Ninja Gaiden 2 Black disappoints Xbox Game Pass PC players with no DLSS option
Announced at Xbox Developer Direct 2025, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was a pleasant surprise. The game is a remaster of the 2008 Xbox 360 action title using the Unreal Engine 5 for improved visuals. Unfortunately, despite being free with a Game Pass subscription, PC players are frustrated by the lack of DLSS. Strangely, Steam gamers don't have the same limitation, highlighting a common issue when comparing Microsoft's service and Valve's platform.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black has reasonable PC requirements, giving hope to owners of lower-end systems. Its revamped graphics should be considerably less demanding than Ninja Gaiden 4, expected in Fall 2025. Even so, some players aren't happy with its performance. DLSS would be a way to boost framerates with AI-powered upscaling.
Joining a chorus of complaints, Digital Foundry's John Linneman took to Bluesky to confirm the Game Pass version of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is missing the feature. AMD's FSR3 is often an alternative, but it isn't effective in this game.
Team Ninja's remaster isn't the only game with differences on Xbox Game Pass and Steam. Palworld is one of the most publicized examples, launching in January 2024 with several Game Pass limitations. Xbox Game Pass PC gamers could only participate in four-player co-op multiplayer compared to 32 players with the Steam version. Also, these gamers reported graphical and audio issues that have since been addressed through patches.
Developers give gamers some clues when asked about these differences. Games must go through a longer certification process to launch on Microsoft's service, and features and updates are often granted to Steam players first. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Game Pass gamers are left wondering if DLSS will arrive in a patch. With the Nvidia RTX 50 series so dependent on DLSS 4, future titles missing the option will become increasingly problematic.
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