Nvidia DLSS 4.5 has arrived in War Thunder, but its use is limited
War Thunder proves that supporting the latest version of DLSS is a tricky proposition
Update 2.55.0.35 has arrived for War Thunder, adding support for Nvidia DLSS 4.5. DLSS 4.5 is Nvidia’s newest AI upscaler, and it boasts improved image quality over all prior versions of DLSS. With this change, Nvidia users should be able to enjoy clearer visuals in War Thunder, especially when upscaling from lower resolutions.
While DLSS 4.5 delivers strong visuals, its use is limited in War Thunder. For starters, older RTX GPUs (RTX 20/30 series) will still default to DLSS 4. This is due to DLSS 4.5’s higher performance overhead on these GPUs. Additionally, even newer RTX GPUs (RTX 40/50 series) will only use Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 upscaler in Performance mode or Ultra Performance mode. Additionally, RTX 40/50 series users will be able to switch between DLSS 4 and DLSS 4.5 in performance or ultra performance mode on all RTX GPUs.
We're released an update activating DLSS 4.5 in the game:
– DLSS 4.5 models are now default on RTX 40 and 50 series GPUs in Performance and Ultra Performance modes.
– For other modes on these GPUs and all modes on RTX 20 and 30 series GPUs, DLSS 4 is still the default model.
-… pic.twitter.com/mrX6O7v9gP— War Thunder (@WarThunder) March 26, 2026
DLSS 4.5 is limited to Performance and Ultra Performance modes, at least by default
War Thunder’s official Twitter/X account has confirmed that DLSS 4.5 is limited to specific modes, at least “for now”. Right now, it is unclear if Gaijin has plans to enable DLSS 4.5 in their games’ DLSS Quality or Balanced modes anytime soon.
It is likely that Gaijin does not see an overall performance/quality benefit when using DLSS 4.5 with higher input resolutions. For this reason, War Thunder appears to be using DLSS 4 in the Quality and Balanced modes. DLSS 4.5 shines when more aggressive upscaling is used, which is why it is a better fit for DLSS’ Performance and Ultra Performance modes.
Yes, for now DLSS 4.5 limited to performance and ultra performance mode.
— War Thunder (@WarThunder) March 26, 2026
If you are a fan of War Thunder, you can now enjoy the game with DLSS 4.5 upscaling. While its support is limited, it is a welcome upgrade. This is especially true for RTX 40/50 series GPU users.
You can join the discussion on War Thunder’s DLSS 4.5 update on the OC3D Forums.
