Microsoft explains how its competitor DLSS uses AI to improve any game

Microsoft is rolling out a new Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR) feature on its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs that will compete with cutting-edge technologies like Nvidia’s DLSS. The AI-based Auto SR feature will automatically increase game resolutions and improve frame rates, and Microsoft is now detailing exactly how it’s different from DLSS, XeSS, and FSR.

Auto SR will be integrated into Windows 11 and will be available on Copilot Plus devices that have a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU). It is designed to work with existing games without the need for manual configuration and without the need for game developers to change the way their games are rendered.

“Auto SR is different from super resolution technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, Intel XeSS and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution built into games,” says the DirectX team in a blog post. “These approaches require games to alter their rendering, for example using jitter and MIP bias to add finer details. In contrast, Auto SR approaches the task of improving games without the extra information to improve games as they exist today.”

Auto SR uses larger on-device AI models combined with the NPU on Copilot Plus devices to apply AI improvements to game visuals, while also rendering a game at a lower resolution to improve frame rates. Microsoft is offloading the work directly to the NPU here, so it doesn’t even reach the GPU to make the upscaling work. “This strategic change not only improves frame rates, but also increases the energy efficiency of each rendered frame, significantly improving the overall gaming experience,” says the DirectX team.

However, there is a slight latency trade-off. “When running our large model, Auto SR introduces on average a single frame of latency as it uses AI to significantly improve the visuals of your game,” admits Microsoft. We’ll have to test this thoroughly to see if that single frame is noticeable and which games it impacts more than others.

At launch on June 18, Microsoft will automatically enhance only 11 games that have been tested to improve visual quality, frame rate, or a combination of both. Frontiers 3, To control (DX11), Dark Souls III, God of War, Kingdom Come: Liberation, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Sekiro Shadows dies twice, Ghost Warrior Sniper 2 Contracts It is The Witcher 3They are all on Microsoft’s verified release list.

This list will grow over time, and it’s easy to turn the Auto SR feature on or off and adjust settings for individual games. Microsoft says you can also “exploit this feature in additional untested games” and force activation. “There may be some quirks and we cannot guarantee that these will apply or improve your experience,” warns Microsoft.

The first set of Copilot Plus PCs will launch on June 18th with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips, so it won’t be long until we see how well Microsoft’s Auto SR works in reality. The feature will also be available on new AMD and Intel-powered Copilot Plus PCs, although it appears these machines won’t have Copilot Plus AI capabilities until a post-launch update is pushed out.

Microsoft is now working on improvements to Auto SR, including support for HDR and multi-monitor setups. “As we continue to explore the capabilities of Auto SR, we hope to explore the possibility of bringing Auto SR to more devices and a wider selection of x64 emulated games,” says the DirectX team.