @stroughtonsmith Two reasons. The uncanny valley destroys attempts at realism that get too close to the sun.
But more importantly, art direction that focused on realism has had way less staying power than graphics that went for a particular style. Style is more important than realism.
@taylorhadden @stroughtonsmith Thanks for explaining 🙏 does the “style” have a name, or is it linked, to FPS games or any particular genre?
Or what about the cliché “standing still with shuffling torso” that someone like Stephen He has imitated?
I’m not sure that “any game forever more” is realistic or reasonable — on something simulating real-world environments like MSFS 202x, these CG humans really stand out.
I’d contend that the uncanny valley is deeper where we were in 2025 … and maybe this change is on the steep difficult rise out of the valley 🤷♂️
@whophd @stroughtonsmith It’s the art style / art direction. It’s what makes games (and all art) look different from one another. For instance, Studio Ghibli looks different from animated Justice League. Different art styles & direction.
As for the uncanny valley, still shots aren’t the hard part. It’s making things move like a human that’s hard.
Steve Troughton-Smith
Christian Kent 𝘊𝘒 :＼﹥
Taylor Hadden