AMD RSR vs. FSR: What’s the difference, and which should you use?

AMD not too long ago launched its Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) characteristic, which guarantees to hurry up the efficiency of your video games. But wait! AMD already supplied an identical know-how dubbed “FidelityFX Super Resolution,” or FSR, and it’s been adopted at a blistering price since its introduction final summer season. They’re very related, however not fairly the identical.

A bit confused? You’re not alone. Don’t let the names get misplaced in translation, nevertheless. We’ll clarify precisely what each does, together with when it is best to use them. And belief us—having each of those accessible means higher PC gaming on the whole.

Upsampling fundamentals

AMD, Intel, and Nvidia all have their very own variations of upsampling know-how. The easiest method to think about these applied sciences is that they’re utilizing software program to reinforce the {hardware} efficiency of your GPU while not having to improve. The holy grail of PC gaming consists of each excessive body charges and beautiful graphics. These applied sciences permit us to attain each concurrently.

You might have heard of Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) know-how that accompanies its RTX GPUs. Basically, DLSS will turbo increase your body charges in video games, rendering the sport internally at a decision decrease than your precise monitor settings (which bumps up efficiency) whereas utilizing synthetic intelligence to maintain graphics visually sharp with upscaling so that you don’t discover main visible high quality losses. Intel’s upcoming XeSS technology works in the identical means.

This is essential within the newfound ray tracing era. Ray tracing sometimes delivers a heavy efficiency penalty in change for stunning lighting impacts and shadows. Resolution upsampling applied sciences mitigate these hostile efficiency results whereas preserving as a lot eye sweet as attainable. But they can be utilized in video games that don’t have ray tracing to hurry up body charges and make all the pieces really feel smoother.

A key distinction between Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR is that Nvidia requires graphics playing cards that embody devoted RT and tensor core {hardware}, which solely newer GeForce RTX GPUs can have. AMD’s FSR is open to a much broader spectrum of hardware because it doesn’t have this requirement. It makes use of an easier technique dubbed “spatial upscaling,” which merely upscales a given body and applies a sharpening move. That means FSR can run on older Radeon graphics playing cards in addition to GPUs from Nvidia and Intel, albeit with barely extra visible affect because it doesn’t use AI or temporal knowledge from a number of frames to assist clear up its output. The newer Radeon Super Resolution, nevertheless, limits the {hardware} pool as soon as once more to newer Radeon GPUs solely.

AMD’s RSR and its varied GPU boosting applied sciences might be discovered within the most recent release of its Adrenaline Software. Just replace your Radeon drivers and also you’re good to go.

How does RSR differ from FSR?

• The first key distinction is that RSR might be applied on the motive force degree, universally in any sport that helps full display output. This means that it’s going to work with numerous extra sport titles than FSR (and DLSS). FSR is determined by sport builders to combine the know-how into every sport title, due to this fact limiting its attain to pick titles. If you’re enjoying sure supported video games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Far Cry 6, you’ll be capable to implement FSR on the sport degree. If you’re enjoying most different video games, you’ll now have entry to RSR on the motive force degree, with out want for developer integration in particular video games.

• Another key distinction is {hardware} assist. While RSR helps many extra sport titles, it would solely work on Radeon RX 5000 or RX 6000 GPUs, such because the RX 5700 XT or RX 6800. FSR limits assist to pick video games, however its {hardware} assist is way broader, together with Nvidia and older AMD GPUs. Using a Radeon VII graphics card? Yep, that works. How about an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti? That’ll work with FSR, too.

• FSR remains to be technically superior, however RSR relies on the identical underlying algorithm. Having extra centered sport implementation and restricted deployment in titles signifies that FSR may also deal with finer particulars that RSR merely can’t. For instance, you possibly can anticipate textual content and menu objects to sometimes look higher with FSR, since sport builders apply FSR’s upsampling and sharpening earlier than including display overlays like textual content and heads-up shows, whereas RSR is probably not as correct since it really works on your entire ultimate body on the finish of the pipeline. RSR’s upsampled textual content and HUD normally look superb, particularly when you’re working it on a 1440p or 4K show, however there could also be circumstances the place you discover a visible distinction.

• RSR requires you to be in unique full display mode, although borderless full display titles have a workaround that permits them to work. Changing your desktop decision in Windows settings to at least one notch decrease than your monitor’s native decision will kick RSR into motion.

AMD

• RSR efficiency may also rely on decision selection, as this instance given by AMD exhibits. The increase from upscaling to 4K from 1080p is super in comparison with working with it off. 1440p supplies a wonderful candy spot when going to 4K, too. Our RSR video embedded above

Which do you have to select?

It’s easy: If you possibly can select, at all times choose FSR in case your sport helps it. It will usually be superior in its software of the know-how, with extra parts on the display being precisely upscaled and sharpened. You can not use each on the identical time, as that can trigger conflicts, so select solely FSR when it’s accessible.

If your sport doesn’t assist FSR, don’t fret—RSR can nonetheless present a noticeable efficiency increase to hundreds extra sport titles, with little downgrade to visuals (particularly in movement) when you persist with the Quality or Balanced visible choices.

The solely different limiting issue can be your {hardware}: If your sport doesn’t assist FSR, and also you’re utilizing an older Radeon GPU than an RX 5000-series graphics card (or an Nvidia or Intel GPU) you received’t be capable to use RSR both. You’ll have to make use of other Radeon features that boost performance as a substitute.