If you just bought a new graphics card, you’re probably wondering what AMD FSR is. FidelityFX stands for SuperResolution and is a software upscaling tool that helps you achieve higher frame rates than possible with native performance.
You might think that AMD FSR is almost identical to Nvidia’s DLSS, but instead it was designed with the company’s top graphics cards in mind. This technology was launched as a leveling tool, but now includes frame generation and other new features, making it a suitable choice for PC players who prefer Team Red to Team Green.
Originally launched in 2021 with the company’s RX 5000 and RX 6000 graphics cards, the technology has been updated several times over the years, becoming more advanced and then evolving into AI-powered iterations that require dedicated hardware.
There are a lot of questions about what AMD FSR is, what it does, and whether you should use it, so let’s get into the details.
What is AMD FSR?
AMD FidelityFX SuperSolution is the company’s graphics card upscaling tool that displays video games at a lower resolution and uses software to scale them to a higher resolution.
While FSR allows low-end graphics cards to achieve playable frame rates of 1440p and 4K, the technology allows high-end GPUs to play even the most demanding games at refresh rates up to 4K (and more recently, 8K).
Upscaling has become a staple of PC gaming since 2020 with the advent of real-time ray tracing, but it is incredibly resource-intensive and extremely difficult to accomplish without assistance.
By lowering the default screen resolution to a higher resolution, we aim to give players the best of both worlds: gaming frame rates and pleasing graphics. So, at least in theory, you don’t have to choose between quality and performance.
As mentioned earlier, AMD FSR was released in 2021 and has seen some changes with the release of the next generation graphics cards. FSR 2 was released simultaneously with Deathloop (May 2022) and became open source a month later.
At this time, there were over 100 games that supported this software. However, with the release of FSR 3 in September 2023, the competition with NVIDIA’s DLSS is expected to become more intense. This update was released for RDNA 3 (RX 7000) graphics cards and requires a base frame rate of 60 fps before using it for best results.
This is because it includes a frame generation feature that interpolates the generated frames between the source frames to achieve a frame rate up to four times faster than raw performance. It evolved from AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) to prioritize 4K resolution for high-end graphics cards.
More recently, RDNA 4 graphics cards (such as the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT) and FSR4 were released, which at the time of writing were exclusive to both GPUs. Unlike previous versions of FidelityFX SuperSolution, which were driver-based and open source, FSR4 uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to significantly improve image quality, smoothness and performance.
This fundamentally changes the capabilities of the FSR and is essentially intended to compete with Nvidia’s mid-range models (like the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070).
How does AMD FSR work?
Before FSR4, AMD’s FidelityFX SuperResolution technology worked by displaying frames at a lower resolution and using open-source upscaling algorithms to produce higher-resolution images than the native display.
This is very different from Nvidia’s DLSS hardware technology (Nvidia RTX hardware only). On the other hand, almost all graphics cards on the market can use FSR instead of using XeSS or DLSS technologies, even cards made by Intel and Nvidia.
Depending on the game, AMD’s FidelityFX Ultra-HiResolution can handle everything from light frame rates upscaling to 60 fps to large-scale videos that can double (or triple) the frame rates under the right circumstances. This is achieved through various FSR (Performance, Balance, Quality, Ultra Quality) modes available in supported games.
Performance prioritizes more frames over visual fidelity, balance is an even mix of the two, quality focuses on visuals over frames, and ultra quality tries to get as close to the basics as possible.
Different FSR modes also use different levels of sharpening applied to the enhanced image to correct blurry, blurry or pixelated images. Since FSR has been developed over several years, from the first release to FSR 3.1, the quality of updates has improved significantly, but it is not always perfect.
It is open source and relying (mostly) on software to enlarge images can be flawed. In the Nvidia DLSS vs. AMD FSR battle, we mostly sided with the former, but a lot has changed in the world of upscaling since mid-2023.
This is because FSR4 uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, just like Nvidia’s DLSS, to deliver higher frame rates than ever before with better frame generation. The frame rate may be slightly lower than FSR 3.1, but the quality has improved significantly in terms of clarity, sharpness and smoothness compared to previous versions.
However, FSR 4 is currently only supported on two graphics cards: the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT. The adapter offers better performance than previous versions of the FSR, but this may be disappointing if you are using older RX 6000 or RX 7000 line cards.
How many games support AMD FSR?
There are approximately 200 games that support AMD FidelityFX Ultra resolution in some form. Most of these games are supported in FSR and FSR 2, but in FSR 3 the list of games is slightly narrower. AMD confirmed. Over 75 games support FSR3, including Starfield, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Frostpunk 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Silent Hill 2.
FSR 4 is still in early development with the recently released RX 9000 graphics card. AMD says: Over 30 games support versions of AI leveling technology, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Civilization 7, Marvel Rivals, Fragapunk, and The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered. With more games expected to be supported by 2025, four years after hitting the market, it looks like more and more developers are adopting the technology after its release.
Is AMD FSR good?
AMD FSR has a reputation for being worse than Nvidia’s DLSS, but the technology has evolved significantly over the past four years, providing a much better product in 2021. You won’t get the best experience if you use it as a prop with an older or lower quality graphics card, but the FSR with 4K AFMF could be a game changer. Ultimately, your experience will depend on the games supported, the presets you use, and the hardware you’re running on.
Although FSR 4 was released recently, it uses machine learning (and dedicated hardware) to improve image quality and smoothness compared to previous versions. Essentially, FSR is a free product for AMD graphics cards, so there’s no risk in launching it and trying it out. Is it fully DLSS compatible? This is debatable on a case-by-case basis, but this could be the technology that doubles (or triples) the frame rates and makes 4K gaming a reality.
For this reason, we recommend using it for comparison with baseline performance. If you don’t like picture balance, you can turn it off without worrying, but it will make your gaming experience 3 times better.
Learn more about the latest gaming technologies…
- What is framing?
- What is a video card?
- What is AMD Gallery?
