NVIDIA open-source NVK driver brings experimental DLSS support

The DLSS functionality has been integrated into the Mesa driver stack by using the binary extension VK_NVX_binary_import. According to current development plans, this support is planned for the stable version 26.2 of Mesa, which is expected to be released in August 2026.

As the feature is currently classified as experimental, it will not be active by default upon installation. To use DLSS, users must configure their system by adding the environment variable NVK_EXPERIMENTAL=dlss.

Impact on performance and driver parity

The introduction of DLSS is seen as a crucial step in addressing the current performance limitations. While the open source NVK driver still lags behind the proprietary version in terms of raw performance, the gap is narrowing due to continued contributions from the community.

It is expected that the implementation of DLSS will mitigate certain performance degradations found in the current versions of the NPC driver. By utilizing AI-driven upscaling, the open source driver can potentially deliver higher frame rates and smoother rendering, reducing the reliance on native resolution rendering that currently accounts for the performance gap between the two driver stacks.