What is AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution)?

At Computex 2021 earlier this month, AMD announced the Fidelity FX Super Resolution. This is a new spatial upscaling technology aimed at providing a high quality, high resolution gaming experience. Advertised as a competitor to NVIDIA’s DLSS 2.0, AMD has received a lot of attention with this upcoming technology. Now that AMD FSR is finally on sale, it’s very impressive, according to current benchmarks. But before we dive into the details of whether AMD FSR matches DLSS, let’s talk about everything you need to know about AMD FSR.

AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution): Explanation!

This article details what AMD FSR is, how FidelityFX Super Resolution works, and how to enable AMD FSR to improve the supported gaming experience. Therefore, read it all or use the table below to skip to the desired section.

What is AMD FSR?

AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is a version of AMD. Image upscaling technology This is intended to improve the overall experience of gamers. Released as the latest effect in the AMD Didelity FX Suite, the company’s open source image quality toolkit for game developers, AMD FSR cleanly upscales the edges of in-game objects at the bottom.

According to AMD’s official blog “With Fidelity FX Super Resolution, gamers 2.4x average performance Some titles are running in 4K in “FSR Performance” mode. ” In addition, AMD FSR will be available not only on PCs, but also on next-generation consoles such as the Xbox Series S / X and PS5.

AMD’s FSR is a direct competitor to NVIDIA DLSS. NVIDIADLSS is another popular upscaling technology that uses a unique set of methods to achieve similar results. However, while the technologies look similar, some differences distinguish them from each other (more on this below).

Will AMD FSR improve my gameplay?

definitely. AMD FSR aims to provide higher resolution textures and better frame rates without overwhelming gamers’ GPUs, thus improving the performance of games supported by FSR (below). Check the list). The company has tested FSR technology on popular games such as Godfall and The Riftbreaker on the Radeon RX 6900 XT. You can use the chart below to see a performance comparison when you turn AMD FSR on and off.

Let’s use an example – suppose you’re playing a game on a 4K monitor with the output resolution set to 4K and FSR turned on. Depending on the mode you choose, the technology ensures that the game runs at a lower resolution internally (for example, 1080p), and FSR reconstructs and upscales the output image. Close to looking like 4K..

In this way, you get 4K-like game output at higher frame rates, and your graphics card doesn’t have to work that hard.Similarly, if you are playing 1080p Resolution, you can get upward quality 1440p Without stressing the GPU.

When it comes to customization, AMD FSR offers four quality modes to suit your needs.These modes are Super high quality, quality, balance, performance..

Ultra-high quality mode improves the in-game frame rate while providing the closest resolution and the most detailed information to the native resolution. However, the output resolution will be slightly lower than the one you set. So for a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, the FSR will render in ultra-high quality at 2954 x 1662.

If you select other modes such as balance or performance, the resolution will continue to decrease. You will still get a higher frame rate However, FSR processes less input data, which reduces image quality. Still, FSR works well at low resolutions, which is a benefit for users with older GPUs (especially during the ongoing global chip shortage).

Now that you know what AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is, let’s talk about how it works.

How does AMD FSR work?

AMD FSR employs a “state-of-the-art algorithm” that takes images rendered at a resolution lower than the native resolution set by gamers and passes them through two paths (discussed below). Make sure the output is refined and looks the same as the native resolution.

The first path is called Edge adaptive spatial upsampling (EASU). EASU is an edge reconstruction algorithm that attempts to recreate the image input and upscale it to a higher resolution.

The second path is Robust contrast adaptive sharpening (RCAS), which extracts pixel details in upscaled images and enhances sharpness by further sharpening. Both processes occur simultaneously in the game’s graphics pipeline, so the results are instant.

How is AMD FSR different from NVIDIA DLSS?

One of the biggest differences between NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR is compatibility. DLSS uses a method called Temporal upscaling It relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks. DLSS collects data from multiple frames and combines them into one with the help of AI on a dedicated tensor core that resides on the RTX GPU. However, these dedicated cores exist only on NVIDIA RTX GPUs, so they are inherently proprietary. That is, DLSS is limited to NVIDIA RTX 20 and 30 series graphics cards.

Meanwhile, AMD FSR will be available on a number of compatible graphics cards, from the older Radeon RX 460 to AMD’s latest Radeon RX 6000 series.But the biggest surprise here is FSR is also compatible with NVIDIA cards, From the 10/16 series to the latest RTX30 series.so GeForce GTX 1070 Graphics card owners who were worried about the lack of DLSS are looking forward to AMD’s new upscaling technology.

FSR works at the shader level of the process, allowing compatibility with NVIDIA GPUs. AMD FSR Without collecting data from multiple frames or relying on AI Instead, focus on spatial upscaling.. In addition, this means less data entry makes it much easier for developers to implement FSR in their games.

AMD FSR or NVIDIA DLSS 2.0: Which is better?

AMD FSR improves visual quality and overall performance, but the initial benchmark score is It’s not the DLSS killer it was advertised, And there is a good reason. As explained above, NVIDIA DLSS 2.0 is a dramatically different technology, using much more sophisticated means to upscale content.

While FSR uses the received source image to upscale content, DLSS offers a variety of ways, including: Motion vector And Temporal feedback From the previous frame. NVIDIA also has a trained AI that uses 16K images to provide gamers with a high quality experience. DLSS offers superior image resolution that is almost indistinguishable compared to AMD FSR. In addition, with the release of RTX3050 and RTX3050Ti laptop GPUs by Nvidia, more products on the market now support DLSS technology.

Recent benchmarks for games such as Godfall and Riftbreaker have shown that FSR makes the output image clearer and clearer. This is easily noticeable during the game.Yes Occasional blur and softness In a game, when you actually push FSR to the limit of performance that does not exist in DLSS. Keep in mind that the FSR was recently announced and it will take some time before detailed benchmarks are available.

At first glance, AMD FSR is definitely a bonus added to the game’s existing supersampling settings, but it doesn’t pose a major challenge to competitors like NVIDIA’s DLSS. However, given the open source nature of FSR, it’s easy for game developers to implement this technology. Gamers who aren’t using DLSS should use FSR on their PCs for the perfect balance between running the game smoothly and using better textures.

How do I enable or turn on AMD FSR?

You don’t have to do anything special to enable AMD FSR. You don’t need to tweak the settings in your PC’s Radeon Graphics software. Please install the latest driver for compatible GPUs.

Then open a supported game and jump to the graphics or video settings. here, Find a new “AMD DidelityFX Super Resolution” setting.. Choose one of the four modes above to enjoy a very smooth and fidelity gaming experience.

List of games that support AMD FSR (current and upcoming)

At the time of this writing, only seven games on your PC support AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) technology. These games are:

• Anno 1800
• Godfall
• Evil genius 2
• King shunt
• Terminator resistance
• Lift breaker
• 22 Racing Series

The upcoming games that support AMD FSR are:

• Asteligos
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• DOTA 2
• Edge of Eternity
• Far Cry 6 (Check out the Gameplay Trailer alongside other games announced at E3 2021)
• Farming Simulator 22
• Foresight
• mist
• Necromunda: Hired gun
• Resident Evil Village
• Swordfighter remake
• Vampire The Masquerade: Blood Hunt

In addition, AMD has partnered with over 40 game developers, so it is expected that more games will soon support FidelityFX Super Resolution.

GPU supported by AMD FSR

The following graphics cards currently support AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution technology. Update the list below if AMD decides to introduce FSR support to more GPUs or adds new cards to its portfolio.

• Radeon RX 6000 / 6000M series
• Radeon RX 5000 / 5000M series
• Radeon RX Vega series
• Radeon RX 500 series
• Radeon RX 480/470/460
• Ryzen 2000 series CPU with Radeon GPU
• Nvidia RTX 30 series
• Nvidia RTX 20 series
• Nvidia GTX10 / 16 series

Apart from the Radeon and Nvidia graphics cards, AMD FSR will also be available on next-generation consoles such as:

Bonus: Request your favorite game to support AMD FSR

If you’re excited about AMD FSR but can’t find your favorite game in the list above, don’t worry. AMD has launched a small survey that allows you to fill out a short form Request FSR support for up to 3 games.. If enough people submit the same game, AMD will move it to the top of the list and offer FSR faster than other titles. Therefore, please fill out this official form and enter your favorite games to improve your gaming experience.

Improve your gaming experience with AMD FSR now!

We hope this guide will help you introduce you to the new AMD FSR technology. AMD is on track when it comes to hardware. From the new Ryzen 5000 series GPUs to the next Exynos chip with AMD GP, the company is in the spotlight of all gamers. Over time, more benchmarks will be published online, giving you even better ideas on how AMD FSR competes with DLSS. Until then, let us know what you think of FSR and if you missed it in the comments below.