The battle for PC gaming visual fidelity is heating up, and a recent blind test suggests Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 4.5 is currently leading the charge. A comprehensive evaluation conducted by German outlet ComputerBase pitted DLSS 4.5 against AMD’s Fidelity Super Resolution (FSR) 4 and traditional native rendering, and the results overwhelmingly favored Nvidia’s AI-powered upscaling technology. This comes as upscaling technologies continue to evolve, aiming to deliver high frame rates and resolutions without sacrificing image quality.
The test, designed to determine which rendering technique offered the “best picture quality,” involved over 6,747 votes from readers who compared identical gameplay footage across six demanding titles: Anno 117, ARC Raiders, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, Satisfactory, and The Last of Us Part II. All games were run at 4K resolution, with FSR and DLSS set to their “Quality” presets. The outcome demonstrates a significant shift in the perception of upscaling, with DLSS 4.5 achieving an overall score of 48.2% of all votes.
Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 consistently outperformed its competitors across the board. Satisfactory saw the largest margin of victory for Nvidia, with DLSS 4.5 garnering 60.9% of the votes, followed closely by Horizon Forbidden West at 56.3%. Anno 117 also showed a strong preference for DLSS, securing 50.1% of the votes. Notably, FSR 4 failed to win in any of the tested games, even when compared to native rendering with Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA). TechPowerUp reports that the test emphasized image quality above all else.
While native rendering secured 24% of the votes, and FSR 4 trailed behind with 15%, the closest FSR came to a win was in The Last of Us Part II, where it received 25.3% of the votes compared to native rendering’s 25.9%. Even in Cyberpunk 2077, where native rendering posed the strongest challenge to DLSS 4.5 (32.4% vs. 34.4%), Nvidia’s technology ultimately prevailed. Approximately 12.8% of participants were unable to distinguish between the three rendering methods, highlighting the advancements made in upscaling technology.
DLSS 4.5: A Technical Leap Forward
The success of DLSS 4.5 can be attributed to its sophisticated approach to image reconstruction. Unlike traditional upscaling methods that simply stretch pixels, DLSS 4.5 utilizes temporal information and neural reconstruction models trained on vast datasets. Igor’s Lab explains that this data-driven approach results in sharper images than classic native TAA, effectively combating the blurring often associated with native resolution rendering. The technology leverages the FP8 data format and a second-generation Transformer model, allowing for more efficient and detailed image processing.
How the Technologies Stack Up
Here’s a breakdown of the results across the six tested games:
| Game Title | Native Res | Nvidia DLSS 4.5 | AMD FSR 4 | Indiscernible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anno 117 | 22.8% | 50.1% | 16.5% | 10.7% |
| ARC Raiders | 27.3% | 47.4% | 13.8% | 11.5% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 32.4% | 34.4% | 10.6% | 22.6% |
| Horizon Forbidden West | 19.4% | 56.3% | 11.7% | 12.6% |
| Satisfactory | 15.1% | 60.9% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| The Last of Us Part II | 25.9% | 40.9% | 25.3% | 7.8% |
| TOTAL SHARE | 24.0% | 48.2% | 15.0% | 12.8% |
The results clearly indicate a preference for DLSS 4.5, with an average share of 48.2% across all titles. AMD’s FSR 4 averaged 15% of the votes, while native rendering secured 24%.
What’s Next for Upscaling Technologies?
While DLSS 4.5 currently holds a significant advantage in image quality, the competition is far from over. AMD continues to refine its FSR technology, and Intel’s XeSS remains a contender, though currently limited by hardware capabilities. The ongoing development in this space promises further improvements in upscaling technologies, potentially blurring the lines between upscaled and native resolutions even further. The focus will likely shift towards optimizing performance and expanding compatibility across a wider range of hardware, and games.
The clear victory for Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 in this blind test underscores the growing importance of AI-powered upscaling in modern gaming. As resolutions and graphical demands continue to increase, technologies like DLSS and FSR will play a crucial role in delivering smooth and visually stunning gaming experiences. What are your thoughts on these upscaling technologies? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
