AMD has confirmed its plan to bring FSR 4.1 to older GPU architectures isn’t without limitations. The upscaling technology likely won’t be coming to RDNA 3.5, designed for integrated graphics. The revelation casts doubt on whether devices that rely on iGPUs, like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, will miss out on support, despite the former running on RDNA 2 architecture.

Less than a month has passed since AMD finally announced backwards compatibility for FSR 4.1 upscaling. The technology is coming to RX 7000 (RDNA 3) and RX 6000 (RDNA 2) series graphics cards in July 2026 and early 2027, respectively. At the moment, FSR 4 – now named FSR Redstone – remains exclusive to RX 9000 (RDNA 4) cards, headlined by the RX 9070 XT.

FSR 4.1 support likely isn’t coming to RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics

German publication Hardwareluxx spoke with David McAfee during Computex this week, who confirmed FSR 4.1 is not currently planned for RDNA 3.5 architecture.

McAfee is the Corporate VP and GM of Client at AMD and often appears at press events to provide everyone with extra insider information – he also recently explained why the Ryzen 7 5800X3D rerelease took much more work than you’d first think.

According to McAfee, FSR 4.1 is not currently planned for RDNA 3.5. They stated that they need to weigh the pros and cons of implementation. Currently, the decision seems to be leaning towards “no”.

Hardwareluxx [translated]

RDNA 3.5 encompasses Radeon 890M, 880M, 860M, and 840M graphics found in Ryzen AI 300 series processors. These chips are commonly found on productivity-focused laptops. Copilot+ PCs (laptops) under the “Strix Halo” codename, fitted with Radeon 8050S and Radeon 8060S graphics, also rely on RDNA 3.5.

AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme also relies on RDNA 3.5 – the chip is a popular choice for handheld systems such as the ROG Xbox Ally, Legion Go 2, and MSI Claws (in the case of the A8 model). It’s also included in the recently announced ROG Xbox Ally X20.

It’s important to note that AMD only explicitly mentioned support for desktop GPUs in its original announcement, though promotional material suggested handheld systems would also benefit from changes. This led people to believe FSR 4 is coming to devices like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine; however, the latest development may put a damper on expectations.

In the case of the Steam Machine, the cubed mini-PC is fitted with a dedicated semi-custom RDNA 3 GPU, so presumably it will be safe if AMD only snubs integrated systems. The Steam Deck uses a Zen 2, RDNA 2 APU and relies on integrated graphics rather than a dedicated GPU as a result of its form factor.

If we’re lucky, the Steam Deck will still enjoy support as an RDNA 2 machine, despite relying on aging integrated graphics that are likely to struggle with the complex machine learning-based FSR 4 algorithms. The sheer popularity of Valve’s handheld may mean it gets support in one way or another. As we said, RDNA 2 support via the RX 6000 series isn’t due until early next year.

As for RDNA 3.5-based devices, like the range of Windows we’ve mentioned, it’s difficult to know just what AMD will settle on. AMD also launched the RX 9070 GRE worldwide earlier this week, so that’s another RDNA 4 card with support right now while we wait for the technology to trickle down. The GRE model had previously been exclusive to China for just over 12 months.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.