Microsoft introduces Automatic Super Resolution, system-level upscaling for NPUs

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Auto Super Resolution uses AI to improve framerate in existing games

Alternative to driver-level upscaling that works only in certain games and only with Qualcomm chips (for now).



No, Automatic Super Resolution is not the same thing as DirectSR, which we covered recently. Automatic Super Resolution (AutoSR/ASR) is an operating system-level upscaling that works regardless of game integration. However, Microsoft maintains a game list for which it works automatically and a list for which SR works when enabled manually.

This means it works similarly to NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) or AMD Radeon Super Resolution (RSR), except it is not proprietary to any GPU vendor and operates on a system level. That said, it has the same integration complexity as these technologies (which is none for game developers), but works cross-vendor and does not require any additional software installation. The bad news is that it uses NPU for upscaling, so it doesn’t work with GPUs at the moment.

OS-level and driver-level upscaling are great alternatives to the slow implementation of upscaling into games, which is an advantage. However, unlike native API implementations, upscaling will be applied to the whole frame, including the user interface.

Microsoft has made it easier to integrate upscaling through its DirectSR API, but game developers still need to prepare the engine to provide the necessary variables (motion vectors, color depth, etc.); otherwise, it won’t work. ASR seems like a good alternative for games that will never be upgraded to support DirectSR, such as older titles.


AutoSR in action, Source: Microsoft

Upscaling methods

• Per API Implementation
  • Temporal Super Resolution (TSR),
    
  • AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR),
    
  • NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Resolution (DLSS),
    
  • INTEL Xe Super Resolution (XeSS)
    
• Single API Implementation
  • Microsoft DirectSR
    
  • NVIDIA Streamline
    
• Driver-Level
  • AMD Radeon Super Resolution (RSR)
    
  • NVIDIA Image Scaling
    
• OS-level NPU-Based
  • Microsoft Automatic Super Resolution ⬅️
    

...

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