AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution tech is now available for Xbox and PC game developers
I can't wait to see what developers accomplish with FSR.
What you need to know
- AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is an innovative game development tool that upscales games to eke out more performance.
- The tech is similar to NVIDIA's impressive DLSS, but is more widely available and is even coming to Xbox consoles.
- Starting today, game developers can preview FSR for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs to test its capabilities.
- It'll be a while before we see the results of FSR on Xbox Series X|S, but FSR could allow more games to target 120 FPS without sacrificing visuals.
AMD just officially launched their FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) tech, the company's answer to NVIDIA's already-impressive DLSS, which aims to upscale games to higher resolutions and deliver greater levels of performance to players. Besides being available on more hardware than DLSS (including older NVIDIA GPUs), AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution shows impressive results in our tests. Starting today, game developers for Xbox and PC will be able to preview AMD FSR in their games, which paints an exciting picture for the future of video games on the platforms.
Excited to continue our close partnership with @AMD and see what game developers can do with FidelityFX Super Resolution, available to preview in our GDK today for @Windows, @Xbox Series X|S and #XboxOne consoles. pic.twitter.com/A446cNRUugExcited to continue our close partnership with @AMD and see what game developers can do with FidelityFX Super Resolution, available to preview in our GDK today for @Windows, @Xbox Series X|S and #XboxOne consoles. pic.twitter.com/A446cNRUug— Jason Ronald (@jronald) June 24, 2021June 24, 2021
What does this mean for you, the gamer? Right now, pretty much nothing. However, AMD FSR could mean big things once developers implement it in their games, especially on Xbox consoles. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are already super impressive gaming machines, but their full support of a wide range of AMD tech (including FSR) means they'll get even more awesome as time goes on. With FSR, developers will be able to deliver more games at 60 or even 120 FPS without noticeable dips in visual fidelity or resolution.
This could be especially crucial for the Xbox Series S. The Series S is a fantastic little console with every modern gaming feature you can think of, but it doesn't have as much raw power as its bigger sibling. With tech like FSR, developers can close the gap a little bit more.
Apparently, Xbox One consoles could also benefit from FSR. We're not sure exactly what this means. Do the aging Xbox One consoles really have the capability to handle FSR? Probably not, but we do know that Microsoft is considering using Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) to bring Xbox Series X|S games to Xbox One consoles. That means Xbox One could benefit from FSR and other next-gen tech, all through the power of the cloud.
It's certainly exciting to think about, but we're likely in for a long wait before we begin seeing the results of FSR on Xbox. A small handful of games already support FSR on PC, and more are coming soon, but developers on Xbox or the Microsoft Store are only just now getting their hands on the tech. When it does happen, though, AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution could make the best Xbox games and best Xbox Game Pass games even better.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.