NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 Gives NBA 2K27 a Tiny Visual Boost—At a Heavy Power Cost

When NBA 2K27 launched, it did so with NVIDIA’s newest upscaling trick, DLSS 5. The tech promises AI‑driven image refinement without needing a monster GPU, but the reality is a little less glamorous.

In practice, DLSS 5 only adds a few extra nuances. Player skin tones get a touch more texture, especially on faces and forearms, and the crowd shadows look a tad softer. It’s the kind of change that most players will miss unless they’re actively hunting for it. In a side‑by‑side look, the version without DLSS can feel a bit plasticky, yet the “enhanced” version doesn’t leap into a whole new visual tier.

The effect is most obvious when the camera is glued to the action—close‑up shots of a dunk or a packed stands scene. Zoom out to a wide‑court view and the difference evaporates, leaving the lighting and distant crowd essentially unchanged.

What does it cost? A lot. Running the game at 4K on an RTX 5090 without DLSS hovers around 400 W. Flip DLSS 5 on, and the draw spikes to roughly 525 W, with some users reporting over 600 W and even melted power cables. Frame rates take a hit too, slipping from about 240 fps to 150 fps on the same rig.

That power penalty feels disproportionate to the modest visual gain. In an era where high‑end GPUs already strain wallets, asking gamers to crank up their electricity bill for a barely perceptible upgrade seems… questionable.

DLSS 5 is still in its infancy. NVIDIA says it will roll the feature out to RTX 4000‑series cards eventually, and studios like Capcom and Ubisoft have pledged future support, but for now NBA 2K27 is the only official title that truly showcases it. Until the tech matures, most players will likely stick with the classic DLSS 2 or simply enjoy the game without AI upscaling.