Daniel Vávra Showcases DLSS 5 Capabilities in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Daniel Vávra Defends DLSS 5 on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Characters

Game designer, writer, and director Daniel Vávra used his account on X to share a four-image comparison featuring actress Kristýna Leichtová. The sequence displays a real photograph of Leichtová, her base in-game model from Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a version rendered with DLSS 5 configured correctly, and an over-processed version with sliders pushed to maximum.

Vávra stated that the third image demonstrates proper settings, noting that the model closely matches the scanned actress. “The first image shows a photo of her. This is how we 3D-scanned her. We then manually adjusted her appearance and textures,” Vávra wrote on X. He argued that the technology enhances skin texture, facial detail, and lighting rather than altering underlying character geometry.

Technical Breakdown: Lighting and Neural Rendering Details

Vávra identified ambient occlusion as a key driver of the visual differences in the rendered output. Ambient occlusion approximates small shadows where surfaces meet around facial features and clothing straps, exposing fine details that standard real-time lighting misses.

https://x.com/DanielVavra/status/2098920141681557704

Notebookcheck describes DLSS 5 as employing 3D-guided neural rendering alongside game-engine color data and motion vectors, while keeping asset geometry intact. However, Notebookcheck notes that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lacks official support for DLSS 5. Users have instead tested the technology via a leaked dynamic-link library associated with a beta build of NBA 2K27, meaning the visuals shown by Vávra do not represent a production integration.

Performance Costs and Ongoing Industry Debates

According to TweakTown, Vávra acknowledged a heavy performance toll when utilizing the unofficial DLSS 5 implementation, noting that it can halve frame rates. The debate touches on a broader friction point within the gaming community, where players and developers clash over whether neural post-processing preserves an artist’s original vision or introduces artificial artifacts.

While advocates point to improved shadow definition and lifelike skin textures, critics argue that neural rendering changes a game’s established visual identity. Because current demonstrations rely on leaked software files rather than official studio releases, benchmarks and standardized image-capture metrics remain limited across the industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 officially support DLSS 5?

No, the game does not officially support DLSS 5. According to Notebookcheck, demonstrations like those shared by Daniel Vávra utilize an unofficial leaked DLL file.

What character was used in Daniel Vávra’s DLSS 5 demonstration?

Vávra used Katherine, an in-game character modeled after and 3D-scanned from Czech actress Kristýna Leichtová.

Does DLSS 5 change character geometry in games?

DLSS 5 leaves underlying character geometry and mesh topology unchanged, focusing instead on lighting, shading, and texture details via neural rendering.