Features

Ultra-fast 4k AI-powered upscaling

Frame Generation and lag reduction

Automatic updates

Ease of integration

Ultra-fast 4k AI-powered upscaling

AMD FSR 4 delivers a significant image quality improvement over AMD FSR 3.1 upscaling, with the ML-based algorithm designed to help improve temporal stability, better preserve detail, and reduce ghosting.

Reduced ghosting on moving objects

FSR 4 reduces the ghosting on moving objects and eliminates artefacts from disoccluded surfaces compared to FSR 3.1. This significantly improves the image quality while playing.

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Improved preservation of particle effects

Visual detail within particle effects is now preserved when in motion with FSR 4. With FSR 3.1 the upscaling algorithm was highly sensitive to the absence of motion vectors even when appropriate Reactive and Transparency Masks were provided. This could result in incorrect rendering of particles.

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FSR 4’s ML-accelerated algorithm is able to preserve the details from particle systems, even in motion, without requiring developers to provide a Reactive or Transparency mask.

Superior detail and temporal stability

FSR 4 is capable of extracting finer detail, improving image clarity and temporal stability versus FSR 3.1. Flickering is also reduced on small, thin features and high specular surfaces.

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See endnotes E1

AMD FSR 4 quality modes

FSR 4 maintains the same quality modes from earlier FSR implementations – Native AA, Quality, Balanced, Performance, with Ultra Performance as an optional mode. These vary the amount of scaling to apply to the source image, depending on the quality/performance ratio desired.

Note: FSR 4 no longer requires reactive, and transparency + composition masks to work correctly!

Frame Generation and lag reduction

AMD FSR 4 can be combined with existing in-game AMD FSR advanced frame-generation (E8) and AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag 2 (E9) for ultra-smooth, ultra-responsive gaming at incredible frame rates on AMD Radeon™ RX 9000 Series graphics cards.

See endnotes E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8

Automatic updates

With FSR 4, future AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition™ releases can update the version of FSR 4 Upscaling used in-game to the latest version available by default. This ensures players experience the highest quality upscaling without requiring updates for each title.

Ease of integration

This new release of FSR 4 continues to use the FidelityFX API introduced in FSR 3.1, providing an easy update path for developers. New features are exposed using the extensibility of the FidelityFX API.

FSR 4 is available only as a prebuilt, signed DLLs as part of FidelityFX SDK official releases to ensure stability and upgradability of DLLs, if allowed by individual game releases.

The four basic steps to integrate AMD FSR 4 technology into your game

Step 1: FSR 4 upscaling

• For upscaling, FSR 4 integration should be almost identical to FSR 3.1. Integration should be easy, via the intuitive, flexible AMD FidelityFX API. See our API documentation for more details.

Step 2: Swapchain

• Replace or create your swap chain using the AMD FidelityFX API DX12 Frame Generation Swapchain.

Step 3 – Frame Generation

• FSR Frame Generation requires some additional input on setup and dispatch, and swapchain handling.
  • Start off with Async disabled to validate integration quality.
• Call the Frame Generation Prepare Dispatch API at upscale/TAA time in the graphics pipeline.

Step 4 – UI handling

• There are three different UI composition options. Make sure you read our detailed documentation to choose the optimal solution & follow our recommendations for your game: (Note: this step is REQUIRED for integration)
  1. Composite UI stored in another RT on top of generated frames.
  2. Call back into the engine and have you render UI on top of the generated frames.
  3. Identify UI by comparing the game frame without UI to the game frame with UI.

We provide localization strings for all versions of FidelityFX Super Resolution for use where you refer to FSR in your game. You can find these on our AMD FidelityFX Naming Guidelines page.

FSR Frame Generation workloads

The FSR Frame Generation workloads can be either run on the presentation queue provided by the game, or an async queue provided by the FrameInterpolationSwapchain.

More information on this and the asynchronous compute pipeline in our documentation.

General overview

AMD FSR 4 supersedes FSR 3.1 for upscaling and also includes FSR Frame Generation.

Developers can benefit from both upscaling and frame generation when integrating FSR 4.

Use of pre-built, signed AMD FidelityFX API DLLs is now required.

AMD FidelityFX™ SDK 2.0 requires developers interact with the AMD FidelityFX™ SDK using the amd_fidelityfx_loader.dll.

• To use upscaling technologies, the amd_fidelityfx_upscaler.dll provides access to AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 2, 3.1.5 & 4, and must be included alongside amd_fidelityfx_loader.dll in the title.
  • AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 4 upscaling requires an AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series GPU or better and can only be used on appropriate hardware.
  • When running on other hardware the AMD FidelityFX™ API will automatically select AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 3.1.5.

• To use Frame Generation technologies, the amd_fidelityfx_framegeneration.dll provides access to AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 3.1.5 Frame Generation, and must be included alongside amd_fidelityfx_loader.dll in the title.
  • Frame Generation is optional and the amd_fidelityfx_framegeneration.dll can be omitted if Frame Generation is not used.
  • Frame Generation is also compatible with third-party upscalers, as long as render-resolution motion vectors and depth, in supported formats, is provided to the AMD FidelityFX™ API.

Important notes for integrating AMD FSR 4

Minimum frame rate

FSR Frame Generation runs best when interpolating from a minimum of 60 fps pre-interpolation (e.g. after upscale). Whilst FSR Frame Generation can roughly double any input frame rate, going below 60 is not recommended. This is due to interpolation visual artifacts being more prominent at lower frame rates. Sub 30fps frame rate pre-interpolation should be absolutely avoided.

Upscaling quality pre Frame Generation

Ensure your game has a high-quality FSR 4 upscale-only implementation first as a sub-optimal integration of the upscale component will carry over any upscaling artifacts to interpolated frames!

Altering FSR 4 behavior based on sub-60 fps detection is not recommended. We recommend educating players about this and letting them adjust their own graphics settings as needed.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) considerations

FreeSync, G-Sync, and Adaptive Sync are all forms of Variable Refresh Rate technologies. With VRR, refresh rate is dictated by frames sent by the GPU to the monitor.

It is highly recommended that games implement a frame limiter to provide options to players who want a steady frame rate.

FSR Frame Generation behaves according to the following table:

Debug view

FSR 4 has debug views for integration testing of Upscaling, Frame Generation, and screen tearing. Read more in our FSR 4 documentation.

Sharpening

FSR 4 comes with its own optional sharpening pass. It is strongly recommended that the game exposes a sharpening slider – this is also a common request from players.

Compatibility with third-party software or code

AMD FSR Frame Generation requires unencumbered access to the swap chain for best frame pacing results. Software libraries that intercept DXGI calls may cause frame pacing issues with FSR Frame Generation.

Third-party software that intercept DXGI calls to display an on-screen overlay may be incompatible with FSR Frame Generation. It is recommended to disable those for best frame pacing results with FSR Frame Generation.

There are more substantial notes expanding on everything here in our main documentation pages.

Requirements

Supported GPUs

• [FSR 4 Upscaling] AMD Radeon™ RX 9000 Series and above
• [FSR 3 Upscaling] GPU supporting Shader Model 6.2 or above.
• [FSR Frame Generation] GPU supporting Shader Model 6.2 or above.

Supported graphics APIs

• DirectX® 12

Supported OSs

• Windows® 10
• Windows® 11

Footnotes and disclaimers

DirectX and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition © 2024 Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Developed by Guerrilla. Horizon Forbidden West is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.

Endnotes