When it comes to gaming, every little detail counts. The way we see graphics has changed a lot, thanks to AI upscaling technology. Gone are the blurry, blocky images of the past. Now, we have clear and realistic graphics that make games look impressive. Technologies like DLSS and FSR have been leading the way, and we now also have PSSR in the mix. Let’s take a closer look at how these technologies developed from their beginnings to what they are today.
WHAT IS AI-UPSCALING AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Before we dig deeper, let’s break down what AI upscaling is. Picture this: you’re playing a game or streaming a movie at 720p on a shiny 4K screen. Normally, that stretched picture would look pixelated and fuzzy. But with AI upscalers, that can change. These tools use machine learning to predict and fill in missing pixels. This way, low-quality content can look almost like it's in native resolution.
This tech brings two big benefits.
First, you get a "PERFORMANCE BOOST". Gamers can run games at lower graphics settings and still enjoy great visuals. This keeps the GPU from working too hard, which is a win for everyone.
Second, there’s a huge improvement in "IMAGE QUALITY". Thanks to AI, textures, lighting, and other details look much sharper. This means higher quality without making your system work harder.
Now that we understand the basics, let’s meet the three heavyweights of AI upscaling.
DLSS: DEEP LEARNING SUPER SAMPLING (NVIDIA)
DLSS 1.0 - THE BEGINNING
NVIDIA kicked off the DLSS journey back in 2018 with its RTX 20 series GPUs. This first version used a neural network that was trained on images for super sampling. It would run at a lower resolution and then upscale the image using AI. While it was a cool idea at the time, it wasn’t perfect. Gamers noticed some visual issues like ghosting. Plus, it only worked with a few games.
DLSS 2.0 - THE REFINEMENT
Fast forward to 2020, and NVIDIA launched DLSS 2.0, a major upgrade. This version was trained better, which meant it could perform well across a wider range of games. The performance-to-quality ratio was impressive, even at 1080p. NVIDIA addressed the blurry images from before, making things look much crisper. Gamers loved that they could upscale from 1440p to 4K without sacrificing too much quality.
DLSS 3.0 - THE REVOLUTION
Then we have DLSS 3.0, which came with the RTX 40 series GPU. This version added something really cool – frame generation. This means it can create new frames entirely using AI, which increases your frame rate by a lot. Plus, it works together with reflex technology to reduce the lag you might feel while playing. In games like Cyberpunk 2077, players noticed a jump from 30 frames per second (fps) to over 100 fps with DLSS 3.0 turned on!
DLSS 3.5 RAY RECONSTRUCTION
Finally, we have DLSS 3.5. This version focuses on improving ray tracing visuals. It helps to reduce noise and improve lighting in scenes that use a lot of ray tracing. This makes those graphics pop even more!
Below is a image of dlss 2.0 vs 3.0 vs 3.5
FSR: FIDELITY FX SUPER RESOLUTION (AMD)
FSR 1.0 - THE OPEN SOURCE UPSCALER
AMD entered the scene in 2021 with FSR 1.0. Unlike DLSS, FSR doesn’t need special hardware like NVIDIA’s tensor cores. This means it works on a broader range of GPUs, even older models. FSR 1.0 uses spatial upscaling to improve lower resolutions, but it struggled to match DLSS in quality. Images often ended up with jagged edges instead of smooth lines.
FSR 2.0 - TEMPORAL UPSCALING
Next came FSR 2.0, which introduced temporal upscaling. This technique uses data from previous frames to create sharper images. As a result, visuals became much clearer. Motion also looked better. With these updates, FSR 2.0 could hold its own against DLSS 2.0, providing both good frames per second and better graphics quality.
FSR 3.0 - FRAME INTERPOLATION
In 2023, FSR 3.0 made its debut with frame interpolation. This is somewhat similar to NVIDIA’s frame generation. It helps by creating extra frames to double the perceived frame rate. Plus, this tech is open source. This allowed many gamers to boost their performance without needing to buy pricey hardware.
Here is a comparison of native resolution vs FSR 2.0 vs FSR 3.0
PSSR: PLAYSTATION SPECTRAL SUPER RESOLUTION
Sony joined the game in 2024 with PSSR, which is still pretty new. It competes with NVIDIA’s DLSS. PSSR uses AI to upscale lower resolutions to 4K or even 8K. It boosts frames per second too, without losing too much detail. But it isn’t perfect just yet. Users noticed that backgrounds can look blurry, and it doesn’t always reach the same frame rates as native 4K. However, this technology is still in early development and could improve over time.
Here is a comparison between FSR 3.0 vs PSSR
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UPSCALING TECH
So, which upscaling tech is best for you? DLSS is top-notch for ray tracing and overall performance. FSR gives you decent graphics for a lower cost. Meanwhile, PSSR offers high detail for PS5 Pro users.
What about you? Have you tried DLSS, FSR, or PSSR? Share your thoughts below! We’d love to hear which one you prefer.
Post a Comment