# DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On
DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On is a side-by-side image meme mocking Nvidia's DLSS 5 neural rendering tech, which was announced on March 16, 2026. Gamers pair a clean screenshot with an intentionally over-processed 'AI slop' version to joke that DLSS 5 makes games look worse, not better.
## Overview
DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On is a side-by-side image format that mocks Nvidia's DLSS 5, a neural rendering model the company unveiled on March 16, 2026[1]. Posters put a clean screenshot on the left labeled 'DLSS 5 Off' and a warped, over-processed, or absurdly swapped image on the right labeled 'DLSS 5 On,' turning Nvidia's own marketing pitch into a joke about AI-generated slop[3].
The format riffs directly on the older RTX On vs. RTX Off comparison memes from 2018, but flips the punchline, since the 'enhanced' version is now the worse one[3]. The joke plays on a real fear inside gaming communities that generative AI upscaling will strip games of their intended art direction and paste a uniform, plastic sheen over every character and scene[9]. Common versions swap in mangled faces, cartoonishly bloomed lighting, or completely unrelated images to hammer the point home.
## How It Spread
The format jumped platforms almost immediately. On March 16, 2026, X user @sean_gause posted a version pairing a normal Minecraft screenshot with a bizarre shot of Jeffrey Epstein diving in Minecraft water, which pulled in over 48,000 likes within a day[4]. YouTuber Linus Tech Tips joined in with an Instagram version built around his own Linus Selfie meme, hitting more than 28,800 likes in the same window[5]. Later that day, X user @NikTek dropped an entry using the Akakichi no Eleven redraws template, and it cleared 38,000 likes[6].
Backlash quickly widened to include Digital Foundry, the tech outlet that ran a glowing writeup titled 'Nvidia's new DLSS 5 Brings Photo-Realistic Lighting To RTX 50-Series' and called it a 'massive technological leap for graphics'[7]. The site's companion YouTube video pulled in roughly 795,100 views, 24,000 likes, and an estimated 59,000 dislikes in 21 hours, and gamers spilled into r/pcmasterrace to accuse the outlet of running Nvidia talking points[3]. A thread by Redditor Wolfs_Chronicles titled 'Digital Foundry should be ashamed of themselves' pulled over 15,000 upvotes and 1,800 comments in 18 hours[8].
Independent coverage took a much sharper tone. Aftermath ran a piece arguing the tech visibly mangled the faces of Resident Evil Requiem characters like Grace and Leon, and 'pretty much anyone who's not white,' while replacing photorealistic wrinkles with a 'porn-y airbrushed sheen'[9]. On March 18, 2026, Digital Foundry posted an apology and Q&A video addressing the pile-on, which pulled 50,300 views, 7,300 likes, and 4,600 comments in four hours, and a repost to r/games sat at zero upvotes[3].
## How to Use
The template is a two-panel image. The left panel is labeled 'DLSS 5 Off' and shows a clean, unaltered screenshot, artwork, or photo. The right panel is labeled 'DLSS 5 On' and swaps in something intentionally worse, typically an over-processed AI look with waxy skin, blown-out lighting, or distorted anatomy. Common conventions also include replacing the whole 'On' image with a totally unrelated joke picture, like an off-brand cartoon character or an obvious AI-generated portrait, to lampoon complaints that generative AI outputs never quite match what they are supposed to show[9]. The joke lands hardest when the 'On' panel visibly echoes a real criticism aimed at Nvidia's demo footage, such as the mangled character faces from Resident Evil Requiem[9].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On?
It is a two-panel image meme mocking Nvidia's DLSS 5 AI rendering tech by pairing a clean screenshot with an intentionally 'AI slop' version[3].
### Where did DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On come from?
It emerged on Reddit and X on March 16, 2026, hours after Nvidia announced DLSS 5 at its GTC conference[1][3].
### What does DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On mean?
The joke argues Nvidia's neural rendering tech makes games look artificial and overprocessed, so the 'On' image is drawn to look worse than the 'Off' one[9].
### How do you use DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On?
Post two images side by side, label the clean one 'DLSS 5 Off' and the warped or absurd one 'DLSS 5 On'[3].
### Is DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On still popular?
It was still spreading actively in mid-to-late March 2026, driven by ongoing backlash to Nvidia and Digital Foundry's coverage[3].
### Who made the first DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On meme?
No single creator is credited, but one of the earliest breakout posts came from Redditor u/Stiv_Almasnik on r/pcmasterrace, using the Wise Mystical Tree meme[2].
### What game was in Nvidia's DLSS 5 demo?
Nvidia's demo video used Resident Evil Requiem, and critics said the tech visibly warped character faces in that footage[9].
### Why did people go after Digital Foundry?
Its writeup called DLSS 5 a 'massive technological leap' and its video coverage was seen as uncritical, so Redditors accused the outlet of running Nvidia talking points[7][8].
### Did Nvidia or Digital Foundry respond?
Digital Foundry uploaded an apology and Q&A video on March 18, 2026, addressing the backlash and its earlier coverage[3].
### How is this different from RTX On vs. RTX Off?
The 2018 RTX On vs. RTX Off meme celebrated the visual upgrade, while DLSS 5 Off / DLSS 5 On flips it so the 'On' version is the ugly one[3].
### What was the vibe on the Nvidia DLSS 5 demo video?
It picked up an estimated 11,000 dislikes against 2,100 likes in its first 20 hours, with top comments openly hostile to the tech[3].
## References
1. [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss5-breakthrough-in-visual-fidelity-for-games/]()
2. [https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/]()
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dlss-5-off-dlss-5-on]()
4. [https://twitter.com/sean_gause]()
5. [https://www.instagram.com/linustech/]()
6. [https://twitter.com/NikTek]()
7. [https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry]()
8. [https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/digital-foundry-should-be-ashamed]()
9. [https://aftermath.site/nvidia-dlss-5-ai-graphics-faces-resident-evil/]()
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