What Microsoft’s DirectSR means for developers and gamers
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When it first arrived, Super Resolution technology changed the world of gaming, as it provided a solution for upscaling images to match a display’s resolution while maintaining high frame rates. The three giants, Intel, AMD, and Nvidia, have their own SR technologies. And now, Microsoft has collaborated with the three companies to introduce DirectSR, which aims to make the lives of developers easier.
What DirectSR is all about
Developers face many challenges when creating games. With three different upscaling technologies available, the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, Intel XeSS, and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, writing code for each one can be a living hell. Fortunately, DirectSR is here to save the day as it offers a single code path that can be integrated straight into all three technologies. When talking about the upscaling technologies and DirectSR, Joshua Tucker from Microsoft mentioned, “These cutting-edge solutions elevate the gaming experience by boosting frame rates while maintaining exceptional visual quality.” He continued, “As the number of SR variants continues to grow, developers are in search of a common SR API that will seamlessly scale across the hardware ecosystem.”
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What does this mean for developers and PC gamers?
Well, for starters, developers will no longer have to worry about writing a different code for each upscaling technology, as they will be able to use DirectSR instead. In the long run, this will provide them with more time to focus on other aspects of the game. The benefits are not limited to developers, as DirectSR will make it possible for upcoming games to support all three SR technologies at launch, so the options won’t be limited anymore for gamers.
The technology will automatically figure out which specific SR tech to use based on your graphics card. Some Super Resolution options might work better with certain graphics cards. For example, Nvidia’s DLSS might be optimized to work really well with Nvidia cards. With DirectSR, you might be able to see which Super Resolution options are available and pick the one that best suits your needs. Do you want the absolute sharpest image or maybe a smoother performance? DirectSR will give you more control over that choice.
DirectSR is not yet available in any game, but a preview version is now available for download. Developers can access this preview to experiment with the technology and explore its capabilities.
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