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War Thunder DLSS 5: Eagle's Shadow Release Window, GPU Support and How to Enable It

War Thunder gets DLSS 5 with the Eagle's Shadow update in mid-November. Supported GPUs, driver 621.14, how to enable it, and what the dev server shows.

T Terapep ·

Last checked: November 6, 2026 (KST). This page will be updated when Gaijin announces the exact patch date.

War Thunder is one of three games NVIDIA added to its November DLSS 5 rollout, and it arrives with the Eagle's Shadow major update rather than as a standalone patch. Below is what Gaijin and NVIDIA have actually confirmed: the release window, which GPUs get DLSS 5, which driver to install, and what is (and isn't) on the dev server right now.

For every other game with DLSS 5, see our DLSS 5 supported games list.

TL;DR

  • Release window: mid-November 2026, with the Eagle's Shadow major update. No exact day has been announced (Gaijin press release, Nov 2; NVIDIA, Nov 5).
  • GPUs: GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Spark devices only, for now. A Gaijin community manager said he has no information on RTX 40 compatibility (War Thunder news, Nov 3).
  • Driver: NVIDIA's GeForce / RTX Spark Game Ready 621.14 WHQL driver, announced November 4 alongside the War Thunder news (NVIDIA, Nov 4).
  • Dev server: the Eagle's Shadow dev server closes November 7 at 07:00 GMT, and its official notes do not mention DLSS 5 (dev server announcement).

Release date: what is confirmed

Gaijin's press release for Eagle's Shadow, dated November 2, says the update "will be available to the players in mid-November" (Gamespress). That release doesn't mention DLSS 5. The DLSS 5 tie-in came the next day:

  • November 3: Gaijin's devblog says DLSS 5 with 3D-Guided Neural Rendering is "coming in the Eagle's Shadow major update" (War Thunder news). On the same day, NVIDIA's developer interview with Gaijin also says the update goes live in mid-November (NVIDIA).
  • November 4: NVIDIA's driver post says Eagle's Shadow goes live "in just a few weeks" (NVIDIA).
  • November 5: NVIDIA's DLSS 5 roundup repeats that War Thunder adds DLSS 5 support in mid-November (NVIDIA).

What is not confirmed: the exact patch day. Neither Gaijin nor NVIDIA had published one when we checked.

PC Guide calls War Thunder "a surprise addition" because it wasn't on NVIDIA's original DLSS 5 list (PC Guide; NVIDIA, Mar 16).

GPU support table

GPU War Thunder DLSS 5 status Source
GeForce RTX 50 Series (desktop and laptop) Supported at launch Gaijin says DLSS 5 targets "GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards and RTX Spark devices" (War Thunder news); NVIDIA says the same for all three November titles (NVIDIA, Nov 5)
RTX Spark devices Supported at launch Same Gaijin and NVIDIA posts. The Game Ready 621.14 driver covers both GeForce and RTX Spark (NVIDIA, Nov 4)
GeForce RTX 40 Series Not supported yet; no date Gaijin's Stona_WT: "I do not have any info on RTX 40 compatibility" (War Thunder news comments). In September, NVIDIA said it plans to expand official support to RTX 40 once RTX 50 is "more fully tuned" (Notebookcheck)
GeForce RTX 30 / 20 Series and older Not supported; no announced plans NVIDIA lists only RTX 50, RTX Spark and GeForce NOW Ultimate (NVIDIA, Nov 5). Notebookcheck reports no statement on RTX 30 (Notebookcheck)
AMD Radeon / Intel Arc Not supported (DLSS is NVIDIA-only); no FSR or XeSS equivalent announced Players asked about AMD and FSR in the official thread, and no staff answer was posted (forum thread)

The devblog also says DLSS 5 "will be enabled for RTX devices," but a Gaijin staffer later clarified it is "officially compatible only with RTX 50 series (and Nvidia Spark)" (forum, page 3).

How to enable DLSS 5 in War Thunder

Gaijin hasn't published the exact menu path or setting name yet. Here is everything the sources actually state:

  1. Install the Game Ready driver. NVIDIA tells players of all three November DLSS 5 titles to get its Game Ready driver, "launching November 4th in the NVIDIA app" (NVIDIA, Nov 5). That driver is GeForce / RTX Spark Game Ready 621.14 WHQL, available through the NVIDIA app or GeForce.com (NVIDIA, Nov 4).
  2. Update War Thunder to Eagle's Shadow once it goes live in mid-November.
  3. Turn it on in-game. Gaijin's Stona_WT told players who dislike the look that "you can simply leave it switched off," which means it's an optional toggle (forum). Its name and location in the graphics menu haven't been published. For comparison, Hogwarts Legacy calls the option "Neural Rendering" (NVIDIA, Nov 5) and NBA 2K27 calls it "DLSS Neural Rendering" (NVIDIA, Sep 3). War Thunder's label may differ.

NVIDIA app override: none of the sources mention a DLSS 5 override in the NVIDIA app. The only override NVIDIA has documented next to a DLSS 5 game applies to DLSS 4.5 frame generation, not to DLSS 5 (NVIDIA, Sep 3).

Dev server: what testers can try now

The Eagle's Shadow dev server opened October 30 (16:00 GMT) and runs until November 7 (07:00 GMT). Gaijin warns it may close earlier (official announcement). From the same post:

  • Access: download the dev client launcher linked in the announcement.
  • Account: you play on a recent copy of your main account, and dev-server progress does not carry over to the live game.
  • Boosts: x5 Research Points and Silver Lions, and vehicles cost half as much.
  • Graphics changes listed: reworked firing effects, new smoke and sparks, exhaust flames, and adjusted weather presets.
  • Known bug: maximum visual effects quality breaks the wing vapor effect. Gaijin advises avoiding "very high" for now.

DLSS 5 on the dev server: the dev server announcement (changelog updated November 4) doesn't mention DLSS 5. We also found no staff confirmation or tester report of DLSS 5 running there. In the official DLSS 5 thread, players were still only hoping it would come to the dev server (forum, page 2). Treat it as not testable yet.

Performance expectations (NVIDIA figures)

No independent benchmarks exist yet. All the numbers below are NVIDIA's own, all with DLSS 5 on (NVIDIA, Nov 5):

Resolution Hardware Settings stated NVIDIA claim
4K Not specified Ground battle benchmark Up to 400 FPS
2560x1440 "GeForce RTX Series" (no model) Ultra preset, path-traced Up to 550 FPS
2560x1440 RTX 5090 Laptop GPU High preset, path-traced, Ray Reconstruction, 6X Multi Frame Generation Up to 300 FPS
1920x1080 RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs Not specified Up to 490 FPS

The 6X Multi Frame Generation mode is part of at least one of these configurations, so don't expect frame rates like these with DLSS 5 alone. NVIDIA also says the October 2026 Neural Rendering model these games launch with is 2X faster than the previous version and uses 20% less VRAM at 4K (same source).

FAQ

When does War Thunder get DLSS 5?

In mid-November 2026, with the Eagle's Shadow major update. No exact date had been announced as of November 6 (NVIDIA; Gamespress).

Does War Thunder DLSS 5 work on RTX 40?

Not officially. At launch it is for RTX 50 Series and RTX Spark only. NVIDIA has said it plans to bring RTX 40 support later but hasn't given a date (Notebookcheck). Gaijin says it has no RTX 40 information (War Thunder news).

Which driver do I need?

The GeForce / RTX Spark Game Ready 621.14 WHQL driver (November 4), or anything newer, from the NVIDIA app or GeForce.com (NVIDIA).

Is path tracing in War Thunder?

Yes, partly. NVIDIA says War Thunder already supports ray tracing and path-traced global illumination (NVIDIA, Nov 4), and its Ultra preset includes path-traced GI (NVIDIA, Nov 5). Gaijin says DLSS 5 unlocks the engine's full potential, "including path tracing" (War Thunder news). We found no source saying path tracing itself is limited to RTX 50.

Can I try DLSS 5 on the dev server?

Probably not. The Eagle's Shadow dev server notes don't mention it, and the server closes November 7 at 07:00 GMT (announcement).

Sources

#war thunder#dlss 5#eagle's shadow#nvidia#rtx 50 series#rtx spark#game ready driver#path tracing
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