AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) Tested

Conclusion

AMD's long-awaited response to Nvidia's DLSS framerate-boosting technology is finally here. Going by the name of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), Team Red takes a simpler approach than its rival.

The guts of the technology revolve around a two-pass post-processing spatial algorithm which works by extracting more detail from a low-resolution input that's then rendered at a higher resolution. Like Nvidia, the aim is to produce native-like image quality without having to render all of the usually required pixels.

Available on seven games at the outset with promise of more in the near future, we found that image quality and performance improvement are both reasonable when set to either Ultra Quality or Quality modes. Anything lower, however, and IQ suffers more than we'd care to accept.

Let's be clear. FSR isn't as good as DLSS - it presently has neither the game scope or the quality. That's a normal position as it's a brand-new technology set against Nvidia's two-year-plus head start. The burning question is whether AMD can catch up on IQ and coverage.

FSR's success will only be known in six months' time. For now, going from a standing start, the technology's broader addressable market - across PC and console - is key into driving widespread adoption. Let's see how AMD does.