AMD's FSR 'Redstone' Blows Up DLSS? Works on NVIDIA GPUs!
Big news for gamers! AMD's next-generation FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), codenamed 'Redstone' (potentially FSR 5), is poised to shake up the upscaling landscape. Unlike previous versions and NVIDIA's DLSS, Redstone is designed to run on virtually any GPU, including NVIDIA's. This could be a game-changer, offering improved performance and visuals to a wider audience.
How Does FSR 'Redstone' Work?
According to AMD, FSR Redstone leverages their ML2CODE (Machine Learning to Code) project. This technology converts the neural rendering core into optimized Compute Shader code. This means it doesn't require dedicated AI cores like NVIDIA's Tensor Cores or AMD's own AI matrix cores found in FSR 4. Instead, it utilizes the standard shader cores present in most modern GPUs.
Chris Hall, Senior Director Software Development at AMD, explained that this approach allows FSR Redstone to be seamlessly integrated into DirectX or Vulkan graphics pipelines with minimal latency. This opens the door for gamers with older or lower-end GPUs to experience higher frame rates and improved visual fidelity.
A Direct Challenge to NVIDIA's DLSS?
The universal compatibility of FSR Redstone poses a potential threat to NVIDIA's DLSS ecosystem. DLSS, while offering excellent upscaling, is limited to NVIDIA GPUs with Tensor Cores. If FSR Redstone delivers comparable visual quality and performance on a wider range of hardware, it could become the preferred upscaling solution for many gamers.
Previous versions of FSR were criticized for visual artifacts and blurriness. However, if AMD can overcome these issues with Redstone, it could significantly impact the graphics card market and the way games are developed and optimized.
FSR 4 Hacked: Run it on almost any GPU!
In related news, a leaked source code of FSR 4 has allowed users to run the technology on almost any GPU. A Reddit user compiled the source code into a DLL file that users can drop into games with FSR 3 support to enable FSR 4. Although it takes a bit of doing, using the OptiScaler mod, you can specifically enable FSR 4.
What's Next?
AMD plans to add a host of new features based on machine learning to FSR Redstone. The company is also exploring dedicated AI cores for future graphics architectures, compatible with Microsoft's DirectX Cooperative Vector technology. This suggests that AMD is committed to both universal compatibility and leveraging dedicated AI hardware for future upscaling solutions.