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If you have an RTX graphics card that runs DLSS perfectly well in every other game, and yet the DLSS option in NBA 2K27 is greyed out, you are not imagining things and your card is not broken.
This is one of the most common points of confusion at NBA 2K27's launch, and the reason is unusual enough that it is worth explaining clearly.
| ➔ The short answer: NBA 2K27 does not use the regular DLSS you know from other games. It uses NVIDIA's brand new DLSS 5 Neural Rendering, and at launch that feature works only on GeForce RTX 50-series cards. If you are on anything older, even a powerful RTX 4090, the option is greyed out on purpose for right now. |
Normally when a game says DLSS, it means an upscaler that boosts your frame rate. NBA 2K27 is different. The headline feature here is DLSS 5 Neural Rendering, a new NVIDIA technology that debuted in NBA 2K27, and its job is to make the lighting and the players look more photorealistic rather than to make the game run faster.
That is an important expectation to reset. Turning DLSS 5 Neural Rendering on in NBA 2K27 actually costs you frame rate rather than giving it back. Multiple hardware outlets measured a large performance hit from the feature, well over 50 percent in testing.
It is a visual quality enhancement for people with the hardware to spare, and NVIDIA and 2K both treat it as fully optional. You can toggle it during a game or replay with the F9 key.
Here is the part that clears up the greyed out mystery. In NBA 2K27, at launch, the entire DLSS 5 feature set, including its Super Resolution and Frame Generation options, is locked to RTX 50-series cards.
| Your GeForce Card | DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27 (at launch) |
| RTX 50-series (5090, 5080, 5070, 5060 and so on) | Supported. This is the only tier that can turn it on today. |
| RTX 40-series (4090, 4080, 4070 and so on) | Not yet. NVIDIA has publicly said RTX 40 support is coming later, with no date announced. |
| RTX 30-series and RTX 20-series | Not supported for DLSS 5. No support has been announced. |
| GTX cards (16 and 10-series) | Never. GTX cards have no Tensor cores and cannot run any version of DLSS. |
So if your card is not a 50-series, the DLSS option being greyed out is expected behavior at the moment, not a fault.
NVIDIA has committed to expanding DLSS 5 to the RTX 40-series after it finishes tuning performance on the 50-series, but there is no public release date, and older cards have not been promised support.
The reason so many players expect their card to work is that DLSS is really a family of features, and different features need different hardware.
In most games your card qualifies for at least some of them. NBA 2K27 just happens to lead with the newest one. Here is the general picture across all games.
| DLSS feature | GeForce cards that support it |
| DLSS Super Resolution (upscaling) | All RTX cards: 20, 30, 40, and 50-series |
| DLSS Frame Generation | RTX 40 and 50-series |
| DLSS Multi Frame Generation | RTX 50-series only |
| DLSS 5 Neural Rendering | RTX 50-series at launch, RTX 40 planned later |
In plain terms: your RTX 3070 can do DLSS upscaling in plenty of games, which is why you expect a DLSS toggle.
But NBA 2K27 is not offering plain upscaling to older cards right now. It is offering DLSS 5, and that is a 50-series feature for the time being.
If you are on a 50-series card and the option is still locked, one of these is almost always the cause. Work through them in order.
Worth a reality check before you chase it. Because DLSS 5 Neural Rendering costs a big chunk of frame rate rather than adding it, it is a nice to have for players on a strong 50-series card who care most about how the game looks.
If you are chasing smooth, high frame rate basketball, you may actually prefer to leave it off and lean on the more traditional performance settings instead.
Our full breakdown of every graphics option, and the ones that matter most for frame rate, is in the guide linked below.
Why is DLSS greyed out in NBA 2K27 if my RTX card supports DLSS?
Because NBA 2K27 uses DLSS 5 Neural Rendering, a new feature that at launch runs only on RTX 50-series cards. Even strong RTX 40 and 30 cards that do DLSS in other games cannot enable it in NBA 2K27 yet.
Will RTX 40-series get DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27?
NVIDIA has publicly said it plans to bring DLSS 5 to the RTX 40-series after it finishes tuning performance on the 50-series. No release date has been given.
Does DLSS 5 make NBA 2K27 run faster?
No, and this surprises people. It is a photorealistic rendering feature that improves visuals and costs frame rate, with testing showing a hit of more than 50 percent. It is optional and can be toggled with F9.
Do I need a special driver?
Yes. On a supported RTX 50-series card, DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27 needs the GeForce Game Ready Driver from September 3, 2026, or newer.
Can a GTX card use DLSS in NBA 2K27?
No. GTX cards lack the Tensor core hardware that DLSS needs, so they cannot use any version of DLSS in any game.
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