NVIDIA DLSS 2.5.1 version debuted in the latest Portal RTX patch released last week. Following the festivities, it has now been found that this latest version of the software doesn't feature any built-in sharpening filter anymore. Advanced users had been using alternative methods (like hex edits or the DLSS SDK .dll, which, however, added a watermark) to fix the oversharpening issues in select games, like Red Dead Redemption 2 or God of War. The problems were most noticeable during motion.
The news was confirmed by NVIDIA's RTX Unreal Engine Evangelist Richard Cowgill (fatheadlifter on Reddit) with the following messages. NVIDIA is apparently recommending that game developers use NVIDIA Image Scaling sharpening going forward.
Yeah, DLSS sharpening is now deprecated in NVIDIA DLSS 2.5.1. We’re recommending devs use NIS (Nvidia image scaler) sharpening instead. NIS has an arguably superior sharpening technique and can also provide a cross-platform, non-RTX hardware fallback for upscaling.
The latest DLSS simply doesn’t use the old DLSS sharpening method anymore. We’re recommending to devs they use NIS sharpening instead when implementing DLSS. This should result in better image quality.
NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) was released in November 2021 as an upgrade to the previous image scaling technology. The new algorithm uses a 6-tap filter with 4 directional scaling and adaptive sharpening filters. Scaling and sharpening also happen in a single pass, boosting performance.
NVIDIA Image Scaling works with GPUs from all vendors (including AMD and Intel) and is open source. Game developers interested in adding NIS to their games can download the latest SDK version from GitHub.
If you're interested in checking out the unsharpened upscaling results available with NVIDIA DLSS 2.5.1, you'll have to either download the latest .dll from TechPowerUp and manually inject the file in the game of your choosing or use the handy DLSS Swapper tool from Australian coder Brad Moore.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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