NVIDIA Releases a Driver for DLSS 5 — But for Now, It's Only Useful for One Game

The release of the GeForce Game Ready 616.64 WHQL graphics driver package is now official. The main reason for the update is the formal launch of DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering, but for the time being, you can only see it in action in the sports sim NBA 2K27.

The standout quirk of this release is the firm tie-in between the new rendering method and the latest software. Without installing version 616.64, the corresponding menu option simply won't appear in NBA 2K27's graphics settings. The technology is strictly limited to GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards. Owners of previous-gen hardware, including the RTX 40 series, won't be able to enable neural rendering due to hardware constraints.

Beyond implementing DLSS 5, the driver is also aimed at ensuring the smooth operation of other NVIDIA proprietary technologies in NBA 2K27. This includes Reflex for latency reduction, DLSS Super Resolution, Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation, and ray tracing. The second title optimized for this driver is the action game Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which is set to receive performance improvements and compatibility with the latest scaling tech versions.

Interestingly, the company didn't list a single fix related to previous software versions in the release notes. The section for resolved issues remains empty. Likewise, the list of known problems is also blank — which is unusual for a release of this scale and hints at a notably stable build.

Worth noting separately is the update to the NVIDIA app. For GeForce RTX 50 users, it now enables DLSS 4.5 Frame Generation to work alongside frame rate limiters and vertical sync — previously, these settings would conflict. To activate this feature, you'll need not only driver 616.64 itself but also the Streamline library version 2.14 or newer. You can grab the distribution through the company's official website, the NVIDIA App, or GeForce Experience. The package is Microsoft WHQL-certified and is aimed at 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Is it worth updating on day one for a single game, or are you better off waiting for a cumulative patch if you're not a fan of basketball sims? Drop your thoughts in the comments.