What is AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution? And how does it work?

(Pocket-lint) - At the commencement of June 2021, during AMD's Computex keynote the institution revealed a fig of caller things including RDNA 2 powered mobile GPUs and FidelityFX Super Resolution.

AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is AMD's reply to Nvidia's deep learning ace sampling (DLSS). But what does it bash and however does it work? 

What is AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution?

In theory, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is simply a exertion that's designed to springiness gamers the champion of some worlds. When activated, you'll nary longer request to take betwixt precocious framework rates and high-resolution graphics. 

FidelityFX Super Resolution (aka FSR) is fundamentally designed to upscale your graphics portion you play. Allowing you to output graphics with a higher framework complaint but besides astatine 4K arsenic well. So portion the crippled motor is rendering astatine 1080p, for example, the last output is 1440p oregon 4K.  

AMD's tech uses an "advanced borderline reconstruction algorithm" to upscale each framework that's being sent. 

In a akin mode to Nvidia's DLSS, AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution has 4 antithetic modes. Ultra Quality, Quality, Balanced, and Performance. At 1 extremity of the spectrum, you person Ultra Quality which focuses connected the champion graphics portion Performance gives you the highest FPS. 

The thought is Ultra Quality mode would springiness you higher framework rates than you'd get trying to tally games natively astatine a precocious resolution. 

FidelityFX Super Resolution seemingly makes 2 passes to amended the ocular prime of the extremity graphics. The archetypal being an edge-reconstruction upscaling algorithm that overhauls the graphics and a 2nd which sharpens the last representation up and adds much clarity. 

Interestingly, the archetypal solution changes depending connected the mode you've selected. As an example, wherever the last output is 4K, the Ultra Quality mode would initially render astatine 2954 x 1662 earlier upscaling. While Quality Mode volition usage 2560 x 1440 and Balanced Mode volition usage 2259 x 1270 portion Performance Mode uses 1080p. 

Which GPUs does FidelityFX Super Resolution enactment with?

FidelityFX Super Resolution is designed to enactment with galore much graphics cards than Nvidia's DLSS offering. As it stands, FSR is supported by AMD's RX 6000, RX 5000, RX 500 and 400 graphics cards. Interestingly it'll besides enactment connected a assortment of Nvidia's GPUs excessively - from 10-series cards onwards. 

FSR is present mostly disposable to use. If you person the close instrumentality and a crippled that supports it, past each you request is the latest AMD Radeon driver to get started. 

Because of the unfastened quality of FSR, there's a accidental that it volition look connected consoles excessively successful future. 

Which games enactment FSR

Like Nvidia's DLSS, FidelityFX Super Resolution relies connected crippled developers to adhd the enactment to usage it into their games. Still, determination are a fewer games that already enactment it:

• Anno 1800
• Asterigos
• Baldur’s Gate III
• DOTA 2
• Edge of Eternity
• Evil Genius 2
• Godfall
• FarCry 6
• Farming Simulator 22
• Forspoken
• Kingshunt
• Myst
• Necromunda: Hired Gun
• Resident Evil: Village
• Swordsman Remake
• Terminator Resistance
• The Riftbreaker
• Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodhunt
• 22 Racing Series

There volition beryllium much games successful aboriginal and you tin spot the database now arsenic good arsenic requesting your favourite games get support. 

AMD Super Resolution successful action

AMD precocious posted a abbreviated featurette connected YouTube demonstrating the optimisation enactment it's done for Far Cry 6. In that video, the institution showed disconnected examples of its ain Ray Tracing capabilities and tweaks to assistance gamers marque the astir of the game. 

One of those enhancements included  FidelityFX Super Resolution enactment wherever the crippled is shown moving 90FPS alternatively of 60FPS connected the aforesaid graphics settings. While it's not shown what settings were utilized exactly, nor the hardware the crippled was moving on, it's inactive rather a show boost. 

Writing by Adrian Willings. Originally published connected 23 June 2021.