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What AMD FSR 4 Does and How Its Upscaling Works

AMD FSR 4 uses machine learning and information across frames to upscale game images. Here’s how its inputs, scaling modes, and compatibility work.
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AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) reconstructs a higher-resolution game image from a lower-resolution render using machine learning and information gathered across frames. It is an upscaler, not frame generation: the two features can be combined in supported games, but they do different jobs.

How FSR 4 reconstructs an image

A game normally renders each frame at the resolution selected for its internal rendering. With FSR 4 upscaling enabled, the game renders at a lower resolution and supplies image and scene data to FSR 4. The upscaler uses that input to produce an image at the higher output resolution.

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AMD describes FSR 4 as an inference-based machine-learning algorithm that uses spatial and temporal information. Spatial information comes from the current frame; temporal information helps the algorithm use what has appeared across multiple frames to reconstruct detail and maintain consistency as the scene changes. AMD’s developer documentation lists the key inputs as the current rendered color buffer, depth buffer, and motion vectors.

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What the game provides

  • Color: the current rendered frame, which supplies the visible image content.
  • Depth: information about how far parts of the scene are from the camera, helping distinguish objects and their placement.
  • Motion vectors: information describing where a pixel in the current frame was in the previous frame. This gives the temporal reconstruction method context about scene movement.
  • Exposure: the API supports exposure input or automatic exposure.

AMD says FSR 4 no longer requires reactive or transparency/composition masks, though developers may still provide them. The exact reconstruction depends on the game’s integration and the supplied data.

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What AMD has and has not disclosed

AMD says FSR 4’s machine-learning algorithm is accelerated by the FP8 Wave Matrix Multiply Accumulate (WMMA) feature in RDNA 4. AMD’s reviewed official documentation does not give further detail about the network architecture or training data, so those specifics should not be assumed.

FSR 4 upscaling is not frame generation

Upscaling reconstructs a higher-resolution image for a rendered frame. Frame generation, also called interpolation, creates additional frames between rendered ones. They are separate functions, even when a game offers them together.

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AMD said FSR 4 could be combined with existing in-game FSR 3.1 advanced frame generation and Radeon Anti-Lag 2. Whether those options are available together depends on the particular game and implementation.

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FSR 4 scaling modes and their tradeoffs

AMD’s named modes describe the per-dimension scaling factor between the rendered input and output. A larger factor means the game renders at a lower input resolution relative to the output, leaving more reconstruction work to the upscaler. That can change the balance between rendering performance and image quality; the visible result depends on the game, output resolution, implementation, and hardware.

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Mode Per-dimension scaling factor How to interpret it
NativeAA 1.0× No reduction in input resolution relative to output; uses FSR’s NativeAA mode.
Quality 1.5× Lower input resolution than output, with a comparatively smaller scaling step than the other listed upscaling modes.
Balanced 1.7× A middle scaling factor between Quality and Performance.
Performance 2.0× Lower input resolution than Balanced, with a larger reconstruction step.
Ultra Performance 3.0× The lowest input resolution relative to output among these modes, with the largest reconstruction step.

These factors are per dimension, not a promise of a particular frame-rate increase or image-quality result. There is no universal best mode: compare the available modes in the game and at the resolution you actually use.

AMD’s documented processing and memory figures

AMD’s FidelityFX SDK documentation reports 1,316 microseconds of FSR 4 processing for Performance mode at 3840×2160 on a Radeon RX 9070 XT. AMD specifies peak GPU clocks and RCAS sharpening disabled for that figure. The same documentation estimates an 81 MB working set at 1920×1080 on an RX 9070 XT, rounded to the nearest megabyte; AMD says the estimates are approximate and subject to change. These are AMD implementation measurements, not guarantees for every game or PC.

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Hardware, software, and game support

AMD’s current FidelityFX SDK documentation lists FSR Upscaling 4.1.1, dated June 24, 2026, in its version history. Its stated baseline requirements are an AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series GPU or later, Microsoft Windows 10 or 11, and DirectX 12. AMD’s initial launch announcement identified RX 9070-series cards as launch hardware.

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Compatible hardware alone does not make FSR 4 available in every game. A game needs native FSR 4 support or an eligible driver upgrade path. AMD’s driver path was described for supported DirectX 12 games with an integrated FSR 3.1 upscaler using a signed FSR 3.1 DLL. AMD excludes Vulkan titles and certain non-standard integrations from that path. Preview release notes also describe a technical-preview driver and list eligible titles; those preview details should not be treated as universal support.

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AMD GPUOpen reported in 2025 that its September driver-upgrade announcement covered more than 85 games. That was a dated count for the games covered by that announcement, not a current total of all FSR 4-compatible titles. Game lists and driver support can change, so check the specific game and current AMD compatibility information before relying on FSR 4 being available.

What AMD says about image quality

AMD’s launch material presents temporal stability, detail preservation, and reduced ghosting as intended improvements over FSR 3.1. These are AMD’s stated aims, not independent test results or a guarantee that every game will show the same improvement. The output depends on the game’s implementation, scene, output resolution, and selected scaling mode.

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