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An enthusiast experiment applied DLSS 5 to the original 1991 DOS Duke Nukem and the 1972 game Pong. Tom’s Hardware reports that the 2D games ran in DOSBox, with ReShade used to add the effect. The results are unofficial and depend on where the effect is injected and how strongly it is applied; stronger settings can distort the image.
What the experiment showed
Tom’s Hardware reported on October 6, 2026, that Valery Kryzhanovsky had tested the effect across several kinds of games, from 2D platformers and role-playing games to contemporary titles. Its report includes a video of the original Duke Nukem.
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| 1 |
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Duke Nukem: Time To Kill (Renewed) | $39.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Duke Nukem Forever - Xbox 360 (Renewed) | $13.51 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Blaze Evercade Duke Cartridge 2 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 4 |
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Duke Nukem Forever - PC | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Duke Nukem Logo Radiation Symbol Official Retro Gaming T-Shirt | $22.00 | Buy on Amazon |
In the platforming footage, some rectangular visual elements appeared embossed, giving parts of the scene an impression of depth. The report also describes the effect recognizing the player character, enemies, and bullets. These are visual observations from the reported experiment, not results from an independent or controlled benchmark. At higher settings, the image could become highly distorted.
How DLSS 5 was added to the 2D games
For the 2D setup, Tom’s Hardware names DOSBox, ReShade, and RenoDX. This is a forced-injection approach, not an official integration of DLSS 5 into either game. The outcome can change with several settings:
#1 Best Overall
- Disc(s) plus hard plastic protective replacement case only. Disc condition ranges from flawless to scratched but is guaranteed to work.
- Injection point: The report discusses applying the effect at the render stage, after upscaling, or to the final output.
- Filter strength: A stronger effect may make visual elements more pronounced, but can also produce greater distortion.
- Color preset and passes: Both are additional variables in the described setup.
The report says injection point can matter in 3D games, too: applying the effect at the render stage changed face geometry in one example. Kryzhanovsky’s stated view, as reported by Tom’s Hardware, is that forced injection works best on still images because the setup analyzes only the current frame and lacks a temporal element. That is an attributed assessment, not a quantified comparison of settings.
How this differs from NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 announcement
NVIDIA announced DLSS 5 on March 16, 2026, describing it as a real-time neural-rendering model that infuses pixels with photorealistic lighting and materials. NVIDIA said it would arrive in fall 2026 and associated the announcement with GeForce RTX 50 Series. Those are the company’s description and announced timing, not proof that the experiment used a particular graphics card or that an RTX 50 Series card is required for this third-party injection workflow.
Rank #2
- EGO, AND THEN SOME - Step into the shoes of Duke Nukem, the steroidal One-Man Army who never fails and always gets the Babes.
- BUST A GUT - Duke pulls no punches. He does and says the things you are thinking. Duke's constant stream of hilarious one-liners throughout the game will have gamers rolling.
- WORLD INTERACTIVITY - Spend as much time as you want shooting hoops, lifting weights, playing pinball, pool, air hockey, and slots. - even the urinals are interactive.
- ACTION PACKED - Packed with explosive FPS action, outlandish settings, vehicle driving, and puzzle solving - gamers will never tire of the endless FUN.
- MULTIPLAYER LIKE NO OTHER - Duke re-envisions classic modes of play in his own hilarious and humiliating way. Shrink your opponent and squash him with your foot. Freeze and shatter him. Attach explosives to his back. Roll a pipe bomb between his legs, or just frag him old-fashioned with a rocket.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang called DLSS 5 “the GPT moment for graphics,” saying it could combine hand-crafted rendering with generative AI while preserving artists’ creative control. This is NVIDIA’s characterization of its technology, not an independent assessment of the Duke Nukem or Pong experiment.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Retro Gaming Merchandise design. Retro Duke Nukem logo from the videogame series
- Officially licensed Duke Nukem swag!
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Rank #4
- Step into the ego filled shoes of Duke Nukem, the steroidal one-man army who never fails and always gets the babes
- Enjoy Duke's constant stream of hilarious one-liners throughout the game will have gamers rolling
- Spend as much time as you want shooting hoops, lifting weights, playing pinball, pool, air hockey, and slots
- Packed with explosive FPS action, outlandish settings, vehicle driving, and puzzle solving -- gamers will never tire of the endless fun
- Enjoy multiplayer option like no other as Duke re-envisions classic modes of play in his own hilarious and humiliating way
Rank #3
- Full colour manual included
- Games List – Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes & Duke Nukem Advance
- Genre – Action
- Compatible with all Evercade hardware
What the report does not establish
- It does not identify the GPU Kryzhanovsky used.
- It does not provide controlled scores, quantified image-quality comparisons, or performance figures.
- It does not establish that the reported appearance will be consistent across games or settings.
- It does not show that the games have official DLSS 5 support; the reported 2D workflow uses third-party tools to force the effect.
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