The large image: With FSR 4, AMD has lastly built-in machine studying into its upscaler, following within the footsteps of Nvidia DLSS and Intel XeSS. Earlier variations relied on spatial and temporal upsampling, which helps most {hardware} however in the end delivers inferior outcomes. Our good buddies at {Hardware} Unboxed have supplied an early take a look at FSR 4 operating Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside. Though the evaluation is preliminary, the visible enhancements over FSR 3.1 are instantly noticeable.
Whereas AMD has but to supply detailed specs for the Radeon RX 9070 GPUs launched at CES 2025, numerous shops have had entry to programs operating them on the present flooring. One such exhibit highlights that the corporate’s FSR 4 upscaling know-how dramatically surpasses its predecessor.
In Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside, FSR 3.1 struggles with ghosting, transparency points, and different visible artifacts. To showcase FSR 4’s enhancements, AMD had two displays operating the sport facet by facet in 4K efficiency mode – a setting the place FSR historically struggles towards DLSS.
Though {Hardware} Unboxed captured the footage by recording the displays which is much from preferrred, the enhancements are fairly noticeable, even when considered by means of YouTube compression. Visible parts equivalent to particles, clear surfaces, Ratchet’s fur, and distant particulars seem a lot sharper with FSR 4. The artifacts that marred FSR 3 are virtually completely eradicated.
Sadly, the demo didn’t embody body charge counters, so correct scrutiny of any efficiency influence should wait till we are able to completely take a look at FSR 4.
AMD has, nonetheless, confirmed one important limitation: FSR 4 requires a Radeon RX 9000 GPU. When AMD launches the RX 9070 and 9070 XT within the coming weeks, these playing cards will go head-to-head with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50 collection and DLSS 4 know-how.
A latest preview by Digital Foundry confirmed DLSS 4’s notable enhancements to picture high quality and body technology. The brand new transformer-based AI mannequin reduces visible flaws, and multi-frame technology can triple or quadruple framerates with a comparatively minor detriment to latency.
Whereas Nvidia’s new multi-frame rendering know-how is unique to RTX 50 collection GPUs, all GeForce RTX graphics card homeowners will profit from the picture high quality enhancements in video games that assist DLSS. In the meantime, AMD’s imprecise particulars on FSR 4 counsel that the replace may apply to any recreation that makes use of FSR 3.1.
At TechSpot, we plan to supply an in depth comparability of FSR 4, DLSS 4, and their predecessors when time comes – that’s, after we get our palms on the brand new GPUs, and after we are able to totally benchmark them. Till then, the one third-party efficiency knowledge we’ve got comes from a Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 benchmark, which means that the RX 9070 may compete with Nvidia’s RTX 4080 Tremendous – and probably the RTX 5070 / Ti.
