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AMD followed through on its September 2024 promise to move FidelityFX Super Resolution toward machine learning. FSR 4 launched with the Radeon RX 9000 series in March 2025, and AMD now positions its ML-based upscaler as FSR Upscaling within the broader FSR “Redstone” platform.
The technology is designed to improve temporal stability, fine-detail reconstruction, and ghosting compared with FSR 3.1. It may also improve performance efficiency, particularly on hardware with suitable AI acceleration. But “fully AI-based” does not mean every FSR feature is neural, every Radeon GPU supports it, or every gaming handheld automatically gets longer battery life.
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What AMD actually promised in 2024
On September 13, 2024, AMD executive Jack Huynh said the company had “completely pivoted” its next-generation FSR work toward AI-based technology. The comments came in the context of gaming handhelds, where battery life was identified as a major priority. AMD’s stated logic was that machine-learning rendering could improve image quality while using the available hardware more efficiently.
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At the time, the important change was strategic: AMD was moving beyond the analytical techniques associated with earlier FSR releases and toward neural rendering that could use dedicated or optimized AI capabilities in newer Radeon hardware.
Read the original report on AMD’s 2024 announcement.
FSR 4 became a real product
AMD introduced FSR 4 alongside the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. The announcement was made on February 28, 2025, and the RX 9000 cards became available on March 6. AMD presented FSR 4 as an ML-based upscaling algorithm intended to provide better temporal stability, preserve more detail, and reduce ghosting compared with FSR 3.1.
In practical terms, FSR 4 was not a new rendering mode that made games render every pixel with AI. It was a neural reconstruction stage. The game still renders a lower-resolution image using conventional graphics techniques. The upscaler then combines that image with temporal information and other inputs to produce a higher-resolution output.
AMD’s launch material positioned the Radeon RX 9070 XT at a $599 U.S. suggested price. That was the card’s launch figure in February 2025, not a current September 2026 retail price.
AMD’s FSR 4 and Radeon RX 9000 announcement.
FSR 4 is now part of FSR “Redstone”
AMD’s naming has since expanded. What was commonly called the FSR 4 upscaler is now referred to as FSR Upscaling within the larger FSR “Redstone” suite.
According to AMD’s developer documentation, Redstone includes:
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- ML-based Frame Generation
- ML-based Ray Regeneration
- FSR Radiance Caching
This distinction matters because support is feature-specific. A graphics card that supports ML-based FSR Upscaling may not support every other Redstone feature. Similarly, a game can support FSR upscaling without supporting ML frame generation or ray-regeneration features.
AMD’s current SDK listing includes FSR Upscaling 4.1.1 in SDK 2.3, showing that the technology is continuing to evolve rather than remaining a one-time FSR 4 release.
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AMD’s Redstone developer overview · FSR SDK information.
What “AI-based” means in FSR
In this context, “AI-based” means that a trained machine-learning model performs inference during rendering. The model analyzes lower-resolution frame data and temporal information, then estimates what the higher-resolution image should look like.
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That does not mean:
- The entire game is rendered by AI.
- Every stage of the graphics pipeline is neural.
- Every Radeon GPU supports every Redstone feature.
- AI automatically lowers total system power in every game.
- Frame generation creates additional fully simulated game states.
The most accurate description is that AMD replaced or supplemented selected reconstruction stages with ML models on supported hardware, while retaining broader analytical paths for compatibility.
AMD’s technical overview of FSR Upscaling.
FSR 4 versus FSR 3.1
The central difference is the upscaling method:
| Technology | Primary upscaling approach | Typical positioning |
|---|---|---|
| FSR 3.1 | Analytical temporal upscaling | Broader hardware compatibility |
| FSR 4 / FSR Upscaling | Machine-learning-based reconstruction | Higher potential image quality on supported hardware |
AMD says FSR 4 improves temporal stability, retains fine detail more effectively, and reduces ghosting compared with FSR 3.1. FSR 3.1’s frame-generation path can also remain available separately, so upscaling and frame generation should not be treated as one inseparable feature.
Independent testing has found visible improvements in areas such as dust, fog, and smoke, while also observing occasional shimmering and other artifacts in particular scenes. No upscaler is consistently perfect: results depend on the game’s motion vectors and other temporal data, the quality mode, output resolution, vegetation, particles, transparency, ray tracing, and driver version.
PC Gamer’s independent FSR Redstone testing.
Can FSR 4 improve image quality?
Potentially, yes. Neural reconstruction gives AMD another way to infer details that are missing from a lower-resolution source image. At its best, this can make fine geometry more stable across frames and reduce the trails or smearing associated with difficult temporal content.
The most meaningful gains are usually visible in scenes containing:
- Thin foliage and wires
- Particles, smoke, and fog
- Fine textures and distant geometry
- Fast camera or object motion
- Reflections and other unstable temporal detail
However, higher image quality is not guaranteed in every scene. Neural reconstruction can introduce shimmer, crawling detail, incorrect texture patterns, or other artifacts. A higher quality mode may improve the result, but it also reduces the performance benefit because the internal render resolution is higher.
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For a fair comparison, test FSR Upscaling against native rendering, FSR 3.1, and any available DLSS or XeSS mode at the same output resolution. Compare motion as well as still screenshots. A paused image can hide temporal instability.
Will FSR 4 improve handheld battery life?
Improving efficiency was a genuine part of AMD’s original objective, especially for handheld PCs. But the announcement did not prove a universal battery-life gain, and the technology itself cannot guarantee one.
There are three different measurements that are often confused:
- Performance efficiency: more output frames or better image quality for a given rendering budget.
- Energy efficiency: fewer watt-hours consumed per frame or longer play time.
- Instantaneous power: fewer watts being drawn at a particular moment.
A neural upscaler can reduce the amount of conventional rendering work required. But the ML inference step also consumes power. The result depends on whether the saved shader and rasterization work is greater than the cost of running the model on that GPU.
Handheld battery results also depend on CPU load, display brightness and refresh rate, the frame-rate cap, power-management behavior, game-engine overhead, and whether the game is GPU-bound. If a title is limited by the CPU, reducing GPU rendering work may have little effect on total system consumption.
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For that reason, the defensible claim is that AMD designed the transition with efficiency in mind. It is not defensible to claim that FSR 4 automatically extends battery life on every handheld.
Hardware support and compatibility
AMD’s current support information distinguishes between Redstone features. As of August 18, 2026, AMD lists ML-based FSR Upscaling for Radeon RX 7000 and RX 9000 discrete GPUs. ML-based Frame Generation is listed more restrictively, primarily for Radeon RX 9000 and newer hardware. Other Redstone features have their own hardware requirements.
| Feature | Support described by AMD |
|---|---|
| ML-based FSR Upscaling | Radeon RX 7000 and RX 9000 discrete GPUs |
| ML-based Frame Generation | Radeon RX 9000 and newer, according to AMD’s current table |
| ML-based Ray Regeneration | Newer Redstone-capable hardware; verify the specific feature and game |
| FSR 3 analytical upscaling | Broader compatibility |
| FSR 3 frame generation | Broader compatibility than ML-based Redstone features |
AMD lists RX 6000 support for ML-based FSR Upscaling as planned for 2027. That is not current support as of September 2026.
GPU architecture alone is not enough. Driver support, the game’s graphics API, the exact FSR integration version, and the individual Redstone feature all matter.
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AMD’s current FSR support and feature table.
Does a game need a patch?
There are three practical ways a player may encounter FSR Upscaling:
- Native developer integration: The studio implements and exposes the relevant FSR feature directly in the game.
- AMD Software upgrade: AMD can upgrade the upscaling path in some supported FSR 3.1 games through its driver-level mechanism.
- Unofficial modifications: Community mods may replace or alter an upscaler, but these are separate from AMD-supported compatibility.
AMD’s supported-games information says the Redstone ML-upscaling path requires proper in-game FSR 3.1 integration. ML-based frame generation has a different integration requirement, including FSR 3.1.4 for the listed path and DirectX 12 support.
If the game only shows FSR 3, it may have an older integration, use an unsupported graphics API, require a newer AMD Software driver, or simply not be included in the supported upgrade path. FSR 3 support by itself does not guarantee an FSR Upscaling option.
AMD’s supported-games list and integration requirements.
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Upscaling and frame generation solve different problems.
Upscaling reconstructs a displayed frame from lower-resolution rendered data. It can reduce the cost of producing each genuine game frame.
Frame generation inserts predicted intermediate frames between genuinely rendered frames. This can make camera movement appear smoother, but generated frames do not represent additional fully simulated game states. They also do not improve input responsiveness in the same way as increasing the game’s genuinely rendered frame rate.
A game can therefore show a much higher displayed FPS number while its underlying input and simulation cadence remains closer to the real-frame rate. Players should evaluate rendered FPS, generated FPS, frame time, and end-to-end latency separately. Competitive players may prefer native frames or upscaling without frame generation, particularly when responsiveness matters more than visual smoothness.
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FSR versus DLSS and XeSS
AMD’s shift toward ML rendering makes FSR more directly comparable with Nvidia DLSS and Intel XeSS, but “AI versus non-AI” is too simplistic.
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- Nvidia DLSS: A mature neural-rendering ecosystem using supported GeForce hardware and dedicated Tensor processing.
- Intel XeSS: An ML path optimized for Intel Arc hardware, with broader fallback paths available on other GPUs.
- AMD FSR: Earlier versions emphasized analytical, broad, and often cross-vendor compatibility; Redstone adds more hardware-dependent ML features.
The relevant questions are which technology produces the best image in the specific game, how much performance it costs, whether the GPU supports the desired path, how frame generation affects latency, and how reliable the game integration is.
DLSS may be preferable for a GeForce owner in a title with a particularly strong implementation. XeSS may be attractive on Arc hardware. FSR may be the practical choice where the game supports it well or where Radeon compatibility and AMD’s developer tooling matter. There is no universal winner across every resolution, game, quality mode, and GPU.
Is FSR still open and cross-vendor?
Earlier FSR generations were strongly associated with open, broad hardware support. Redstone retains analytical fallbacks and is distributed through AMD’s developer ecosystem, but its most advanced ML features are more dependent on specific Radeon hardware.
“Open SDK” and “runs identically on every GPU” are not the same claim. A developer may have access to AMD’s tools while consumers still need a supported GPU, driver, graphics API, and game integration for a particular feature.
When FSR Upscaling is most useful
FSR Upscaling is most attractive when the game is GPU-bound, the output resolution is 1440p or 4K, the title has a high-quality integration, and the graphics card can run the ML path efficiently. It can also be useful on a handheld operating within a strict power envelope if the game and device are properly optimized.
It may be a poor fit when:
- The game is CPU-bound.
- The output resolution is already low.
- ML inference overhead offsets the rendering savings.
- The game supplies poor temporal data.
- You are particularly sensitive to shimmer or unstable detail.
- Your GPU or driver does not support the ML feature.
- You prioritize latency over generated-frame smoothness.
If FSR Upscaling looks poor or performs unexpectedly, try a higher quality mode, update the AMD Software driver, compare frame times rather than only average FPS, and test native TAA or another available upscaler. On a handheld, also check the frame-rate cap, refresh rate, CPU utilization, and total system power rather than judging battery life from GPU usage alone.
What Radeon buyers should know
Radeon RX 9000 cards remain the clearest fit for buyers specifically seeking the broader RDNA 4 and Redstone direction. RX 7000 owners may also access ML-based FSR Upscaling under AMD’s current support table, but should not assume that every Redstone feature is available.
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Buying an RX 9070 XT solely for battery savings would be a mistake: desktop power behavior and handheld power behavior are different, and battery-life benefits remain workload-dependent. Likewise, buying a lower-tier RDNA 4 card for 4K ray tracing may not make sense merely because it supports FSR Upscaling.
Existing Radeon owners should first check whether their games already support FSR 3.1 and whether AMD’s upgrade path applies. Buyers comparing Radeon with GeForce or Arc should evaluate the complete package: native performance, ray tracing, image quality in their games, frame-generation latency, driver support, and the hardware required for each feature.
AMD’s original $599 RX 9070 XT suggested price is historical. No current September 2026 retail price should be inferred from it.
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