Developer of Boomer Shooter Urges Nvidia Boycott Over Controversial DLSS 5 Upscaling Technology

Dave Oshry isn’t letting the backlash against DLSS 5 fade away quietly. The CEO of New Blood Interactive, known for its boomer shooter titles, is urging gamers to boycott Nvidia, which many have criticized for what they see as a generative AI filter that dilutes game visuals. “Hit them where it hurts—cripple their sales and tank their stock price,” he stated recently. “Developers should stop collaborating with them. Maybe then they’ll reconsider and give us what we actually want.”

After a week of defending DLSS 5 as a form of generative upscaling at the “geometry layer” rather than mere post-processing, Nvidia seems to have moved past the controversy. However, those who still remember the jarring visuals from Resident Evil Requiem aren’t so quick to let it go. Oshry and Dusk developer David Szymanski are advocating for the outrage to evolve from online complaints and memes into a real boycott that pressures Nvidia to rethink its approach to generative AI in gaming.

“We, as developers and players, need to stand against this nonsense just like we did with NFTs and crypto games, and what we’re trying to do with predatory microtransactions, loot boxes, and battle passes,” Oshry remarked this week, sharing his thoughts on social media. “This isn’t just some experimental gimmick. It’s fundamentally altering how video games look, relying on AI trained on Instagram models and memes.” Nvidia has yet to reveal the actual data used to train DLSS 5.

He added, “It used to take hours of modding to achieve this ‘cinematic’ look, and now Nvidia is making it accessible for free! Just kidding, it’ll probably cost around $5,000.” Oshry pointed out that only one of New Blood’s games utilizes DLSS, which was a “huge pain,” so he has no vested interest beyond being a concerned PC gamer like everyone else.

For Szymanski, the backlash against DLSS 5 reflects a broader frustration with incremental improvements in rendering technology, especially as graphics cards become increasingly expensive. “It’s particularly disheartening to see it showcased in Resident Evil Requiem,” he said, “a game that represents quality and passion in AAA design. Watching Grace and Leon get filtered through this ‘slop’ feels like a double blow.”

Szymanski continued, “Nobody wants a glorified autocorrect to overwrite the work of real artists creating genuine art.” The impact on the creators behind the games and their artistic vision elevates the DLSS 5 controversy beyond typical gamer boycott calls. “At this rate, why even bother making game art?” Oshry questioned. “Why not just sketch some shapes and let AI decide what it should look like?”