Our First Look At FSR 4? AMD's New AI Upscaling Tech Is Impressive!

Summary

At CES, AMD's reveal of its next-gen RDNA 4 GPUs and FSR 4 surprised many, as the company initially pulled back from showcasing these products during its main presentation. However, journalists uncovered a research project at the AMD booth, featuring an early version of FSR 4, outperforming FSR 3.1 in terms of image quality. Key improvements included smoother textures, fewer visual artifacts, and better handling of particle effects and animation. Despite being a work-in-progress, the upscaler showed promising results, leaving attendees curious about AMD's upcoming advancements in machine learning-based upscaling.

Takeaways

• 😀 AMD's CES 2025 demonstration was unexpectedly low-key, with a secretive presentation of their next-gen upscaling technology, FSR 4.
• 🎮 The demo compared FSR 3.1 with a 'research project' version of FSR 4, showcasing improvements in image quality, particularly in texture handling and particle effects.
• 🖥️ FSR 4 appeared to outperform FSR 3.1 in multiple aspects, including sharpness, SSAO (screen-space ambient occlusion), and overall visual stability.
• 👀 AMD's booth at CES was unconventional, offering a booth setup inside a hotel suite, with no technical representatives available to explain the demo.
• 🔍 The demo featured offscreen footage, making it difficult to assess the full quality of FSR 4, but even with this limitation, improvements were noticeable.
• 🎮 FSR 4 was tested in the game 'Ratchet & Clank', and key visual improvements were seen in areas like carpets, background objects, and particle effects.
• 🔧 The demo used an engineering sample of AMD's upcoming RDNA A4 GPU (likely the RX 970), though specific details about the GPU were not disclosed.
• 💡 FSR 4 is speculated to be a machine learning-based upscaler, showing advancements over the analytical-based FSR 3.1.
• 🤔 No clear timeline or product release information was provided, leaving some questions about the readiness of the technology and product.
• 🎥 The demo focused on performance mode, showcasing FSR 4's ability to handle high-end graphical content at a 4K resolution, with significant image quality improvement over FSR 3.1.

Q & A

Why were AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs and FSR 4 technologies not showcased in the official CES presentation?

AMD chose not to unveil RDNA 4 GPUs and FSR 4 in their official CES presentation, citing timing issues. However, these technologies were shown in a more informal, off-the-record demonstration in a private suite at the Venetian Hotel.

How did the demo of FSR 4 differ from a typical AMD technology presentation?

Unlike a typical AMD tech demo, where technical representatives usually explain the technology, the FSR 4 demonstration lacked official personnel. Instead, it was more casual, with no one present to explain or guide the viewers, which made the experience feel unexpected and unscripted.

What were the key differences observed between FSR 3.1 and FSR 4 during the demo?

FSR 4, which was described as a machine learning-based upscaler, demonstrated significantly better image quality compared to FSR 3.1. Key improvements included clearer textures without moiré patterns, better handling of SSAO (ambient occlusion), and smoother particle effects like confetti, which had issues in previous versions of FSR.

How did the FSR 4 demo handle texture quality, especially in complex areas like the carpet in Ratchet & Clank?

FSR 4 showed a marked improvement in texture quality. While FSR 3.1 struggled with artifacts like moiré patterns on textures such as carpets, FSR 4 handled them cleanly, maintaining better texture clarity and stability.

What were the specific issues with FSR 3.1 that were addressed by FSR 4 in the demo?

FSR 3.1 showed issues like moiré patterns on fine textures, flickering in SSAO, and ghosting or trail effects in particle systems. FSR 4 addressed these problems by offering clearer, more stable textures, eliminating SSAO flickering, and rendering particles like confetti without issues.

Was the FSR 4 technology presented as a finished product?

No, FSR 4 was presented as a 'research preview' or an in-progress project. It was not the final version of the technology, and its performance or quality might change before release.

Did the demo provide any insights into the performance of FSR 4?

The demo was presented in 4K performance mode, but no specific performance metrics were shared. The technology appeared to work well, but it was unclear whether it would maintain performance across more demanding conditions, like with ray tracing enabled.

What was the significance of the RDNA 4 engineering sample in the demonstration?

An engineering sample of the RDNA 4 GPU (likely the RX 970) was shown during the demo, but it was not fully disclosed. It was only visible from the back, leaving many details about its specifications and capabilities unknown.

Could there be a relationship between AMD's FSR 4 and Sony's PS5 Temporal Super Resolution (TSR)?

Although AMD has a partnership with Sony, FSR 4 does not appear to be related to TSR. The demo of FSR 4 showed none of the 'fizzling' or noise patterns characteristic of TSR, which suggests FSR 4 is an entirely different technology developed by AMD.

Why was there no official description of the FSR 4 demo during the event?

The demo lacked official commentary or context, which may have been due to the informal nature of the presentation. It’s possible that AMD didn’t plan to showcase FSR 4 in such an open format, leading to a spontaneous and unstructured demonstration.