The future of 3D creativity is knocking. DAZ Studio 2025 has officially entered its alpha phase, and it’s bringing some long-awaited upgrades along for the ride. From an improved viewport experience to direct integration of the Strand-Based Hair Editor, this early release is packed with potential. But while there’s a lot to be excited about (including support for NVIDIA 50XX series GPUs), not everything is smooth sailing just yet.

Here’s what’s new and what to keep in mind.

Big News: Native Support for NVIDIA 50XX GPUs

For those using the latest NVIDIA 50XX series graphics cards, DAZ Studio 2025 finally offers official support. This means better performance and faster rendering, at least in theory.

In practice, the new Iray preview still feels laggy during testing. While the interface is more responsive thanks to core infrastructure upgrades and a rebuilt viewport, the real-time Iray preview struggles a bit in heavier scenes. This may be an alpha build issue, but it’s worth noting if preview rendering is an essential part of your workflow.

A Refreshed, More Responsive Experience

One of the most welcome updates is the modernized application framework. The viewport has been rebuilt using current graphics libraries (OpenGL 4.1 or higher for Windows and Metal 1.2 or higher for Mac), delivering faster asset loading, with up to three times faster performance when working with Genesis 9 content.

New DrawStyle options have been added to Iray, including wireframe overlays that help with mesh visualization. A new temporary “blue surface” appears while textures are still loading, allowing you to interact with the scene sooner.

Strand Hair Just Got a Makeover

Hair creation is now more intuitive than ever. The Strand-Based Hair Editor has been integrated directly into the main viewport. No more popup windows. You can style strand-based hair in real time, making the creative process smoother and more visual from start to finish.

New Selection Feedback for a Smoother Workflow

A new “Selected Style” setting gives you better visual control over selected nodes. Choose from simple cues, wireframes, or a soft halo effect to help keep track of selected elements. It’s a thoughtful improvement that brings clarity to complex scenes.

Behind-the-Scenes Power for Scripters and Technical Users

The updated scripting engine is a quiet game changer. It now allows scripts to relaunch the application with custom parameters. This is ideal for users building custom tools, automating workflows, or developing pipeline integrations. It adds more depth and flexibility to technical workflows.

Final Thoughts: Promising, But Not Quite Perfect

DAZ Studio 2025 Alpha is a solid step forward, especially for users with newer hardware. Between GPU support, a faster interface, and integrated creative tools, it shows clear progress. But as with any alpha release, some features still need refinement. The Iray preview, in particular, could use additional optimization.

That said, this is an exciting opportunity to explore what’s coming next and to help shape the final product. You can try it now via the Public Build channel in the DAZ Install Manager and join the discussion on the official forums.

If you need help getting started or want to troubleshoot your setup, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help.