AMD's FidelityFX SuperResolution Coming to Xbox Series X|S

Microsoft
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft is interested in enabling AMD's performance-enhancing FidelityFX SuperResolution technology on its latest Xbox Series X|S consoles. AMD's FidelityFX SuperResolution is a resolution upscaling technology designed to improve performance in games while offering a higher level of quality that's close to high resolutions (e.g., 2560×1440, 3840×2160, etc.).

"At Xbox, we are excited by the potential of AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution technology as another great method for developers to increase framerates and resolution," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. "We will have more to share on this soon." 

The technology offers four modes on the PC: ultra-quality, quality, balanced, and performance. AMD claims that even the ultra-quality mode renders frames in a close-to-native resolution (e.g., 4K) and can improve performance by around 60% in optimized cases. Other modes can increase performance even more, but game developers have to implement the tech into their game engines.

(Image credit: AMD)

Game consoles have fixed hardware configurations, so improving image quality without a performance drop, or improving performance without image quality degradation, is just what the doctor ordered. That's why it is understandable that Microsoft, whose Xbox Series X|S consoles are powered by AMD's RDNA 2 architecture, is so eager to support it. 

It remains to be seen is whether Sony's PlayStation 5, which also uses an RDNA 2-powered GPU, will also support the technology. 

Earlier this year, AMD made select capabilities of its FidelityFX package available to Microsoft Xbox Series X|S developers, like FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS)Variable Shading, and ray-traced shadow Denoiser technologies. Those features are already supported in numerous PC games, but there's no word about when we can expect to see the first titles that support SuperResolution. 

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • I certainly love mine and can’t wait to buy another one for the other room. This is what I have dreamt about all these years now it is come to fruition

    It sits there silent as the grave, playing any game that you want to play including cyber punk quite incredibly—for hour after hour, with no complaints and nary a problem
    Reply
  • aura_shred
    Mandark said:
    I certainly love mine and can’t wait to buy another one for the other room. This is what I have dreamt about all these years now it is come to fruition

    It sits there silent as the grave, playing any game that you want to play including cyber punk quite incredibly—for hour after hour, with no complaints and nary a problem

    Cyberpunk. What a complete garbage game. And why do you need to buy another console for another room in the same house when you can just remote play from a single console to any other room. Waste of $$$.
    Reply
  • watzupken
    Not surprising that FSR will be adopted by consoles. Given that the new consoles are a lot more powerful when it comes to the CPU, vs the last gen consoles, FSR will certainly make the developers' job of optimising the game such that it is as 4K worthy as possible, a lot easier.
    Reply
  • peachpuff
    Perfect for consoles since gamers can't see the loss in detail quality, just the increase in fps...
    Reply
  • aura_shred said:
    Cyberpunk. What a complete garbage game. And why do you need to buy another console for another room in the same house when you can just remote play from a single console to any other room. Waste of $$$.
    Because there are two people in my house. why don’t you go play your PC
    Reply
  • saunupe1911
    Now this could be interesting and a big win for Xbox...but what's stopping the PS5 from implementing it too. Xbox just needs games. Hurry up Forza!!!
    Reply
  • mahina23
    saunupe1911 said:
    Now this could be interesting and a big win for Xbox...but what's stopping the PS5 from implementing it too. Xbox just needs games. Hurry up Forza!!!
    maybe this is the difference in RDNA2 architecture that was mentioned earlier
    Reply
  • salgado18
    aura_shred said:
    Cyberpunk. What a complete garbage game.
    I know it's bait, but move on, it's not a game for you.

    mahina23 said:
    maybe this is the difference in RDNA2 architecture that was mentioned earlier
    The tech is compatible with any architecutre, even Intel's and Nvidia's. It's more likely that Sony didn't announce yet, but I bet it's coming.
    Reply
  • maik80
    'It remains to be seen is whether Sony's PlayStation 5, which also uses an RDNA 2-powered GPU, will also support the technology." you are kidding?
    Reply