Thursday, March 18th 2021

Confronting NVIDIA's DLSS: AMD Confirms FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) to Launch in 2021

AMD, via its CVP & GM at AMD Radeon Scott Herkelman, confirmed in video with PCWorld that the company's counterpart to NVIDIA's DLSS technology - which he defines as the most important piece of software currently in development from a graphics perspective - is coming along nicely. Launch of the technology is currently planned for later this year. Scott Herkelman further confirmed that there is still a lot of work to do on the technology before it's ready for prime time, but in the meantime, it has an official acronym: FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution). If you're unfamiliar with DLSS, it's essentially an NVIDIA-locked, proprietary upscaling algorithm that has been implemented in a number of games now, which leverages Machine Learning hardware capabilities (tensor cores) to upscale a game with minimal impact to visual quality. It's important because it allows for much higher performance in even the latest, most demanding titles - especially when they implement raytracing.

As has been the case with AMD, its standing on upscaling technologies defends a multiplatform, compatible approach that only demands implementation of open standards to run in users' systems. The idea is to achieve the broadest possible spectrum of game developers and gamers, with tight, seamless integration with the usual game development workflow. This is done mostly via taking advantage of Microsoft's DirectML implementation that's baked straight into DX 12.
One detail doesn't instill confidence in how soon we'll see this technology out in the wild; Scott Herkelman in the video says that there are multiple approaches to such an upscaling solution, and that they're being evaluated in the lab; this either means that AMD hasn't yet decided on the technologies to leverage for the upscale via Microsoft's Direct ML, or that the company is actively working on two or more different approaches to actually be able to measure their benefits, drawbacks, and ability for deployment in a large scale. All in all though, it's great to know that things are coming along nicely, as such a technology has an immense return potential not only for PC gamers (perhaps even NVIDIA-toting ones, if AMD's solution truly is hardware agnostic), but also for console players. If the performance increases we can expect from FSR are comparable to those of DLSS, we can expect an immense amount of power being unlocked in current-gen consoles. And that, in turn, benefits everyone.

Watch the full PCWorld video below:

Source: via Videocardz
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89 Comments on Confronting NVIDIA's DLSS: AMD Confirms FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) to Launch in 2021

#1
Space Lynx
Astronaut
the fact it will work on ps5, xbox series x, and PC at the same time is great news for me, means almost every single console port will support it on PC. have to wait awhile still, but worth it imo
Posted on Reply
#2
john_
I think it is obvious that they can't create something like DLSS 2.0 that can run on their GPUs and offer good quality AND performance. They said, they will introduce it in December 2020 with 6900XT and now they only hope to have it ready before year's end.

I think they are in a process of creating an airplane without wings and the problem is that they haven't yet thought the concept of a helicopter.
Posted on Reply
#3
ZoneDymo
anyone else having a bit of Deja Vu?

Nvidia makes something new but makes it proprietary.
AMD makes something similair but makes it open.
The open version becomes the standard.
Posted on Reply
#4
nguyen
lynx29the fact it will work on ps5, xbox series x, and PC at the same time is great news for me, means almost every single console port will support it on PC. have to wait awhile still, but worth it imo
Only AMD sponsored PC titles will get this FSR tech.
Posted on Reply
#5
jesdals
ZoneDymoanyone else having a bit of Deja Vu?

Nvidia makes something new but makes it proprietary.
AMD makes something similair but makes it open.
The open version becomes the standard.
Well that would be nice - just hopeing it isnt going to be like HairFX
Posted on Reply
#6
ZoneDymo
jesdalsWell that would be nice - just hopeing it isnt going to be like HairFX
whatever happened to that anyway?
its funny that it is still so imprinted in my mind even though I never really had anything to do with it, dont own Tomb Raider which I associate most with that tech, but when I see a character with long hair upside down and the hair is not falling down as well I always thing "tsk tsk, non of that HairFX".
nguyenOnly AMD sponsored PC titles will get this FSR tech.
Nah, if they truely make it painless to integrate it should just become a standard like freesync or so.
Posted on Reply
#7
RedelZaVedno
Open source is really not the way to go imho. AMD needs to make FSR as game engine plugin as easy to implement as it gets or developers just won't bother adding it into their game codes because it's just too much work for something that affects less than 10% of PC gamers (RDNA GPU owners).
Posted on Reply
#8
Raevenlord
News Editor
nguyenOnly AMD sponsored PC titles will get this FSR tech.
Yeah, that's not what they say their goal is.

And if their approach is based on Microsoft ML and not on a proprietary solution that has to be added on top of a games' development cycle, they are much more likely to achieve that.
RedelZaVednoOpen source is really not the way to go imho. AMD needs to make FSR as game engine plugin as easy to implement as it gets or developers just won't bother adding it into their game codes because it's just too much work for something that affects less than 10% of PC gamers (RDNA GPU owners).
You're forgetting the millions of consoles being sold with AMD hardware inside, the benefit for developers in just slapping FSR to increase performance without having to fiddle with a million performance-affecting knobs, and calling it a day. And you're also forgetting that if the solution is truly agnostic, it will work on NVIDIA as well. So yeah.
Posted on Reply
#9
nguyen
ZoneDymoNah, if they truely make it painless to integrate it should just become a standard like freesync or so.
Well according to this article, the lead Engineer said it took them a weekend to intergrate DLSS into System Shock, granted only when the game use Unreal Engine 4 (which is still a big chunk of the gaming industry).

AMD marketshare in the PC is so small now that it just doesn't incentivize developers to utilize their tech vs DLSS (well unless AMD paid them to)
RaevenlordYeah, that's not what they say their goal is.

And if their approach is based on Microsoft ML and not on a proprietary solution that has to be added on top of a games' development cycle, they are much more likely to achieve that.
Sure and the result is DLSS 1 image quality that nobody wants :roll:
Posted on Reply
#10
Chomiq
nguyenWell according to this article, the lead Engineer said it took them a weekend to intergrate DLSS into System Shock, granted only when the game use Unreal Engine 4 (which is still a big chunk of the gaming industry).

AMD marketshare in the PC is so small now that it just doesn't incentivize developers to utilize their tech vs DLSS (well unless AMD paid them to)



Sure and the result is DLSS 1 image quality that nobody wants :roll:
Their marketshare in nextgen consoles is 100%.
Posted on Reply
#11
nguyen
ChomiqTheir marketshare in nextgen consoles is 100%.
Did I mention console somewhere? pretty sure I didn't since I don't care about consoles.
Anyways does Switch counts as console? it's getting DLSS there :D
Posted on Reply
#12
Fishymachine
Can it compete against DLSS, maybe not have the same looks/performance, but it will be something, likely close to DLSS at half the uplift.
Will devs implement the unproven system, yes, because consoles
Posted on Reply
#13
Legacy-ZA
I am going to have to say yes, AMD has been surprising time after time lately.
Posted on Reply
#14
Camm
I'll trade up to a 20% loss in IQ if AMD can work around DLSS's issue of terrible image persistence in motion.

Honestly, whats the point in a high refresh low response monitor if the GPU is smearing everything to shit in motion anyway.
Posted on Reply
#15
Space Lynx
Astronaut
nguyenOnly AMD sponsored PC titles will get this FSR tech.
Incorrect, AMD already officially announced that the reason their DLSS equivalent is delayed is because they want it working on consoles at same time as PC, this will incentivize all games on console to use it, because most AAA games will want to be able to advertise 120fps 4k. So most if not all ports will be AMD favored in their equivalent of DLSS.
Posted on Reply
#17
AusWolf
My only question is: what happens with the games that are already out and support DLSS?
Posted on Reply
#18
Space Lynx
Astronaut
AusWolfMy only question is: what happens with the games that are already out and support DLSS?
Don't expect anything there, Nvidia worked with those games in person to make it happen.. Which, is fine. The main thing is AMD will get bulk of console ports supporting this.
Posted on Reply
#19
Vya Domus
Unless it's a general solution that doesn't need per game training it will be just as useful or as worthless as DLSS is.
Posted on Reply
#20
Space Lynx
Astronaut
Vya DomusUnless it's a general solution that doesn't need per game training it will be just as useful or as worthless as DLSS is.
They won't release it unless it can directly compete with DLSS 2.0, I know that much. AMD understands this is a big feature, especially for their consoles.
Posted on Reply
#21
Vya Domus
lynx29AMD understands this is a big feature, especially for their consoles.
Meh, since the average consoles player is sitting in front of a TV from 2 meters away this couldn't be any less important.

Ironically though, it is true that AMD has the sort of leverage to make this more widespread through Sony and MS than Nvidia could ever do with their 978969283% market share or whatever they have right now.
Posted on Reply
#22
xkm1948
Let’s see how they pull this off without dedicated tensor flow hardware
Posted on Reply
#23
londiste
Vya DomusMeh, since the average consoles player is sitting in front of a TV from 2 meters away this couldn't be any less important.
Just the opposite.
They can do something equivalent to DLSS Performance (4x upscaling, think 1080p > 2160p) or Ultra Performance mode (9x upscaling, 720p > 2160p) and nobody will bat an eye to image quality impact :)
Then say consoles are running games at 4K60 or 4K120 and reap the marketing benefits.
Posted on Reply
#24
AusWolf
Vya DomusUnless it's a general solution that doesn't need per game training it will be just as useful or as worthless as DLSS is.
Agreed. Besides, I'm still hoping for acceptable raytracing performance without any nvidia or AMD-infused gimmicks.

I remember the time when you had to choose graphics cards based on the games you wanted to play, as no card supported every game with proprietary APIs (Glide, S3D, etc.). I don't want this to happen again.
Posted on Reply
#25
Vya Domus
londisteThey can do something equivalent to DLSS Performance (4x upscaling, think 1080p > 2160p) or Ultra Performance mode (9x upscaling, 720p > 2160p) and nobody will bat an eye to image quality impact
But why ? The vast majority of them already don't care, Xbox Series S is apparently a pretty big success and pretty much all games run at 1080p on it as far as I know, that's last gen IQ. So clearly, those people already don't bat an eye to image quality.

I guess what I am saying is that this is a significant technological struggle for an audience that doesn't care.
xkm1948Let’s see how they pull this off without dedicated tensor flow hardware
Same way Nvidia did, Control used a version of DLSS that ran exclusively on shaders. So there was never a particular need for dedicated hardware apparently.
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