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AMD FSR 4 is an ML-based image-upscaling technology that reconstructs higher-resolution game frames from lower-resolution renders. AMD announced it on February 28, 2025, alongside the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. It was initially an RX 9070-series feature, but AMD now places the technology under the broader FSR “Redstone” platform, where it is referred to as FSR Upscaling 4.1.
AMD’s current documentation lists ML-based FSR Upscaling support for Radeon RX 7000- and RX 9000-series graphics cards. RX 6000 support is listed as planned for 2027. Compatibility still depends on the game, driver, graphics API and specific Redstone feature.
What FSR 4 does
Modern games often render internally below the display’s output resolution to improve performance. At 4K, for example, a game may render a lower-resolution image and then reconstruct it to a 4K output. This reduces the number of pixels the GPU must render directly.
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The basic process is:
- The game renders a lower-resolution frame.
- The engine supplies motion and depth information.
- FSR Upscaling uses temporal data and ML inference to reconstruct the image.
- The reconstructed frame is presented at the target output resolution.
ML inference happens on the GPU. This is not cloud processing, and it does not mean the game is being operated by a general-purpose AI system. AMD says the model was trained using high-quality game data and AMD Instinct GPUs.
AMD’s technical explanation is available in its FSR Redstone overview.
FSR 4 is not frame generation
FSR Upscaling and FSR Frame Generation are separate technologies:
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- FSR Upscaling: reconstructs a higher-resolution version of a traditionally rendered frame.
- FSR Frame Generation: synthesizes additional frames between rendered frames.
A game can use upscaling without frame generation. Frame generation can make the displayed frame rate higher, but generated frames do not represent additional fully rendered input samples. As a result, a higher FPS counter does not necessarily provide the same responsiveness as the same frame rate produced natively. Latency and frame-time consistency should be assessed separately.
What AMD announced in February 2025
AMD introduced FSR 4 with its RDNA 4 architecture and Radeon RX 9070-series graphics cards. The original launch positioning made it exclusive to the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 family. AMD listed launch reference prices of $599 SEP for the RX 9070 XT and $549 SEP for the RX 9070. Those were launch prices, not current retail prices.
AMD also introduced a driver-level upgrade path for selected games that already contained FSR 3.1 integration. In supported cases, AMD Software could replace or upgrade the existing upscaling implementation without requiring a completely separate game integration.
The initial announcement is documented in AMD’s RDNA 4 and FSR 4 release.
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FSR 3.1 versus FSR 4
| Feature | FSR 3.1 | FSR 4 / FSR Upscaling |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling method | Temporal reconstruction | Temporal reconstruction with ML-based inference |
| Frame generation | Available as a separate feature | Available separately through the Redstone stack |
| Image-quality goal | Improved detail over earlier FSR versions | Better temporal stability, detail retention and ghosting control, according to AMD |
| Upgrade path | Existing game integration | Some FSR 3.1 games can receive a driver-level upgrade |
| Hardware positioning | Broad Radeon compatibility | AMD currently lists ML upscaling for RX 7000 and RX 9000 |
FSR 4 is therefore not simply a faster version of FSR 3.1. Its important change is the move to an ML-based reconstruction model. However, the visible result still depends heavily on the game’s implementation, internal resolution, motion data and quality mode.
The naming changed: FSR 4 is now part of FSR “Redstone”
Readers may encounter both “FSR 4” and “FSR Upscaling 4.1.” AMD’s current branding places the former FSR 4 upscaler inside the FSR “Redstone” platform.
AMD identifies the Redstone components as:
- FSR Upscaling 4.1 for ML-based reconstruction.
- FSR Frame Generation 4.0.0 for synthesised intermediate frames.
- FSR Ray Regeneration 1.1.0.
- FSR Radiance Caching 0.9, listed as a preview feature.
AMD says FSR Redstone SDK 2.2 was released in March 2026. Its FSR 4 Unreal Engine plugin supports Unreal Engine versions 5.2 through 5.7, according to GPUOpen’s developer documentation.
Which GPUs support FSR 4?
The following reflects AMD’s current technology documentation as of September 14, 2026:
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|---|---|
| Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 | Original FSR 4 launch hardware and part of the RX 9000 Redstone platform |
| Radeon RX 9000 series | Supported for AMD’s current ML-based Redstone technologies, subject to feature and game requirements |
| Radeon RX 7000 series | AMD lists support for FSR Upscaling 4.1 ML upscaling |
| Radeon RX 6000 series | AMD lists ML-upscaling support as planned for 2027 |
| Older Radeon cards | Do not assume FSR 4 ML upscaling compatibility without a specific AMD confirmation |
“FSR support” is not one universal compatibility category. Upscaling, frame generation, ray regeneration and radiance caching may have different hardware, driver, operating-system, API and game requirements. AMD’s current FSR technology page should be checked for the specific feature.
How many games support it?
Game-count claims need careful interpretation. AMD initially discussed more than 30 FSR 4 games at launch. A later technical preview expanded support to more than 60 titles. AMD’s current page advertises more than 300 games across the wider FSR ecosystem.
Those figures are not interchangeable. The broad ecosystem figure can include games using older FSR versions, frame generation or other FSR features. It does not mean that every listed game supports ML-based FSR Upscaling 4.1.
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- AMD RDNA 3 Architecture with AI & Ray Tracing Acceleration: Powered by 32 RDNA 3 Compute Units featuring 3rd Gen Ray Tracing Accelerators and 2nd Gen AI Accelerators, delivering lifelike lighting, shadows, and superior machine learning performance for enhanced gaming and content creation.
- Powerful 1080p & 1440p Gaming Engine: Features a max boost clock of up to 2695 MHz, a game clock of 2280 MHz, and 2048 stream processors, ensuring outstanding frame rates in the latest titles.
- 8GB High‑Speed GDDR6 Memory: Equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128‑bit interface running at 18 Gbps, delivering up to 288 GB/s bandwidth for high‑resolution textures and demanding game workloads.
Before buying a graphics card, check the individual game’s support. Separate native FSR Upscaling integration, a driver-level upgrade from FSR 3.1, frame-generation support and the newer Redstone features.
How to enable FSR 4
- Install a compatible AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition driver.
- Open AMD Software and select the game from the Gaming library or supported game settings.
- Look for AMD’s FSR upgrade or enablement option, where available.
- Launch the game and confirm that its upscaling setting is active.
- If the game has native FSR controls, avoid enabling conflicting driver-level and in-game overrides at the same time.
- Restart the game if the change is not detected immediately.
Menu names can change between Adrenalin releases, so the exact click path is version-dependent. AMD introduced the FSR 4 upgrade toggle in Adrenalin 25.3.1 for selected games with built-in FSR 3.1 support. The RX 9070 XT support page showed Adrenalin 26.7.1 WHQL Recommended, released July 28, 2026, when checked; users should always consult AMD’s current driver page rather than relying on an old version number.
Use AMD’s official driver download page for the current package.
What performance should you expect?
There is no universal FPS percentage. The result depends on the GPU, CPU, resolution, quality mode, ray-tracing settings, game engine, driver, baseline frame rate and whether frame generation is also enabled.
Upscaling helps primarily when the GPU is the bottleneck. It cannot solve a CPU limitation, simulation bottleneck or engine-level frame-time problem. At 1440p and 4K, lowering the internal render workload can provide a substantial benefit in demanding games. At 1080p, aggressive modes may be more visibly soft because the starting image contains fewer pixels.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAMD says FSR Upscaling can reconstruct a 4K frame in approximately 1.3 milliseconds in Performance mode on an RX 9070 XT under its stated test conditions. That is a vendor figure, not an independent universal benchmark. AMD’s larger FPS multipliers for Redstone often combine upscaling with frame generation and should not be treated as the gain from upscaling alone.
For a meaningful comparison, measure:
- Native rendering versus upscaling alone.
- Upscaling alone versus upscaling plus frame generation.
- Average FPS and frame-time consistency.
- Input latency rather than FPS alone.
- Image quality during camera movement, not only in static screenshots.
What image-quality improvements does AMD claim?
AMD says FSR 4 improves on FSR 3.1 in areas including temporal stability, fine-detail preservation, ghosting reduction, particles and moving objects. These are AMD’s claims and can vary by implementation.
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- AMD RDNA 4 Architecture: RX 9070 GPU with 56 CUs, 3584 stream processors, 3rd gen RT and 2nd gen AI accelerators – built for 1440p/4K gaming.
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When evaluating it, inspect thin wires and fences, foliage, hair, distant text, particles, volumetric effects, reflections and ray-traced surfaces. Look for ghost trails behind moving characters, flickering in foliage and transparencies, shimmering during camera movement and softness in fine UI elements.
Compare the same scene and camera path at the same output resolution. If FSR looks worse than native, try moving from Performance to Quality mode, raising the internal render resolution, disabling frame generation during the image-quality comparison and checking the game’s sharpening or anti-aliasing settings.
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Common problems and fixes
FSR does not appear
- Confirm that the game supports native FSR Upscaling or an eligible FSR 3.1 integration.
- Update AMD Software and the GPU driver.
- Check whether the game requires DirectX 12.
- Restart the game after enabling the driver-level option.
- Disable competing upscaling or frame-generation overrides.
- Check AMD’s release notes for title-specific restrictions.
Flickering, corruption or crashes
Turn off FSR temporarily to confirm whether it is the cause. Test a less aggressive quality mode and disable frame generation separately. Update to a recommended driver, or roll back if the problem began after an update. AMD has documented game-specific examples involving texture flickering, corruption, crashes, driver timeouts and FSR activation failures in its release notes, including Adrenalin 25.6.3 and Adrenalin 26.6.1.
If a technical-preview driver causes persistent problems, AMD recommends using its Auto-Detect and Install Tool to return to a recommended driver.
The FPS rises but the game still feels slow
Check whether the increase came from upscaling or frame generation. Upscaling reduces the cost of rendering the underlying frames; frame generation increases displayed frames but does not remove a CPU bottleneck or create additional fully rendered input samples. Evaluate latency and responsiveness separately from the FPS counter.
Is FSR 4 worth buying an AMD GPU for?
For an RX 9000 owner: FSR Upscaling and the wider Redstone feature set can add value in demanding games, particularly at 1440p or 4K and with ray tracing. Check support for the games you actually play.
For an RX 7000 owner: AMD currently lists ML-based FSR Upscaling 4.1 support, but do not assume every RX 9000 Redstone feature is available in the same way.
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For an older Radeon owner: FSR 3.1 and earlier technologies may remain useful. AMD’s current documentation lists RX 6000 ML-upscaling support as planned for 2027, rather than currently available.
For a 1080p competitive player: Native rendering or a conservative Quality mode may be preferable if clarity and latency matter more than maximum displayed FPS.
For a 4K ray-tracing player: Upscaling can be more valuable because native rendering is expensive, but it does not eliminate the performance cost of ray tracing.
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For a developer: AMD provides FSR tools through GPUOpen, but a driver-level upgrade is not the same as a developer-tested native integration. Engine integration, game-specific testing and QA remain important.
Bottom line
FSR 4 was a significant shift for AMD: it moved Radeon’s flagship upscaling technology from a conventional temporal approach to ML-based reconstruction. The technology can improve performance while preserving more image detail, but its value depends on the game, quality mode, driver, GPU and implementation.
The most accurate current description is FSR Upscaling 4.1 within AMD’s FSR “Redstone” platform. It should not be confused with frame generation, and AMD’s broad “more than 300 games” figure should not be interpreted as 300 ML-upscaling titles. For buyers, the practical question is not whether FSR carries an AI label, but whether the games they play support the feature and whether the resulting image-quality and performance trade-off fits their target resolution.
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