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Intel XeSS 1.3 changed more than its reconstruction model. It added three profiles, revised the internal-resolution targets of the existing presets, and introduced a model intended to improve detail reconstruction, anti-aliasing, ghosting and temporal stability.
That distinction matters when interpreting performance figures. XeSS 1.3 can produce higher frame rates partly because its presets render fewer pixels than their XeSS 1.2 counterparts. Intel reported an expected average gain of about 10% on an Arc A750, with one result reaching 28% in Diablo IV, but those figures came from Intel engineering-lab tests using modified game builds rather than final retail implementations. (Intel’s XeSS 1.3 announcement)
What XeSS 1.3 actually changed
XeSS-SR is Intel’s temporal super-sampling and upscaling technology. The game renders a jittered image at a lower input resolution, then XeSS uses that image together with motion vectors, depth and temporal history to reconstruct an anti-aliased image at the output resolution. It is intended to replace or integrate with a game’s temporal anti-aliasing stage.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallXeSS 1.3, announced on April 4, 2024, made two separate changes:
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- Model changes: Intel described better detail reconstruction, anti-aliasing, ghosting behavior and temporal stability.
- Preset changes: the standard modes were assigned more aggressive scaling factors, so the same menu label generally means a lower internal resolution than before.
It also added Native Anti-Aliasing, Ultra Quality Plus and Ultra Performance. XeSS 1.3 remained backward-compatible at the API level with XeSS 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 integrations, but that does not mean every existing game automatically receives every 1.3 feature.
XeSS 1.3 should not be confused with later XeSS features. It does not include frame generation or Intel’s later Xe Low Latency technology. Those belong to newer XeSS generations.
The preset names changed meaning
The most important warning is simple: XeSS 1.3 Quality is not spatially equivalent to XeSS 1.2 Quality. The scaling factor describes the relationship between output resolution and input resolution. It is not a direct multiplier for frame rate.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Native Anti-Aliasing | Not available | 1.0× | Native-resolution input with XeSS anti-aliasing |
| Ultra Quality Plus | Not available | 1.3× | High-quality upscale with modest savings |
| Ultra Quality | 1.3× | 1.5× | More aggressive than before |
| Quality | 1.5× | 1.7× | More performance, lower input resolution |
| Balanced | 1.7× | 2.0× | Greater reconstruction workload |
| Performance | 2.0× | 2.3× | Higher performance, more image-quality risk |
| Ultra Performance | Not available | 3.0× | For extremely demanding high-resolution workloads |
For example, changing from XeSS 1.2 Quality to XeSS 1.3 Quality does not hold image quality constant. The input image becomes smaller relative to the output. Some of the resulting FPS increase may therefore come from rendering fewer pixels rather than from a faster or more efficient reconstruction model.
A fair version-to-version comparison should hold the internal resolution constant, or compare equivalent scale factors. Intel added xessForceLegacyScaleFactors so developers can preserve the older mapping while migrating an integration. It must be called before querying the optimal input resolution and initializing the XeSS context. See Intel’s XeSS-SR developer guide.
Native Anti-Aliasing, Ultra Quality Plus and Ultra Performance
Native Anti-Aliasing
Native Anti-Aliasing is a 1.0× mode, not an upscaling performance setting. The game supplies a native-resolution image and XeSS applies its reconstruction and anti-aliasing behavior. It is intended for users who want XeSS processing without lowering input resolution. Intel recommends considering it at 1080p and higher, although the benefit depends on the game’s native anti-aliasing solution and integration quality.
Ultra Quality Plus
Ultra Quality Plus uses a 1.3× factor and fills the gap between native rendering and the former Ultra Quality setting. It is the sensible first choice when Native Anti-Aliasing is too expensive but the regular Ultra Quality mode looks unnecessarily aggressive.
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Ultra Performance
Ultra Performance uses a 3.0× factor. It is aimed primarily at demanding 1440p and 4K workloads, especially when ray tracing or path tracing makes native rendering impractical. It can deliver a substantial reduction in input pixels, but it is also the profile most likely to expose shimmering, thin-line breakup, unstable foliage, text softness, ghost trails and particle artifacts.
Why XeSS 1.3 can be faster
There are three different explanations for a performance change, and they should not be merged into one claim:
- Lower input resolution: the revised presets render fewer pixels. This is likely to be the largest performance factor when comparing identical menu labels.
- Model and runtime behavior: a revised model may change XeSS’s processing cost and reconstruction quality. Better output does not automatically mean lower overhead, however.
- Workload characteristics: gains depend on whether the GPU is the bottleneck. A CPU-limited game may gain little from lowering render resolution, while a ray-traced GPU workload may benefit substantially.
Upscaling also does not eliminate the cost of ray tracing. CPU simulation, denoising, BVH traversal, bandwidth and other rendering passes can remain limiting factors.
What Intel’s 10% and 28% claims mean
Intel reported an approximately 10% average expected FPS increase on an Arc A750, with a cited result of up to 28% in Diablo IV. The published test setup included:
- Seven games.
- An Arc A750 desktop GPU tested at 1440p High, with ray tracing where supported.
- An Intel Core Ultra 7 155H system with integrated Arc graphics tested at 1080p Medium.
The crucial qualification is that Intel said the games did not yet contain the final XeSS 1.3 implementation. The tests used modified builds and an upcoming version of the upscaler in Intel’s engineering lab. These results are therefore best described as Intel’s internal projections or validation results, not independent benchmarks of final retail games.
They do not establish a universal 10% gain on every GPU, a 10% gain at equal internal resolution, or identical results at every output resolution, graphics setting, ray-tracing configuration or CPU workload. They also do not prove that image quality improves in every game.
Why a new DLL is not always a XeSS 1.3 upgrade
XeSS is integrated by the game developer. A game must supply correct motion vectors, depth, jitter, exposure and execution parameters, and it must decide which profiles and scaling behavior to expose.
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Replacing a runtime DLL can be useful in a title that deliberately loads a replaceable XeSS library, but it is not a guaranteed universal upgrade. An existing game may:
- Ship its own runtime.
- Expose only the profiles it was programmed to show.
- Hardcode the old scaling ratios.
- Use stale mip-bias or jitter assumptions.
- Require a game patch for the complete 1.3 integration.
Intel’s migration guidance says developers should avoid hardcoding scale factors, call xessGetOptimalInputResolution(...), and pass the actual input resolution during every execution. xessGetInputResolution has been deprecated since XeSS 1.2 and remains for compatibility.
For dynamic resolution, the output resolution remains fixed while the input resolution changes within the profile’s supported range. The application must pass the actual input resolution on every execution and maintain an aspect ratio close to the target:
| Profile | Dynamic scaling range |
|---|---|
| Ultra Quality | 1.0×–1.5× |
| Quality | 1.0×–1.7× |
| Balanced | 1.0×–2.0× |
| Performance | 1.0×–2.3× |
| Ultra Performance | 1.0×–3.0× |
| Native Anti-Aliasing | No dynamic upscaling range |
Migration details also include mip-bias and jitter changes. Intel’s examples include an approximate Performance mip bias of -1.202, an Ultra Performance mip bias of -1.585, and at least 72 jitter samples for the documented Ultra Performance formula. Incorrect integration can leave a game displaying new profile names while still using old assumptions.
Which GPUs and APIs support XeSS?
Intel’s developer documentation describes these broad requirements:
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- DirectX 12: Intel Iris Xe or newer, plus other GPUs supporting Shader Model 6.4 with hardware-accelerated DP4a or an equivalent capability.
- DirectX 11: Intel Arc or newer.
- Vulkan 1.1: Intel Iris Xe or newer, plus qualifying feature support on other vendors’ GPUs.
- Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11 x64 within the minimum builds specified by Intel’s guide.
XeSS can therefore run on qualifying non-Intel GPUs, but “supported” does not mean identical performance. Intel’s Arc and Iris Xe paths receive Intel-specific optimization and hardware acceleration. Other GPUs may use the cross-vendor HLSL-based path and have different driver, shader-throughput and API behavior.
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These are starting points rather than universal rules. Check the result at native output resolution while moving the camera, looking at foliage, thin geometry, particles and text.
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| Situation | Good starting point |
|---|---|
| 1080p, GPU-limited | Balanced or Quality |
| 1080p, image-quality priority | Ultra Quality Plus or Native Anti-Aliasing |
| 1440p general use | Quality or Balanced |
| 1440p with demanding ray tracing | Performance |
| 4K general use | Quality or Performance |
| 4K path tracing | Performance or Ultra Performance |
| CPU-limited game | Test before expecting a meaningful gain |
At 1080p, aggressive modes have fewer source pixels available to reconstruct fine detail, so Ultra Performance is rarely an attractive default. At 4K, the same scaling factor starts with substantially more input information and can be more practical.
XeSS 1.3 versus native rendering, DLSS and FSR
There is no universal winner independent of the game. Compare implementations at the same output resolution and, where possible, the same internal resolution. Examine still images and motion, because temporal artifacts may appear only during camera movement.
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The relevant variables are:
- Input resolution and preset mapping.
- Temporal stability, ghosting and fine-detail retention.
- Motion-vector, depth, transparency and exposure quality.
- GPU hardware acceleration and driver behavior.
- Game support and how many profiles the developer exposes.
- Whether the game is GPU-limited or CPU-limited.
DLSS generally targets supported NVIDIA hardware through NVIDIA’s ecosystem, while XeSS has a cross-vendor path and an Intel-optimized path. FSR likewise has broad hardware reach, but its results depend on the specific version and game integration. None of these labels guarantees identical quality across titles. Native rendering avoids upscaling reconstruction, but it can cost considerably more performance and still depends on the game’s anti-aliasing solution.
What XeSS 1.3 means in 2026
XeSS 1.3 is now an older XeSS-SR generation. As of August 18, 2026, Intel’s official repository presents XeSS 3 as the current SDK generation, with features including Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Xe Low Latency. (Intel’s XeSS repository)
That does not make 1.3 irrelevant. Its revised preset mapping still matters when interpreting older games, graphics guides and comparisons. It also explains why two games that both show “Quality” can render at different internal resolutions or produce different visual results.
How to verify what a game is actually doing
- Check the game’s patch notes and graphics menu for explicit XeSS 1.3 support.
- Record the output resolution and frame-time behavior, not only the average FPS.
- Compare equivalent scale factors rather than matching the same preset name across versions.
- Inspect motion, foliage, thin geometry, particles, HUD text and distant detail.
- If FPS does not improve after lowering the XeSS mode, check whether the game is CPU-limited or dominated by another rendering pass.
- Do not assume that installing an SDK or swapping a DLL integrates XeSS 1.3 correctly.
For players, Intel’s support guidance is to open the game’s display or graphics settings, select XeSS, and choose an available mode. The available profiles depend on the title; the SDK itself is a developer resource, not a consumer-wide upgrade package. (Intel’s user support guidance)
Bottom line
XeSS 1.3 was both a model update and a preset/scaling-policy update. Its improved reconstruction goals are significant, but the biggest practical reason for higher FPS under identical menu labels is that the new profiles render at lower internal resolutions. Intel’s 10% average and 28% example are useful directional evidence, not universal independent benchmark results, because the tests used modified builds without final XeSS 1.3 integrations.
Judge XeSS by the actual game implementation, internal resolution, frametime and moving image—not by the preset label alone.
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