The Tool Desk
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The practical rule is simple: RX 9000 cards have the clearest path to the full Redstone feature set; RX 7000 cards now have documented access to ML-based FSR Upscaling but should not be treated as feature-equivalent to RX 9000; and RX 6000 owners should continue to regard current Redstone ML features as unavailable, with ML upscaling planned for 2027.
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FSR 4 did not disappear—it became FSR Upscaling
Much of the confusion comes from AMD changing the labels while expanding the technology. AMD originally called its machine-learning upscaler FSR 4. It now calls that component FSR Upscaling, reserving FSR Redstone for the broader family.
The naming progression is:
- FSR 3 and FSR 3.1: Earlier temporal upscaling and frame-generation technologies.
- FSR 4: AMD’s first major ML-based upscaling generation.
- FSR Upscaling: The current name for the ML-based upscaler. Some game menus may still say FSR 4.
- FSR Redstone: The umbrella suite covering upscaling, frame generation, Ray Regeneration, and Radiance Caching.
So “FSR 4” and “FSR Upscaling” are not necessarily two different options. A game using the older label may still be exposing the technology AMD now documents under the newer one.
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AMD explains the current terminology on its FSR technology page.
What the four Redstone technologies do
| Feature | Problem addressed | What it changes | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR Upscaling | Expensive high-resolution rendering | Reconstructs a higher-resolution image from a lower-resolution rendered frame using machine learning | Requires suitable hardware and game integration |
| FSR Frame Generation | Low displayed frame rate | Creates intermediate frames between rendered frames | Displayed FPS can rise faster than responsiveness |
| FSR Ray Regeneration | Noisy or expensive ray-traced effects | Uses machine learning to reconstruct detail from sparse ray samples | Requires specific hardware and game support |
| FSR Radiance Caching | Expensive dynamic global illumination | Predicts how light propagates through a scene | Still an emerging, primarily developer-facing feature |
These features are not automatically bundled together. A game might support only traditional FSR upscaling, ML-based FSR Upscaling, frame generation, or a combination. Ray Regeneration and Radiance Caching are separate rendering components—not alternate names for an upscaler.
AMD describes Redstone as part of a broader neural-rendering strategy in its developer explanation and FSR SDK documentation.
Why Redstone is exciting
Older FSR implementations relied primarily on analytical algorithms. ML-based reconstruction gives AMD another way to infer fine detail from temporal data and the game’s motion information. In the best cases, this can preserve foliage, wires, hair, geometric edges, and other high-frequency detail more convincingly at the same internal resolution.
Frame generation addresses a different problem. If a game is already rendering frames at a reasonably high rate but the GPU cannot reach the display’s full refresh rate, generated frames can make motion appear smoother. That is most useful when the underlying rendered frame rate is healthy enough to provide reliable motion data and keep latency acceptable.
Ray Regeneration targets the noise that comes from tracing relatively few rays per pixel. It is a denoising and reconstruction technique for ray-traced effects, not a general-purpose image scaler. Radiance Caching goes further toward neural lighting by predicting light transport, potentially reducing the cost of real-time global illumination as developers adopt it.
AMD’s SDK approach is also intended to support hardware that cannot accelerate every ML feature in the same way. Developers can ship a common implementation with analytical fallbacks where necessary, although a fallback does not provide the same feature or performance as the ML path. The FSR SDK 2.2 overview discusses this broader positioning.
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Radeon compatibility: support is feature-specific
The most useful compatibility question is not “Does my card support Redstone?” It is “Which Redstone component is supported on my card, in this game, with this driver?”
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| Radeon generation | Traditional FSR 3 upscaling | Traditional FSR 3 frame generation | ML-based FSR Upscaling | ML frame generation and Ray Regeneration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX 9000 / RDNA 4 | Yes, in supported games | Yes, subject to game requirements | Yes | The clearest platform for the newer ML frame-generation and Ray Regeneration implementations |
| RX 7000 / RDNA 3 | Yes, in supported games | Yes, where the traditional feature is supported | Yes, according to AMD’s current product page and SDK 2.3 | Do not assume parity with the RX 9000 implementation; broad current support is not established by the cited AMD material |
| RX 6000 / RDNA 2 | Yes, in supported games | Yes, subject to game and feature requirements | Planned for 2027 according to AMD’s current page | No confirmed current support |
RX 9000: the complete Redstone platform
AMD most strongly associates the full Redstone feature set with RDNA 4. RX 9000 cards support ML-based FSR Upscaling, and AMD positions them for the newer ML frame-generation and Ray Regeneration features. The RX 9070 XT product page explicitly lists FSR Redstone among its supported technologies.
RX 7000: some important support, but not automatic parity
RX 7000 owners should not be told that they are either fully supported or completely excluded. AMD’s current consumer page says ML-powered FSR Upscaling is available on RX 7000, while the SDK 2.3 update says FSR Upscaling 4.1.1 was extended to RX 7000 cards.
That does not establish that an RX 7000 card receives every RX 9000 Redstone feature. In particular, the cited material does not document equivalent broad support for the newer ML frame-generation and Ray Regeneration implementations. Existing RX 7000 owners should check the individual game listing and driver requirements before assuming anything beyond ML upscaling.
See AMD’s SDK 2.3 information alongside the consumer compatibility information.
RX 6000: keep using traditional FSR for now
RX 6000 cards remain relevant for traditional FSR implementations in supported games. However, AMD currently lists ML-powered FSR Upscaling support for RX 6000 as planned for 2027. That is a roadmap statement, not evidence that current Redstone ML upscaling works on these cards today.
Game support is not one number
AMD’s supported-games page lists titles supporting one or more Redstone technologies when using Adrenalin driver 25.12.1 or newer on RX 9000 cards. AMD’s broader technology page separately advertises more than 300 games for ML-powered FSR Upscaling. Those figures should not be read as “300 games support every Redstone feature.”
Classify a game’s support into one of these categories:
- Native ML upscaling: The developer integrated the newer FSR Upscaling implementation.
- Driver-enabled FSR Upscaling: AMD Software can upgrade a supported existing FSR 3.1 integration in some cases.
- ML frame generation: The game supports the newer frame-generation path, which should not be confused with traditional FSR 3 frame generation.
- Ray Regeneration: The game exposes the separate ray-tracing reconstruction feature.
- Older FSR only: The title supports FSR 3 or another earlier implementation but is not necessarily a Redstone title.
Always check the game’s entry on AMD’s supported-games list. A similar-looking FSR label is not proof of support for a particular Redstone component.
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How to enable Redstone
Route 1: native game integration
- Install a current AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition driver. The required version can vary by game and feature.
- Open the game’s graphics, display, or upscaling settings.
- Look for FSR Upscaling, FSR 4, or a similar AMD label.
- Choose a quality mode such as Quality, Balanced, or Performance.
- Enable frame generation separately if the game exposes it.
- Enable Ray Regeneration only when the game and GPU support it.
- Compare the result with the feature disabled, paying attention to image quality and latency rather than FPS alone.
Native integration can be preferable because the game can provide motion vectors, depth information, HUD handling, and other data directly. Menus may still say FSR 4 even though AMD’s documentation now calls the upscaler FSR Upscaling.
Route 2: AMD Software enablement
For selected games with the necessary FSR 3.1 or FSR 3.1.4 integration, AMD Software may be able to swap or upgrade relevant DLLs. The exact Adrenalin interface can change between releases, so use the supported-game entry and current driver documentation rather than assuming every FSR 3.1 title is eligible.
- Install the required current driver.
- Open AMD Software and select the game profile or relevant FSR enablement feature.
- Apply the supported DLL-swap or upgrade mechanism.
- Launch the game and verify that the option is active and the image is stable.
- If the game crashes, shows corruption, or fails to launch, disable the profile and restore the original game files through the launcher.
Driver enablement is not identical to developer integration. It can be convenient, but compatibility, HUD behavior, motion handling, and artifact levels may vary.
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- Disable the AMD Software profile or override.
- Restore the original files through Steam, Epic, or the game’s other launcher by using its file-verification function.
- Remove third-party overrides before troubleshooting further.
- Check whether a recent game patch replaced or invalidated the modified files.
- Be aware that anti-cheat systems, overlays, unsupported APIs, and unusual rendering paths can cause conflicts.
What the performance claims really mean
AMD reports substantial displayed-FPS gains on an RX 9070 XT when comparing native 4K with Performance-mode FSR Upscaling and frame generation enabled. Its cited examples include:
| Game | AMD-reported multiplier |
|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 4.7× |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 4.7× |
| Hell Is Us | 3.7× |
| F1 25 | 3.3× |
| Mafia: The Old Country | 2.9× |
| Grand Theft Auto V | 2.6× |
AMD says these tests used an RX 9070 XT, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, Windows 11 25H2, 4K output, Performance mode, and frame generation. Ray Regeneration was enabled only for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. These are AMD’s own test results, not independent measurements.
The comparison combines three changes:
- Rendering at a lower internal resolution.
- Upscaling that image to the output resolution.
- Generating additional displayed frames.
Consequently, a 4.7× displayed-FPS result is not a 4.7× improvement in native rendering performance, nor does it mean input responsiveness improves by the same amount. AMD also reports that FSR Upscaling can render a 4K frame in approximately 1.3 milliseconds on an RX 9070 XT in Performance mode; that is likewise an AMD-reported test claim.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Displayed FPS is not rendered FPS
Frame generation makes it especially important to separate four measurements:
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Rendered frames: Frames produced by the game engine.
- Generated frames: Frames inserted between rendered frames.
- Displayed FPS: The final visible cadence on the monitor.
- Input responsiveness: How quickly game input affects the rendered result.
Generated frames can make camera movement look smoother, but they do not create equivalent additional input samples. If the underlying rendered frame rate is very low, frame generation may expose uneven motion, increase perceived latency, or produce distracting artifacts. It is generally more compelling when the base rendered FPS is already reasonably high.
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What to inspect when judging image quality
Do not evaluate Redstone only by watching an FPS counter. Compare the same scene with and without the feature, especially during movement. Inspect:
- Fine foliage, hair, wires, and fences.
- Fast camera pans and disocclusion boundaries.
- Reflections and ray-traced lighting.
- Particles and transparency.
- HUD elements and text.
- Ghosting behind moving objects.
- Flicker, shimmer, or unstable detail.
Quality modes are trade-offs. Quality generally preserves more source information by using a higher internal resolution; Balanced and Performance modes reduce the rendering cost further but give the reconstruction system less information. The best choice depends on resolution, screen size, GPU load, and the game’s implementation.
Who benefits most?
RX 9000 owners
Use Redstone when the game has native or verified driver-enabled support, the GPU is limited by high resolution or ray tracing, and the base rendered frame rate is already adequate. Ray Regeneration can be particularly interesting in titles that support it and use demanding ray-traced effects.
Be more cautious when the game is CPU-limited, the base frame rate is low, the title produces severe artifacts, or you are highly sensitive to latency. A clean native image can still be preferable to a smoother but less responsive generated presentation.
RX 7000 owners
RX 7000 owners should first check whether the desired game supports ML-based FSR Upscaling for their driver and card. AMD’s current documentation supports discussing that feature, but it does not justify promising the complete RX 9000 Redstone experience. An existing RX 7000 owner may gain useful image-quality improvements without buying a new GPU, so an upgrade solely for the word “Redstone” is difficult to justify.
RX 6000 owners
Continue using supported traditional FSR features. Since AMD currently identifies 2027 for ML-powered FSR Upscaling support on RX 6000, do not buy a replacement solely to fulfill a present-day Redstone expectation unless the rest of the upgrade case also makes sense.
Competitive and latency-sensitive players
Test frame generation carefully—or leave it off. Smoothness is not the same as responsiveness, and competitive players may prefer a higher native rendered frame rate even when the displayed FPS is lower.
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Yes, but it should be one factor in a broader GPU decision. Redstone makes RDNA 4 more attractive, particularly if your game library includes supported titles and you want ML upscaling, frame generation, or Ray Regeneration. It is not a substitute for adequate native performance.
Compare:
- Raster performance in the games you actually play.
- Ray-tracing performance.
- VRAM capacity and target resolution.
- Power-supply and case requirements.
- Current retailer pricing, not an old launch MSRP.
- The number of desired games supporting the specific Redstone feature you want.
- Whether you value smooth motion more than minimum latency.
For context, AMD’s launch material listed the RX 9070 XT at a $599 starting price on March 6, 2025. That is historical MSRP context, not a verified September 2026 street price. The RX 9070 XT is specified with 16GB of GDDR6, 304W total board power, a recommended 750W power supply, and two 8-pin power connectors. AMD lists the RX 9070 with 16GB of memory and 220W board power, while the RX 9060 XT 16GB is the lower-tier RDNA 4 option aimed more naturally at 1440p buyers. Check AMD’s current specifications pages before purchasing.
Quick Recap
Redstone checklist
- Identify your exact Radeon model and generation.
- Install the driver required by the game’s AMD listing.
- Check the game on AMD’s supported-games page.
- Identify the exact feature: ML upscaling, traditional upscaling, frame generation, ML frame generation, or Ray Regeneration.
- Determine whether support is native or driver-enabled.
- Record the base rendered frame rate before enabling frame generation.
- Compare image quality during movement, not only in still screenshots.
- Check latency and artifacts in the games you actually play.
- If a DLL upgrade causes problems, disable it and restore the original game files.
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