Windows 11 is Reportedly Getting an AI Upscaling Feature for Games

Microsoft is reportedly working on a built-in alternative to AI-powered upscaling technologies from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel on Windows 11. The feature named “Automatic super resolution” was recently discovered by Twitter/X user PhantomOcean3 in the Windows 11 24H2 preview build 26052 over the weekend (via The Verge).

The description for the feature says “Use AI to make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced details.” In the build 26052, there is currently a default setting for applying it on all supported games, as well as per-app settings.

Version 24H2 will have an AI "Super Resolution" feature, as previous reports mentioned. Here are some settings for it in Graphics settings – a default toggle and per-app options. (26052) pic.twitter.com/fI9t4ksTWH

— PhantomOcean3 ☃️ (@PhantomOfEarth) February 10, 2024

For a while, Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling technology gave the company’s RTX GPUs over the competition. AMD later launched its FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technology that works on any GPU, and Intel’s new Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) technology also isn’t exclusive to the company’s Xe GPUs.

It’s not clear yet if Microsoft’s “Automatic super resolution” feature will work on any GPU. The company’s Edge browser can already use AI to upscale web videos, though the feature only works with specific Nvidia and AMD GPUs.

Windows 11 version 24H2, the next annual update for the OS is expected to bring several new AI features that will leverage the neural processing units (NPUs) we’re now seeing in laptop CPUs from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. In the Windows 11 preview build 26052 released last week, Microsoft has also started testing contextual actions for Copilot in the taskbar, and the AI assistant is expected to get several other updates in Windows 11 version 24H2.