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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesTo enable DLSS, update the game and your GeForce driver, then open the game’s graphics, display, or video settings and switch on NVIDIA DLSS or DLSS Super Resolution. Start with Quality at 1080p or 1440p, Performance at 4K, or Ultra Performance at 8K, then compare image quality and frame rate in that game. Those are NVIDIA’s starting recommendations, not guaranteed best settings for every PC.
What DLSS setting should you look for?
For the common resolution-upscaling option, look for NVIDIA DLSS or DLSS Super Resolution in the game’s graphics, display, or video menu. DLSS Super Resolution renders the game at a lower input resolution and reconstructs the image for the selected output resolution. This is intended to provide more performance headroom, but it also gives the reconstruction system less source detail to work with as the input resolution gets lower.
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DLSS is an umbrella for multiple features, and game menus may offer some but not others. Super Resolution, Frame Generation, DLAA, and other DLSS-related options are not interchangeable switches. Check the game’s own settings and its support information to identify which feature is available. NVIDIA’s DLSS technology page and GeForce games and applications list provide current feature and title information.
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Which DLSS Super Resolution quality preset should you use?
Choose a mode by balancing the image you want against the performance headroom you need. NVIDIA recommends the following starting points by output resolution:
| Output resolution | NVIDIA’s recommended starting mode | DLSS Super Resolution input resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 × 1080 (1080p) | Quality | 67% of output resolution |
| 2560 × 1440 (1440p) | Quality | 67% of output resolution |
| 3840 × 2160 (4K) | Performance | 50% of output resolution |
| 7680 × 4320 (8K) | Ultra Performance | 33% of output resolution |
The percentages are NVIDIA’s mode figures for Super Resolution, and the resolution pairings are NVIDIA recommendations; neither is a measured frame-rate result. The recommendations appear in NVIDIA’s GeForce DLSS games guidance, accessed in 2026. Actual image quality and performance depend on the game, GPU, output resolution, and what is happening on screen.
These figures describe the input resolution relative to the selected output resolution. They are not a promise that a mode will make a game a set percentage faster, nor do they describe a universal image-quality score. They explain the broad tradeoff: a lower input resolution gives the reconstruction process less source detail to work with and is intended to create more performance headroom. The frame-rate result still depends on the specific title, graphics card, output resolution, and scene.
Quality: the image-first starting point
Quality uses an input resolution of 67% of the output resolution. Try it first when you want to retain more source detail and already have enough frame rate, particularly at 1080p or 1440p, where NVIDIA recommends it. If the game is running smoothly enough, there may be no reason to move to a more aggressive mode. Inspect fine detail and motion in the game you actually play rather than assuming a preset will look identical across titles.
Quality is a sensible starting point, not a mandatory choice for every 1080p or 1440p player. If your game does not meet your performance needs, compare another available mode; if Quality already feels and looks right, there is no need to change it simply because another mode exists. Make that judgment at the output resolution you actually use in the game.
Balanced: a middle choice when available
Balanced is a named intermediate mode in games that support it. It can be a reasonable next comparison if Quality does not deliver the performance you want but you do not want to jump straight to Performance. Its availability and presentation depend on the game, and NVIDIA’s published mode figures do not assign Balanced a percentage. Compare its appearance and frame rate directly instead of inferring a precise gain.
Not every supported title exposes the same set of choices. If Balanced is absent, use the modes the game actually offers rather than looking for a universal way to add it. The menu’s options can depend on the game’s implementation and update level.
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Performance uses 50% of output resolution, and NVIDIA recommends it as a starting mode at 4K. Ultra Performance uses 33% and is NVIDIA’s suggested starting mode at 8K. Their lower input resolution is intended to provide more performance headroom, but it also means less source detail is available for reconstruction. Use them when you need additional performance and accept the possible visual tradeoff; do not assume that either mode will produce a particular number of extra frames.
These are not simply faster versions of Quality with identical output. Since each mode starts from a different input resolution, judge the result in motion as well as in a still view. A scene with fine detail or movement can make differences easier to notice. The best choice is the mode that meets your own performance needs without a visual tradeoff you dislike.
How to enable DLSS in a game
- Update the game. Install the latest available game update. Menu names and supported modes can change with a game update.
- Update the GeForce driver. NVIDIA’s general guidance is to install a current GeForce Game Ready Driver, using the NVIDIA App or NVIDIA’s website.
- Open the game’s settings. From the game’s options menu, open its graphics, display, or video settings. There is no universal menu path: the exact label and location vary by title.
- Find the DLSS option. Look for NVIDIA DLSS or DLSS Super Resolution. If the game presents a separate feature selector and a mode selector, enable the relevant feature first, then choose a starting mode.
- Select a starting mode. Use NVIDIA’s resolution recommendations as a first test, not a rule. Choose Quality at 1080p or 1440p, Performance at 4K, or Ultra Performance at 8K; try Balanced or another available option if it better suits your priorities.
- Apply the setting and evaluate it in play. Compare image quality and frame rate in the same game and, where possible, a similar scene. Look at fine detail and moving objects as well as the overall smoothness. Keep the mode that best balances the two for your system.
NVIDIA’s general setup advice is to install a current driver, download the latest game version, open its options, and enable DLSS. The game’s own menu remains the usual place to switch the feature on; NVIDIA App controls do not make an unsupported game or an unenabled in-game feature compatible.
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In practical terms, this means there is no separate universal DLSS control panel path that replaces the game menu. Find the relevant option in the title you want to play, turn it on there, and select from that title’s supported modes. If you change an option and the game asks you to apply settings, follow its prompt; exact menu behavior varies by game.
How to choose between modes on your own system
Make the decision from your actual display resolution and performance needs. The mode name alone does not predict how a particular title will look or run. If your frame rate is already satisfactory, stay with the more image-quality-oriented option. If you want more performance headroom, compare the next more aggressive mode and decide whether the visual change is acceptable.
- Check the output resolution the game is using. Match it to your actual in-game output setting rather than choosing from the monitor’s maximum resolution if you are playing at a different one.
- Start with NVIDIA’s recommendation for that resolution. This narrows the first test without treating the recommendation as a promise.
- Compare in a representative scene. Use the same scene or repeatable gameplay situation when switching modes. A different scene can change both the frame rate and the visual impression, making the comparison less useful.
- Move one step at a time. If you want more performance, test the next more aggressive option available. If the image is less pleasing than the gain is worth, return to the previous mode.
- Recheck after game or driver updates. Updates can affect game support, options, or implementation. A choice that worked well before an update is not a guarantee that the same menu or result will persist.
This is a practical comparison method, not a benchmark protocol. NVIDIA’s percentages describe input-resolution modes; they do not establish a universal visual-quality score or frame-rate improvement for a specific game, GPU, or scene.
Keep the comparison focused. Use the same game, output resolution, and similar gameplay conditions while you switch modes, then decide what matters most to you: a more detailed-looking image, more performance headroom, or a middle ground. Changing the scene at the same time makes it harder to tell whether a difference came from the DLSS mode or from the scene itself. You do not need to measure every possible setting combination; compare the options available in your game and keep the one that suits your play.
If a recommended mode does not suit you, that does not mean DLSS is malfunctioning. NVIDIA’s resolution guidance is a starting point. At 4K, for example, you can still compare another available mode if Performance does not give you the image or performance balance you want. At 1080p or 1440p, a player who needs more headroom can test a more aggressive choice. The key is to make the choice from the actual result in your game, rather than treating a resolution pairing as a fixed requirement.
Why DLSS may be missing from the settings
A missing option does not by itself mean that the driver is broken. Availability depends on the title’s implementation, its update level, the particular DLSS feature, and whether the GPU supports that feature.
- The game may not support the feature. Check the game’s release notes or settings documentation and NVIDIA’s current list of DLSS-supported games and applications. Support for one DLSS feature should not be taken as support for every other feature.
- The game or driver may need an update. Install current game updates and a current GeForce Game Ready Driver, then reopen the settings menu and check again.
- Your GPU may not support the specific feature. NVIDIA’s compatibility information distinguishes features and hardware generations. Super Resolution is supported more broadly than newer Frame Generation features, so do not infer support for every DLSS capability from an RTX label alone. Check the intended feature against NVIDIA’s DLSS technology information.
- The menu may use a different label or location. Look through graphics, video, and display options for DLSS or DLSS Super Resolution. The wording and available modes vary between games and updates.
- You may be looking for the wrong feature. If the game offers a DLSS-related option other than Super Resolution, verify that the GPU and title support that exact feature rather than assuming all DLSS options have the same requirements.
For a useful check, identify the exact feature you want first. A title that lists DLSS support may support Super Resolution without offering Frame Generation, or it may have a different mix of DLSS features. Then confirm both the game and your GPU against NVIDIA’s current feature information. “RTX” by itself is not enough to establish that every DLSS feature is available on a particular card.
If you are considering hardware because your current GPU does not support the feature you want, treat a GeForce RTX graphics card as the relevant product category and verify the exact GPU generation, game, and feature before buying. Compatibility varies by feature, and no single RTX label guarantees support for every capability. There is no one model recommendation that fits every reader without knowing the target game, resolution, budget, and performance goal; check those requirements before spending money.
After checking support, update the game and driver and look again in the game’s settings. If the option still is not present, the title may not implement that feature for your setup. NVIDIA App overrides are not a general workaround for a game or GPU that lacks the relevant support.
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Can NVIDIA App override DLSS settings?
NVIDIA App includes global or per-game DLSS override controls for compatible titles. These controls can augment or update supported options, but they do not replace the game’s own feature switch: the relevant DLSS feature must be enabled in-game. For example, NVIDIA says the DLAA/Ultra Performance override applies when Super Resolution is already on in the game.
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Use an override only when the title and feature are compatible, and follow NVIDIA’s current instructions for the available control. NVIDIA describes these capabilities in its NVIDIA App DLSS override update and its global DLSS overrides announcement. Options can change as NVIDIA App and game support evolve, so do not expect every title to expose every override.
Think of an override as an additional control for a supported case, not as a way to switch DLSS on in every game. If the relevant in-game feature is off, NVIDIA’s example requires Super Resolution to be enabled before the DLAA/Ultra Performance override applies. If you cannot find an override, that does not necessarily mean the app is broken; the control may not apply to that game or feature.
What “preset” means to players and developers
In a game’s menu, players generally use “preset” to mean the visible choices such as Quality, Balanced, Performance, and Ultra Performance. Developers also use preset labels A through F when integrating DLSS models. Those developer-side model choices are implementation details, not additional modes a player should expect to select in an ordinary game menu.
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NVIDIA’s developer article describes Preset D as its then-default for Performance, Balanced, and Quality, and Preset F for Ultra Performance and DLAA. These are version-sensitive implementation details, not universal player settings; they are best understood in the context of the developer’s integration guidance in NVIDIA’s DLSS updates for Super Resolution and Unreal Engine. For a player deciding what to select, the game-facing mode names and the observed result are the relevant details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enable NVIDIA DLSS in a game?
Update the game and install a current GeForce Game Ready Driver, then open the game’s graphics, display, or video settings. Turn on NVIDIA DLSS or DLSS Super Resolution if the game offers it, choose an available mode, and compare the result in play. Exact labels and menu locations vary by title.
Which DLSS quality preset should I use?
NVIDIA recommends starting with Quality at 1920×1080 or 2560×1440, Performance at 3840×2160 (4K), and Ultra Performance at 7680×4320 (8K). Balanced is an intermediate option where supported. These are starting recommendations, so compare image quality and frame rate in your own game.
Why is DLSS missing from my settings?
The game may not support the feature, the game or GeForce driver may need an update, the option may use a different label, or your GPU may not support that particular DLSS feature. Check the game’s support information and NVIDIA’s current feature compatibility information; support for one DLSS feature does not imply support for all of them.
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No. Ray tracing is optional, not a prerequisite for DLSS. Enable the DLSS feature in the game’s settings if it is supported; you can leave ray tracing off.
Do all GeForce RTX graphics cards support every DLSS feature?
No. NVIDIA distinguishes feature support by GPU generation, and Super Resolution is supported more broadly than newer Frame Generation features. Check the exact feature, GPU, and game in NVIDIA’s current compatibility information rather than relying on the RTX name alone.
Can NVIDIA App turn DLSS on if it is disabled in a game?
NVIDIA App offers global or per-game overrides in compatible cases, but the relevant feature still needs to be enabled in-game. NVIDIA’s DLAA/Ultra Performance override example requires Super Resolution to be on in the game.
The Bottom Line
Enable DLSS in the game’s own graphics settings, then use NVIDIA’s resolution recommendations as a starting point: Quality at 1080p or 1440p, Performance at 4K, and Ultra Performance at 8K. Compare the available modes in the same game and keep the one that gives you the image quality and performance balance you want. If DLSS is missing, check game support, updates, and compatibility for the specific feature and GPU.
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