Microsoft is Working With Nvidia, AMD and Intel To Improve Upscaling Support in PC Games

Microsoft has outlined a new Windows API designed to offer a seamless way for game developers to integrate super resolution AI-upscaling features from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. From a report: In a new blog post, program manager Joshua Tucker describes Microsoft's new DirectSR API as the "missing link" between games and super resolution technologies, and says it should provide "a smoother, more efficient experience that scales across hardware."

"This API enables multi-vendor SR [super resolution] through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate a variety of solutions including Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS," the post reads. The pitch seems to be that developers will be able to support this DirectSR API, rather than having to write code for each and every upscaling technology.

The blog post comes a couple of weeks after an "Automatic Super Resolution" feature was spotted in a test version of Windows 11, which promised to "use AI to make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced details." Now, it seems the feature will plug into existing super resolution technologies like DLSS, FSR, and XeSS rather than offering a Windows-level alternative.

Slashdot is Working on Improving Dupe Articles

[MachineShedFred]

Seriously guys, we talked about this two fucking weeks ago. [slashdot.org]

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

This submission is actually an update to the previous article.

Re:

[im_thatoneguy]

Two weeks ago people thought it was going to be a Microsoft developed upscaler. Now we know what it is: A common API for writing a single interface to your engine for all the upscalers.

your mom

[Anonymous Coward]

No amount of scaling is going to get a view of your mom on one screen.

Re:

[DarkRookie2]

This is for upscaling, not down scaling.

Makes sense

[DrMrLordX]

Initial rumours indicated that MS wanted to create their own upscaler. Instead they're providing an interface for all the upscalers. Supposedly it's already quite a simple thing to support all three once you've gone to the trouble to implement support for any one of them, so it remains to be seen whether this common interface improves anything. MS may opt to make it mandatory. If they don't, developers can ignore it, especially when they're given financial incentive to do so.

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

Hmm.

Almost looks like they're trying to kill off DLSS, FSR, and XeSS. If that's the case.

Re:

[sabbede]

How does it compare to DLSS? Which, as I've stated before, is magic. Probably powered by a gnome or elf that has been embedded in the hardware.

Re:

[DarkRookie2]

I don't see how spamming me with ads is going to be a key feature of DX13

Re:

[thegarbz]

Supposedly it's already quite a simple thing to support all three once you've gone to the trouble to implement support for any one of them

Support for any of them is equal, and having one doesn't make any other easier. You can see that easily in the modding community which is actively patching in DLSS in lieu of FSR, and visa versa, and in some cases adding support to games which had zero to begin with.

All you really need to do is use a wrapper to direct the output through one of the APIs provided by NVIDIA, AMD or Intel and throw the relevant DLL into the game folder. But each is unique requiring their own code. About the only thing which nee

will the next Xbox include game streaming?

[Miram]

I wonder if the next Xbox console will include video game streaming as a major feature. It seems like streaming is one of the biggest tech developments in gaming with Google Stadium and Nvidia Geforce Now using it. Microsoft has a huge catalog of games with Xbox Game Pass, so it would benefit their subscription service if users didn't have to wait to download each of the games.

Re:

[ChoGGi]

I can't tell if this is a joke or not, you do know Google discontinued Stadia last Jan?

Re:

[im_thatoneguy]

Ummmm... you've been able to do that for like 5 years. You can play on your Phone, TV, PC, XBox, Laptop, etc. They also let you stream your personal Xbox to other devices.

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/clo... [xbox.com]

Xbox consoles
Play on your Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. Experience games right from the cloud.

Likely Microsoft Just Wants Control

[BrendaEM]

Remember when Microsoft took over GPU switching on laptops? Did it make anything easier? No, it means that we have to set laptop applications that use the video card in two places.

Microsoft is probably not doing this out of any concern for the user, but for surreptitious data crunching in the background.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Indeed. And then I remember when they introduced DirectX and changed the world making it much easier for users and developers alike. This is fun, let's throw opposite examples at each other to make a point. You go again.

Glad to see they took our advice.

[sabbede]

When we here (or at least I) said that's what they should do when this was first announced. Let us bask in our newfound power and forget whatever else we were doing today.