Nvidia’s RTX graphics cards come with two notable features that make them stand out from their GTX-series predecessors. While the first one is the very well-documented Ray Tracing, the second one, called DLSS, remains largely ambiguous for mainstream gamers. So today, we will tell you all about Nvidia DLSS – what it is, what it does, supported games, and how it can help improve your gameplay.
In this article, we will discuss Nvidia DLSS in great detail and tell you exactly how it enhances your gaming experience with GeForce RTX-series graphics cards. We will also compare it to AMD’s rumored upcoming equivalent, FSR, and see what it might bring to the table in terms of performance, frame rates, and efficiency. So without any further delay, let’s dive right in.
- What is Nvidia DLSS?
- How Does DLSS Work?
- How Does DLSS Improve Gameplay?
- Why Is DLSS Not Available for All Resolutions?
- DLSS: Drawbacks and Complaints
- What is Ray Tracing and How is it Related to DLSS
- Nvidia DLSS Supported Graphics Cards (GPUs)
- Video Games That Support DLSS
- How Do You Use DLSS In Games?
- AMD’s DLSS Equivalent: What Do We Know About FSR?
What is Nvidia DLSS?
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is Nvidia’s AI-based upscaling algorithm that uses dedicated Tensor Cores on RTX cards to boost frame rates without affecting image quality. The technology leverages the power of AI to improve in-game FPS with graphically intensive workloads. With DLSS turned on, gamers can use high graphics settings and higher resolutions while still maintaining impressive framerates. Chart Courtesy: Nvidia
To put DLSS into action, the AI algorithm first extracts many aliased frames from the target game. It then generates a matching ‘perfect frame’ using either super-sampling or accumulation rendering. These paired frames (aliased and perfect) are then fed to a computer, which trains the DLSS model to recognize aliased inputs and generate high-quality anti-aliased images that match the ‘perfect frame’ as closely as possible.
Then, the process is repeated to train the AI model to generate additional pixels rather than simply applying anti-aliasing to frames. That helps increase the resolution of the input. Combining both of these techniques enables the GPU to render the game in full resolution at higher FPS. The AI algorithm then intelligently ‘learns’ about a game as you play and gets better with time.
DLSS uses advanced AI rendering to produce image quality that Nvidia claims is comparable to native resolution. In fact, the company also says that the technology is even capable of producing ‘better image resolution’ while only conventionally rendering a fraction of the pixels. Advanced temporal feedback techniques give you sharper images, finer details, and improved stability from frame to frame. DLSS in action in Wolfenstein: Youngblood
The results of DLSS vary from one game to another because each game has different characteristics based on the game engine and the time spent on training the AI model. However, it is not available under all conditions and at all resolutions. That’s because sometimes, it is just faster and qualitatively better to use the native, non-AI technology to render frames.
Explaining the technicality, Nvidia says: “DLSS requires a fixed amount of GPU time per frame to run the deep neural network. Thus, games that run at lower frame rates or higher resolutions, benefit more from DLSS. For games running at high frame rates or low resolutions, DLSS may not boost performance.”
“When your GPU’s frame rendering time is shorter than what it takes to execute the DLSS model, we don’t enable DLSS. We only enable DLSS for cases where you will receive a performance gain. DLSS availability is game-specific, and depends on your GPU and selected display resolution,” adds Nvidia on its website.
DLSS 2.0 is a huge improvement over the 1st-generation release, which was largely a hot mess. However, it is still not perfect, and complaints about lag and blurry frames continue to flood Nvidia forums, online message boards, and social media. It is especially noticeable at lower resolutions, where the extra frames seem to come at the expense of image sharpness.
What is Ray Tracing and How is it Related to DLSS
Ray Tracing was the highlight feature of Nvidia’s RTX-series graphics cards when the original RTX 20-series lineup launched back in 2018. It is a graphics rendering technique that Nvidia says produces a high degree of visual realism. However, while Ray Tracing can improve the overall visual effects in games, it comes at a cost. The technology is highly hardware-intensive, which means it can negatively affect performance. DLSS actively counters this and allows you to maintain high settings at high resolutions without any negative impact.
Video Games That Support DLSS & Ray Tracing
At launch, very few games supported DLSS. However, the list has since grown to include dozens of games, including Battlefield V, Final Fantasy XV, Cyberpunk 2077, etc. So yes, the latest RTX GPUs with DLSS can run Crysis (Remastered) as well. Here’s the complete list of games that support DLSS as of April 2021:
You can keep an eye out for new additions to the list on Nvidia’s official website.
To use DLSS in any supported game, install the latest GeForce Game Ready drivers from GeForce Experience or Nvidia’s official website. You can also check out our detailed article on how to update drivers on your Windows 10 computer.
Rumored to be announced next month, AMD’s DLSS competitor will bring DLSS-like features to the latest Radeon graphics cards. Expected to be named ‘FidelityFX Super Resolution‘ (FSR), several game developers are already testing this technology for their latest titles.
According to the YouTube gaming channel, Coreteks, FSR will be a cross-platform technology as part of the hardware-agnostic GPUOpen library of effects. That means it will also work on Nvidia graphics cards, provided the latter adds support for it. While this is yet to be confirmed by AMD, it does line up with what AMD did with FreeSync, its adaptive sync technology that’s also available on Nvidia GPUs. Image Courtesy: Coreteks
