A new Windows 11 update will introduce an “automatic super resolution” feature as an alternative to Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR. But will it be any good?
When looking at Nvidia DLSS vs AMD FSR or even Intel’s XeSS, AI-powered upscaling techniques are becoming increasingly common in games. However, Microsoft is looking to implement the technology at an OS level, giving everyone access to some form of super resolution software.
Discovered in a Windows 11 preview build for the upcoming 24H2 update, Twitter user PhantomOfEarth posted evidence of the new Windows 11 Automatic Super Resolution feature. Hidden in a menu in the Display, Graphics sub-menu, the new tool claims to “use AI to make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced effects”.
This means that the technology should act the same as Nvidia’s DLSS or Intel’s XeSS, using machine learning and game engine motion vectors to enhance the resolution of an image. In comparison, AMD’s FSR is more similar to Temproal Anti-Aliasing, using past frame information to create a higher resolution.
However, unlike DLSS and XeSS, the Windows 11 Automatic Super Resolution feature can also be used outside of video games. While not necessarily designed for it, the tool reportedly works with built-in apps such as the Camera App. This means that the tool could also work with programs such as VLC to automatically upscale video content to higher resolutions.
Windows Auto SR wouldn’t be the first tool to do this. The aforementioned Nvidia DLSS software can be used on Chromium browsers to upscale YouTube videos and other content, but it can’t be used in other programs.
The implementation of a standardised super resolution tool for Windows 11 could be an interesting addition, but it may be limited in use during its debut. With the software reliant on NPUs, chips designed for use with machine learning tools, it can only be used with a handful of CPUs.
With the software being introduced in Windows 11, game developers may end up supporting Automatic Super Resolution in upcoming games. Seeing as the software isn’t reliant exclusively on Nvidia, AMD or Intel hardware, it could end up being a more adopted tool than its competitors. Well, that’s if it’s any good.
There’s currently no release date, or even announcement, of Windows 11 Auto SR.