A free Xbox Ally X update could deliver up to 30% smoother performance for your handheld games — "Automatic Super Resolution" preview starts soon

Automatic Super Resolution, or Auto SR, is a long-awaited feature that many Xbox fans have been eager to see.

After a rather impressive showing from Xbox at GDC, where we got some rather juicy details, we now know Auto SR is set to launch next month, in April 2026, for Xbox Ally X.

But what exactly is Auto SR, and why could it change how people view the Xbox Ally X? Well, I’m glad you asked, so let’s break it down as simply as possible.

Before we begin, we do actually already have a detailed breakdown of Auto SR, so if you would prefer a more in-depth explanation, be sure to check that out.

What is automatic super resolution?

Auto SR is Microsoft’s own answer to AI upscaling, similar to tools like Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR. Both are designed to help games look better while running at lower resolutions, so you can get as much performance as possible out of your hardware.

In the case of the Xbox Ally X, Auto SR will make use of the device’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU), thanks to AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset. These are high-efficiency processors designed specifically for AI and machine learning workloads.

The base model Xbox Ally does not have any NPU cores, but the Xbox Ally X does. This means that if you are struggling with performance in some games on your Xbox Ally X, starting in April, you will be able to use Auto SR to upscale games from lower resolutions like 720p up to 1080p or more.

Unlike tools like Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR, Auto SR works at the operating system level. Those other tools have to be integrated directly by developers in order to work in a game.

It is not exactly a catch-all, though. Microsoft’s own documentation currently states that Auto SR only works on supported DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games.

For those wanting an idea of performance, Digital Foundry covered the deeper parts of the technology back in 2024. The results showed it delivering better image quality than native resolution in some cases, but still falling short of Nvidia’s DLSS.

However, this testing was done over a year and a half ago, so results are subject to change and a recent showcase from Microsoft themselves boasted a 30% increase in performance.

🗨️ Will you use Automatic Super Resolution in April?

Auto SR has actually been around for a while now, but the feature has not yet made its way to Xbox Ally X.

With the feature now fast approaching, I would love to hear what you all think about it, and whether this kind of technology is a good use of AI.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments and make sure you take part in our poll below:

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