Game auteur Hideo Kojima has said he has "mixed feelings" about NVIDIA's DLSS 5 after fans sent him comparisons of the AI-powered technology running on Death Stranding 2.
Kojima made the comments on KOJI10, the show he hosts alongside TBS Announcer Maoko Hibi and Yohei Miyazaki of TBS's drama production department. The show returned as a podcast for its 36th episode, a year after its second season ended, and was released on YouTube for the first time. Kojima also used the episode to share casting stories for his next two games and updates on his studio's upcoming projects.
Why Death Stranding 2 came up in the DLSS 5 debate
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is a technology NVIDIA builds into its graphics cards. DLSS 5 uses generative AI to render light and textures, making games look more realistic. When Death Stranding 2 came up in online discussion around it, many players argued the game didn't need it, with some saying it looked odd with the effect on.
Asked by Hibi whether the game was already ahead of the technology, Kojima disagreed. "I wouldn't say ahead of it. It's not technology. We want the actors to look their best," he said. He explained that his team keeps refining the lighting on each shot, adding: "We couldn't do it with actors we didn't love."
Kojima on AI changing finished work
"As a creator, I have mixed feelings about this technology," Kojima said. He acknowledged that AI is good at restoring and colourising old photographs, and suggested it could one day replace remakes and hand-done 4K film restorations. His concern was over intent. "As the person who made the original, I wouldn't want someone changing it too much," he said. "There was a reason I chose a particular lighting setup."
Kojima said things might be different if AI understood those choices, or if he were the one controlling it in his own work. He admitted the technology will "probably become standard", but added: "I don't much like the idea."
Kojima confirmed that Physint, the action espionage game announced in 2024, has found a new partner in Xbox, with Bill Skarsgård as its lead. He said the pair were introduced by Woodkid, the musician who worked on Death Stranding 2, and that Skarsgård has been a fan since Metal Gear. Kojima also showed the hosts a confidential list of unannounced cast members, saying around 70% of them are fans of his work.
Filming on horror game OD began in June and will continue until the end of the year, after a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike delayed production. Kojima said Jordan Peele recommended lead Sophia Lillis, while Guillermo del Toro helped bring Udo Kier on board. Kier has since passed away, and Kojima said he attended his funeral in January.
What else is coming from Kojima Productions
Kojima said the live-action Death Stranding film with A24 is starting location scouting, while two animated projects, a film and a series, are also in production. He also revealed he has filmed several unannounced cameos, including in a major live-action film and two anime titles, following recent appearances in TBS drama VIVANT and Zootopia 2.
Kojima Productions will mark its 10th anniversary with Beyond the Strand, an exhibition at Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo running from October 31st to December 20th. Kojima said it will include early Death Stranding work made before the studio had an engine, when the team was just five or six people. Whether KOJI10 continues will depend on listener response to the episode, according to the hosts.
