How do you compare DLSS with other upscaling techniques like FSR or TAA?

If you are into PC gaming, you probably want to enjoy the best graphics possible without sacrificing performance. However, not every game can run smoothly at high resolutions and settings, especially if you have a limited budget or an older system. That's where upscaling techniques come in handy. They allow you to render games at lower resolutions and then scale them up to match your monitor's native resolution, while applying various algorithms to enhance the image quality and reduce artifacts. But how do you compare different upscaling techniques, such as DLSS, FSR, and TAA? In this article, we will explain what each of these methods does, how they differ, and what are their pros and cons for PC gamers.

1 What is DLSS?

DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, and it is a proprietary technology developed by Nvidia for its RTX series of graphics cards. DLSS uses artificial intelligence to analyze the game's frames and generate a higher resolution image from a lower resolution input. It also applies anti-aliasing, which smooths out the jagged edges of objects and textures. DLSS aims to improve both the visual fidelity and the performance of games that support it, especially when combined with ray tracing, which is a realistic lighting technique that is very demanding on hardware.

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Sharan Raj

Senior iOS App Developer at Fedex
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DLSS is the most common upscaling technique among PC games as this is only supported on Nvidia cards. Nvidia really invested a lot of R&D on AI and DLSS is the result of it. They went on refining DLSS much further in a way that modern games are putting DLSS as a kind of recommended requirements to run at higher frame rates and resolutions.

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2 What is FSR?

FSR stands for FidelityFX Super Resolution, and it is a new technology introduced by AMD for its Radeon series of graphics cards. FSR is an open-source and cross-platform solution that works on any GPU, including Nvidia's. FSR uses a spatial upscaling algorithm that analyzes the game's frames and applies sharpening and contrast enhancement to create a higher resolution image from a lower resolution input. FSR also offers four quality modes, from Ultra Quality to Performance, that let you adjust the balance between image quality and performance according to your preference.

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Sharan Raj

Senior iOS App Developer at Fedex
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FSR is the most common upscaling techniques used in consoles like PS5 and Xbox right now as they use custom made AMD GPU's in them. So basically what these upscaling techniques do is the GPU renders frames at lower resolution and then these FSR algorithms upscales them to higher resolutions like 4K which helps those games to run at higher frame rates. Being an open source algorithm FSR is supported even on Nvidia RTX graphic cards also. Their latest version FSR 3.0 is going to improve the performance much further.

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3 What is TAA?

TAA stands for Temporal Anti-Aliasing, and it is a common technique used by many games to reduce aliasing and improve image quality. TAA works by blending multiple frames together and using motion vectors to track the movement of pixels. This way, it smooths out the edges of objects and textures, as well as removes flickering and shimmering effects. However, TAA can also introduce some drawbacks, such as blurring, ghosting, and temporal artifacts, especially when the game's resolution or frame rate is low.

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4 How do they compare?

It is difficult to determine which upscaling technique is more effective, as the results depend on the game, settings, and hardware. However, when comparing them, image quality, performance, and compatibility should all be taken into consideration. DLSS typically produces the sharpest and most detailed images as it uses AI to reconstruct missing information and add realistic details. FSR can also deliver clear images but may lack some fine details or introduce noise or artifacts. TAA can reduce aliasing but may blur textures and create ghosting or smearing effects. DLSS is capable of boosting performance significantly by rendering at lower resolutions and using AI to upscale. FSR can improve performance too, though not as much as DLSS. TAA has a moderate impact on performance depending on the game and settings as it requires more processing power to blend multiple frames and track motion vectors. FSR is compatible with any GPU, monitor resolution, or refresh rate, while DLSS is only compatible with Nvidia's RTX series of graphics cards and requires game developers to implement it for each game; similarly, TAA depends on game developers to implement it and may not work well with certain resolutions or frame rates.

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Sharan Raj

Senior iOS App Developer at Fedex
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Unlike DLSS which uses AI to upscale FSR is purely algorithms based technique hence it lacks behind DLSS in terms of fidelity and performance. DLSS absolutely is the best of all these but it's only supported on Nvidia cards where as FSR and TAA can be supported on all kinds of GPU's including RTX cards. Hence FSR is the most commonly supported upscaling technique right now in consoles like PS5 and Xbox and it's rumoured that Nintendo's next gen Switch will support DLSS as they use Nvidia's GPU. Many companies like Playstation Studios sometimes use their own custom version of TAA sometimes on their games specifically supported for PS consoles.

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5 What are the best settings?

The best settings for each upscaling technique may depend on your personal preference, hardware, and the game you are playing. However, some general tips can help you optimize your experience. If you have an RTX card and the game supports DLSS, enable it and choose the quality mode that suits your needs. Generally, the higher the quality mode, the better the image quality; however, the lower the performance boost. You can also adjust the in-game settings to achieve a balance between graphics and performance. For non-RTX cards or games not supporting DLSS, FSR may be available. Choose a quality mode that matches your resolution and performance goals; again, the higher the quality mode, the closer to native resolution but with a lower performance boost. Lastly, if neither DLSS nor FSR options are available, TAA may be used instead. Enable it and select an anti-aliasing level that reduces aliasing without introducing too much blurring or ghosting. Additionally, sharpening or resolution scaling can be used to further enhance image quality or performance.

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6 What are the future trends?

Upscaling techniques are constantly evolving and improving, as new technologies and innovations emerge. In the future, more games may support DLSS and FSR to optimize their games and provide more options for players, potentially increasing competition and collaboration between GPU manufacturers and developers. Additionally, other upscaling techniques such as Intel's XeSS or Microsoft's DirectML Super Resolution may emerge. Moreover, more integration of upscaling techniques with ray tracing may be seen, such as DLSS 2.0 or FSR 1.0, allowing gamers to enjoy both features without sacrificing too much quality or performance.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you compare DLSS with other upscaling techniques like FSR or TAA?

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1 What is DLSS?

2 What is FSR?

3 What is TAA?

4 How do they compare?

5 What are the best settings?

6 What are the future trends?

7 Here’s what else to consider

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