DLSS 5 System Requirements: What You Need Now
The short version: local DLSS 5 is live in NBA 2K27 on GeForce RTX 50 desktop and laptop GPUs and RTX Spark laptops with NVIDIA's 616.64 WHQL or newer driver path. RTX 40 is planned, not available yet, and still has no date after the October 2026 update.
Check all three before enabling DLSS 5
- GPU: confirm a GeForce RTX 50 desktop or laptop GPU in the NVIDIA App. On a laptop with integrated graphics, check which GPU the game uses. Compare your model with the supported-card matrix.
- Game: update NBA 2K27 through your game launcher. An announcement alone does not confirm a playable NR setting; check the live and upcoming games list.
- Driver: NVIDIA lists 616.64 WHQL for the NBA 2K27 launch. Install a current compatible Game Ready Driver from NVIDIA, then restart if prompted. Use the official download and setup guide for the download routes.
Also meet the game publisher's CPU, RAM, storage, and Windows requirements. Plan for Windows 11: NVIDIA says Game Ready drivers released from November 2026 no longer support Windows 10, so future DLSS 5 game updates may need it. DLSS 5 eligibility is not a complete PC specification or a guarantee of a target frame rate.
Confirmed requirement today
NVIDIA has confirmed RTX 50 family support for DLSS 5 Neural Rendering in NBA 2K27, including desktop and laptop RTX 50 GPUs. For that game, NVIDIA points players to the 616.64 WHQL Game Ready Driver and the in-game Features > Video Settings > DLSS Neural Rendering option.
What still varies is game support. NBA 2K27 is verified; other announced games need their own patch notes before they should be treated as live. GeForce NOW is also separate from local play because NVIDIA supplies the cloud GPU.
How to think about each GPU generation
RTX 50
Confirmed family for local DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27, including desktop and laptop RTX 50 cards.
RTX 40
Planned, but not available yet. Good current DLSS cards, but no public RTX 40 DLSS 5 date or player setup path.
RTX 30 / RTX 20
No current official DLSS 5 support. They keep existing DLSS features such as Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction where games support them.
GTX / non-RTX
No DLSS support. GTX cards do not meet the baseline hardware requirement for any version of DLSS.
What DLSS 5 costs: published test results
"Supported" does not mean "free". We have not benchmarked DLSS 5 ourselves, so this table collects the independent NBA 2K27 measurements we could find, with the conditions each outlet used. Most were made with the September launch model, before NVIDIA's faster October update.
| GPU | Test conditions | Result | Source and model |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 4K, as reported in the GameGPU NBA 2K27 DLSS 5 test | 162 FPS without Neural Rendering, 68 FPS with it (about 58% lower) | GameGPUSeptember launch model |
| RTX 5080 / 5090 | 4K, 90 seconds of broadcast-camera gameplay, no upscaling or frame generation | From roughly 140–200+ FPS down to about 50–80 FPS | TweakTownSeptember launch model |
| RTX 5080 | 1440p Ultra with ray tracing, quick match gameplay, Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 230 FPS without Neural Rendering, 93 FPS with it (about 60% lower) | PC GamerSeptember launch model |
| RTX 5080 | 4K Ultra with ray tracing, quick match gameplay, Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 183 FPS without Neural Rendering, 49 FPS with it (about 73% lower) | PC GamerSeptember launch model |
| RTX 5070 | Max ray tracing with Neural Rendering, no frame generation | 66 FPS average, the lowest card in the test above 60 FPS | GameGPUSeptember launch model |
| RTX Spark laptop | 1440p, preview build | About 25% faster with the October model than with the September model | PC GamerOctober model |
How to read these numbers
The launch model roughly halved the rendered frame rate. Across the three outlets, turning Neural Rendering on with frame generation off cost between about 50% and 73%, depending on the scene. That is a much bigger cost than Super Resolution or Ray Reconstruction, and it is why the effect is easiest to justify on an RTX 5070 or faster at 1440p, or with Super Resolution doing more of the work at 4K.
NVIDIA's headline FPS figures include 6X frame generation. NVIDIA's NBA 2K27 chart shows numbers such as 370 FPS for an RTX 5090 at 4K and 261 FPS for an RTX 5070 at 1440p, with DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and 6X Multi Frame Generation on. TechSpot worked out that the RTX 5080's 4K figure of about 233 FPS implies only about 39 rendered frames per second; the rest are generated. Input response follows the rendered rate, not the displayed one.
The October model narrows the gap but does not remove it. NVIDIA claims up to 1.4x higher frame rates with Neural Rendering on, and the one independent check we found measured about 25%. Applied to the launch numbers, an RTX 5090 at 4K would still land well below its Neural-Rendering-off frame rate. Treat this as an estimate until full retests of the October model are published; we will add them to this table.
Results vary with scene, camera, driver, and game build, and outlets did not all use the same settings, so compare rows only within the same source.
Can I use DLSS 5 without an RTX 50 PC?
GeForce NOW runs the game on a remote GPU. NVIDIA documents DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27 for Ultimate members using RTX 5080-powered rigs in NVIDIA-operated regions. Confirm your region, membership, game availability, and assigned rig before subscribing for this feature. Partner-operated services may have different offerings.
Your local AMD GPU, older RTX card, or Mac receives the video stream; it does not gain local Neural Rendering support. See the AMD and cloud compatibility guide for this distinction.
All requirements met, but the option is missing?
Open NBA 2K27's Main Menu, then Features → Video Settings. Look for DLSS Neural Rendering, which is separate from Super Resolution and Frame Generation. The NBA 2K27 settings and troubleshooting guide covers missing options and the F9 toggle.
Recommended next checks
Better page for RTX 4090, 4080, 4070, and 4060 owners.
Full status table grouped by confirmed, planned, unsupported, and no-DLSS.
NBA 2K27 verification, announced titles, and support caveats.
A claim-by-claim source table for what is confirmed, planned, and unsupported.
Compare image reconstruction, frame generation, and Neural Rendering.
Sources and limits
Sources: NVIDIA DLSS 5 announcement and NVIDIA DLSS supported hardware, NVIDIA's NBA 2K27 616.64 WHQL driver note, and NVIDIA's RTX 40 support plan update; 2K's setup instructions; and NVIDIA's GeForce NOW availability notice. Requirements may change with later releases.
Frequently asked questions
What are the DLSS 5 system requirements?
For local play today, DLSS 5 Neural Rendering requires a supported game, NVIDIA's 616.64 WHQL or newer compatible driver path for NBA 2K27, and a GeForce RTX 50 desktop or laptop GPU or an RTX Spark laptop.
How much FPS does DLSS 5 cost?
With the September launch model, independent tests of NBA 2K27 measured roughly 50–73% lower frame rates depending on the scene with Neural Rendering on and frame generation off, for example 162 to 68 FPS on an RTX 5090 at 4K in GameGPU's test. NVIDIA says the October model is up to 1.4x faster, and PC Gamer measured about 25% at 1440p on an RTX Spark laptop.
Will RTX 40 support DLSS 5?
RTX 40 support is planned, but it is not available yet and has no public release date. RTX 40 cards still support current DLSS features.
Can RTX 30, RTX 20, GTX, AMD, or Intel cards run DLSS 5?
RTX 30 and RTX 20 cards have no current official DLSS 5 support. GTX, AMD, and Intel GPUs do not run local DLSS because DLSS requires NVIDIA RTX hardware.
Want to check a specific card instead of a whole requirement summary?
← Back to GPU CheckerSources, review status, and related pages
Last checked . Reviewed against primary NVIDIA sources and corrected when launch documentation changes.
What would change this answer
A new NVIDIA launch post, driver note, game patch note, or official supported-hardware table can change the status labels on this page.