Microsoft’s Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) is an AI-powered upscaling technology designed to enhance gaming visuals and performance, similar to Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS. Auto SR improves image quality at lower resolutions, boosting frame rates without developer intervention. Integrated into Windows 11, it supports Arm architecture, particularly on Snapdragon X Elite chips, and automatically applies to existing games. Though still in development, Auto SR shows promising results and potential for broader application.
Microsoft’s Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) is an innovative AI-powered upscaling technology for games. Similar to existing solutions like Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS, Auto SR is designed to enhance visuals and performance in gaming. The primary function of Auto SR is to improve image quality when games are running at lower resolutions, maintaining visual fidelity while potentially boosting frame rates.
A key distinguishing feature of Auto SR is its support for Arm architecture. This makes it a significant addition to Copilot+ PCs, particularly those equipped with the new Snapdragon X Elite chips. While these devices aren’t primarily designed for gaming, the inclusion of Auto SR enhances their gaming capabilities. The technology’s potential could be even more impactful if applied to future Snapdragon-powered handheld devices.
However, Auto SR is still in its early days and can be considered a work in progress. However, initial implementations show promising results, indicating its potential to evolve into a valuable tool for enhancing gaming experiences on a wider range of devices.
Microsoft’s approach to enhancing game visuals and performance involves two technologies: Direct SR and Auto SR.
Direct SR is a tool for developers. Like Nvidia’s DLSS, it’s designed for next-generation games and requires developer implementation.
Auto SR, in contrast, is designed to work with existing games without any developer intervention. It’s a significant advancement as the first such tool in the Windows OS and capable of automatically being applied to any game. That functionality is comparable to AMD’s FSR integration in the Steam Deck’s operating system but for Windows 11.
However, Microsoft says Auto SR is seamlessly integrated into the operating system to enhance the gaming experience by coordinating adjustments from the driver to the display output. It automatically lowers the desktop resolution, prompting games to render at a reduced resolution, which boosts frame rates without any user input. This optimization affects all on-screen elements during gameplay, including open applications. However, these changes are nearly imperceptible to players, especially in full-screen or windowed borderless modes, where Auto SR performs exceptionally well. Upon exiting the game, the desktop promptly reverts to its original settings, ensuring a smooth transition.
The primary benefit of Auto SR is its ability to improve visual quality when games are run at lower resolutions, effectively balancing performance and image quality. It uses an AI model that leverages NPUs to handle its operations, freeing up the CPU and GPU for gameplay and rendering.
Take a glance at these side-by-side images of Borderlands 3 played natively at 1440p versus one rendered at 720p but enhanced by AI-based Auto SR. Can you spot which one uses AI to boost visual quality?
Currently, Auto SR is exclusive to Snapdragon X-series laptops, limiting its availability. It’s not compatible with systems using Intel, AMD, or Nvidia hardware. Also, Auto SR doesn’t support HDR content yet, meaning it won’t function if Auto HDR is enabled.
Microsoft says that at launch, it automatically enhanced 11 games out of the box that have been tested to improve visual quality, frame rates, or both, compared to rendering at native 1080p. Some games not on this list may run well on their own, others may not yet be compatible with the automatic application of Auto SR, and many are still being tested. The company says it is continuing to expand the list of games automatically enhanced out of the box. It also provides a list of games that can be enhanced with manual opt-in steps.
More information on Auto SR can be found here.