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Gaming with FidelityFX Super Resolution

Tony Smalls

(Image credit: Gearbox Software)

Powering Gamers Equally

The battle for graphics supremacy takes an exciting twist with AMD’s FidelityFX, and its latest software feature introduced called Super Resolution. While designed to benefit AMD chipsets, gamers on multiple platforms such as Xbox and possibly PlayStation will also see performance benefits when playing games designed with FidelityFX. Its meaning to the everyday gamer is confusing, and there is limited information on which games will even carry Super Resolution, other than Godfall. The Load Screen covers AMD’s advancement in community-driven gaming called Super Resolution and how the full range of FidelityFX optimizations improve title presentation and overall framerate.

AMD’s FidelityFX package offers software solutions designed to enhance visual details while increasing game response time. The software package is open source through GPUOpen program, so it is free to implement for developers, but that comes with two drawbacks. First, developers must program FidelityFX solutions to work for their game, so it will take commitment from them for the system to operate. Second, the graphics cards and consoles require specific coding within FidelityFX to fully take advantage of it. While FidelityFX solutions can work on a wide range of products, it is not optimized for all devices such as Nvidia graphics cards. Optimization means that the gamer gets the full FPS boost and graphics scaling instead of receiving a slight boost.

Super Resolution is the newest part of FidelityFX, and it can double framerates at 4K in selected modes. As listed on the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution page, it offers a spatial upscaling algorithm for almost native resolution quality, including edging and details. The software allows for five different performance modes that offer quality versus framerate. Shown on the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution: Supercharged Performance video, the modes are Native, Ultra Quality, Quality, Balanced, and Performance. Like the rest of FidelityFX, Super Resolution requires game developers to incorporate it into their products for it to work, and so far, only Godfall will have the new feature on June 22.

(Image credit: Guerrilla Games)

That does not mean that many developers have already used FidelityFX products within their games. At least 45 titles benefit from the FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening, including Resident Evil Village, Detroit: Become Human, Chernobylite, Far Cry 6, Godfall, and many more. Contrast Adaptive Sharpening allows a developer to sharpen and scale images through advancing existing Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) while reducing blur as stated on the GPUOpen FidelityFX CAS page. The complete list is available on the FidelityFX supported games page, including other features they use from FidelityFX, such as Ambient Occlusion and Downsampler. On that same page, there is a list of 49 developers utilizing FidelityFX in their projects, from Unity to Kojima Studios and even Xbox Game Studios!

While not many titles are ready for the initial release date for Super Resolution, with so many studios on board, Super Resolution likely starts showing up in games with other FidelityFX products and future releases from the long list of developers. Most players may miss the news about their favorite title getting a FidelityFX upgrade but will see the benefits instantly when they play next despite what system or PC they play on.

(Image credit: Capcom)

Another advantage for all gamers is that FidelityFx is not limited to working on AMD chipsets. In the Supercharged Performance video, Godfall demonstrates a significant boost in frames per second (FPS) at 1440p on an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, and Super Resolution works for the entire 10 series of Nvidia GeForce cards. That does not mean the software is optimized for those cards, only that it works on them, according to the GM of AMD, Radeon Scott Herkelman’s Twitter post. So, this means that the software will work, but with development from the hardware manufacturers, there is more FPS possible from older GPUs.

AMD is stepping up the competition with each new solution brought to FidelityFX, but only if programmers include the open-source package within each game. FidelityFX Super Resolution’s design could solve many gamers’ issues with 4K gameplay lagging hard. It could also bring new life to games a few years old without requiring a massive update for textures and graphics. Despite Godfall registered as the only title featuring Super Resolution on day one, the list of games and developers using other parts of FidelityFX is extensive. Here are both lists of games and developers using AMD FidelityFX solutions:

Games using AMD FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening:

  • Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

  • Mortal Kombat 11

  • NiShuiHan

  • Rage 2

  • Resident Evil 2

  • Resident Evil 3

  • Resident Evil Village

  • Second Extinction

  • Serious Sam 4

  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition

  • Star Control: Origins

  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

  • Terminator: Resistance

  • The Medium

  • The Riftbreaker

  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

  • World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

  • World War Z

  • Yakuza 3 Remastered

  • Yakuza 4 Remastered

  • Yakuza 5 Remastered

  • Zombie Army 4: Dead War

  • 22 Racing Series

  • Anno 1800

  • Borderlands 3

  • Chernobylite

  • Cyberpunk 2077

  • Death Stranding

  • Detroit: Become Human

  • Dirt 5

  • Edge of Eternity

  • EVE Online

  • Evil Genius 2: World Domination

  • F1 2019

  • F1 2020

  • FarCry 6

  • Gears 5

  • Godfall

  • Hitman 2

  • Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for PC

  • Immortals Fenyx Rising

  • Little Hope

  • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

  • Microsoft Flight Simulator

Developers working with AMD FidelityFX:

  • 2K

  • Activision

  • Anshar Studios

  • Arkane

  • Asobo Studio

  • Avalanche Studios Group

  • Blizzard Entertainment

  • Blooper Team

  • Capcom

  • CCP

  • CD Projekt RED

  • The Coalition

  • Codemasters

  • Counterplay Games

  • Croteam

  • Crystal Dynamics

  • Destructive Creations

  • Exor Studios

  • Fatshark

  • Gearbox Software

  • Greatest of All Time Interactive Entertainment

  • Guerrilla Games

  • IOI

  • Kojima Productions

  • Luminous Productions

  • Midgar Studio

  • NetherRealm Studios

  • Nishuihan

  • Nixes

  • Piranha Games

  • Poly Amorous

  • QLOC

  • Quantic Dream

  • Rebellion

  • Respawn Entertainment

  • Saber Interactive

  • Sega

  • Shiver

  • Square Enix

  • Stardock Entertainment

  • Supermassive Games

  • Systemic Reaction

  • Teyon

  • The Farm 51

  • Ubisoft

  • Unity

  • Vicarious Visions

  • Warner Bros Games

  • Xbox Game Studios