Lossless Scaling On The Steam Deck OLED Is A Game Changer But There’s A Catch…

Summary

In this video, ETA Prime explores lossless scaling and frame generation on the Steam Deck OLED, currently only functional on Windows. He demonstrates a significant performance boost in games like Red Dead Redemption 2, nearly doubling the frame rate with the aid of the Lossless Scaling application from Steam. Despite the requirement to install Windows and some games experiencing graphical glitches, the overall performance is impressive, showcasing the potential of frame generation on this portable device.

Takeaways

• 😀 ETA Prime demonstrates lossless scaling and frame generation on the Steam Deck OLED, which is currently only functional in Windows.
• 🔄 Lossless Scaling is an application available on Steam that enables frame generation and upscaling for games running on Windows.
• 📈 The script showcases a performance boost, with the Steam Deck's FPS nearly doubling in certain games using lossless scaling.
• 💻 The video explains the process of setting up lossless scaling on the Steam Deck, including the need for dedicated VRAM allocation and specific software installation.
• 🎮 The script provides a walkthrough of enabling lossless scaling in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring, highlighting the performance improvements.
• 👎 There are some issues with certain games, such as Hogwarts Legacy, where fast movements can cause graphical glitches with lossless scaling enabled.
• 🚀 Forza Horizon 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 show particularly impressive frame rate increases when using lossless scaling on the Steam Deck.
• 🛑 The script notes that lossless scaling does not currently work with Linux on the Steam Deck, which is a limitation for those preferring Steam OS.
• 🔗 ETA Prime provides links to the lossless scaling application on Steam and to Valve's website for the necessary Windows 11 drivers in the video description.
• 📝 The script emphasizes the flexibility of the x86 platform, allowing users to install multiple operating systems on the Steam Deck.
• 👍 The overall message is positive about the capabilities of lossless scaling on the Steam Deck, despite the current limitations and the need for Windows.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is discussing lossless scaling and frame generation on the Steam Deck OLED, specifically in the context of Windows 11.

Is the lossless scaling feature available on both Steam Deck OLED and LCD models?

Yes, the lossless scaling feature works on both the OLED and LCD Steam Deck models, but it's currently only functional in Windows.

What is lossless scaling and what does it do?

Lossless scaling is an application available on Steam that allows users to utilize frame generation and upscaling on any game or system running Windows, improving performance without quality loss.

How does the performance of the Steam Deck compare with and without lossless scaling enabled?

Without lossless scaling, the Steam Deck averages around 47 FPS, but with lossless scaling enabled, the frame rate can be doubled, reaching the '90s in certain games like Red Dead 2.

What is the significance of the custom APU and AMD GPU for the Steam Deck OLED in the context of lossless scaling?

The custom APU and AMD GPU allow for the utilization of lossless scaling, which in turn provides a significant performance boost when running games on the Steam Deck OLED under Windows.

What is the cost of the lossless scaling application on Steam?

The lossless scaling application is priced at seven dollars on Steam.

Why is the performance mode set to 'moving' in the lossless scaling settings?

The 'moving' performance mode is chosen to prioritize performance over input latency, which is suitable for single-player games where a slight increase in latency is not as critical.

What is the impact of enabling frame generation on input latency?

Enabling frame generation introduces additional latency to the input, which can be noticeable when using a mouse and keyboard but is less perceptible with a controller.

How does the video demonstrate the effectiveness of lossless scaling on different games?

The video shows the FPS counters for games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring, Forza Horizon 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2, comparing the performance with and without lossless scaling and frame generation.

What are some limitations or downsides mentioned in the video regarding the use of lossless scaling on the Steam Deck?

One major limitation is that lossless scaling currently does not work in Linux and requires the installation of Windows on the Steam Deck, which is not the preferred OS for some users.

What is the viewer's recommendation for trying out lossless scaling on the Steam Deck?

The viewer encourages those interested to try lossless scaling and provides links in the description to the application on Steam and to Valve's website for the necessary Windows 11 drivers.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Lossless Scaling and Frame Generation on Steam Deck OLED

In this paragraph, ETA Prime discusses the capabilities of lossless scaling and frame generation on the Steam Deck OLED, which is currently only functional in Windows. He highlights the recent release of new drivers by Steam for Windows 11 on the Steam Deck OLED and demonstrates the performance boost in games like Red Dead Redemption 2, effectively doubling the frame rate. The video also covers the installation of lossless scaling, a paid application on Steam, and its impact on performance, showcasing an average FPS increase from 47 to the '90s. The presenter also mentions the limitations, such as the lack of support for Linux, and provides a walkthrough on setting up lossless scaling for games like Cyberpunk 2077.

05:00

🎮 Testing Lossless Scaling with Various Games on Steam Deck

This paragraph delves into the testing of lossless scaling with several games on the Steam Deck. ETA Prime provides insights into the performance of games like Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring, Forza Horizon 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2 with lossless scaling enabled. He notes some graphical glitches in Hogwarts Legacy and the impressive frame rate improvements in other games. The summary also touches on the user experience, mentioning the slight input latency introduced by frame generation, which is more noticeable with a mouse and keyboard but less so with a controller. The paragraph concludes with the presenter's thoughts on the current state of lossless scaling on the Steam Deck, the desire for native support in Steam OS, and the potential for system-wide frame generation as a future enhancement.

Keywords

💡Lossless Scaling

Lossless Scaling is an application available on Steam that enables frame generation and upscaling for games, enhancing performance without quality loss. In the video, it's highlighted as a method to improve the frame rate on the Steam Deck OLED, particularly in games like Red Dead Redemption 2, effectively doubling the frame rate.

💡Steam Deck

The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming device developed by Valve Corporation. It's central to the video's discussion as the platform where Lossless Scaling is being tested. The script mentions both the OLED and LCD versions, noting that the scaling technique works on both, but with a focus on the OLED model.

💡Frame Generation

Frame generation is a technique that creates additional frames between existing ones to increase the frame rate of a video or game. The script discusses how Lossless Scaling uses frame generation to boost the performance of games on the Steam Deck, improving the gaming experience by providing smoother visuals.

💡Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft, and the video mentions that the new drivers released by Steam for the Steam Deck OLED are specifically for Windows 11. This is significant as it enables the use of Lossless Scaling on the device, but with the caveat that it currently does not work on Linux.

💡OLED

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diodes, a display technology that offers high contrast ratios and faster response times compared to traditional LCDs. The script discusses the Steam Deck OLED, emphasizing its custom APU and AMD GPU, which are utilized for the Lossless Scaling demonstration.

💡FPS Counter

FPS stands for Frames Per Second, a measurement of how many frames are displayed per second in a video or game. The script mentions an FPS counter that displays both the original FPS and the generated FPS after applying Lossless Scaling, illustrating the performance improvement.

💡Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a popular video game used in the script as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of Lossless Scaling. The video shows how the frame rate increases when using Lossless Scaling in conjunction with the game's low settings.

💡FSR

FSR stands for FidelityFX Super Resolution, a technology that enhances the visual quality of games by rendering them at a lower resolution and then upscaling them. The script discusses using FSR in performance mode with Lossless Scaling to improve the frame rate of games on the Steam Deck OLED.

💡VRAM

VRAM, or Video Random Access Memory, is the memory used by a graphics processing unit to store image data. The script mentions dedicating 4 gigs of VRAM from the BIOS for the Steam Deck OLED, which is crucial for handling the graphical demands of games when using Lossless Scaling.

💡Elden Ring

Elden Ring is another video game mentioned in the script to illustrate the impact of Lossless Scaling. The video shows an increase in average FPS when the scaling is enabled, highlighting its effectiveness in improving performance across different games.

💡Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is a racing game used in the script to demonstrate the potential of frame generation with fast-paced games. The video shows an impressive increase in FPS when using Lossless Scaling, despite the narrator's general recommendation against using frame generation in such games.

Highlights

ETA Prime discusses lossless scaling and frame generation on the Steam Deck OLED, noting it currently only works on Windows.

Steam has released new drivers for Windows 11 on the Steam Deck OLED, enabling lossless scaling.

Lossless scaling is an application available on Steam that allows frame generation and upscaling in games running on Windows.

The Steam Deck's performance with lossless scaling can nearly double the frame rate in games like Red Dead 2.

Lossless scaling is demonstrated on Cyberpunk 2077, showing significant FPS improvements with frame generation.

The process of enabling lossless scaling on the Steam Deck is detailed, including setting up resolution and scaling modes.

Different scalers like FSR and LS1 are compared for their performance and visual quality.

Frame generation settings, such as LSFG 2.3, are explored for their impact on performance and latency.

The limitations of lossless scaling, including its incompatibility with Linux, are highlighted.

Hogwarts Legacy demonstrates issues with lossless scaling, such as graphical glitches during fast movements.

Elden Ring shows a significant FPS increase with lossless scaling, improving performance in tight quarters.

Forza Horizon 5 tests frame generation with lossless scaling, resulting in a surprising performance boost.

Red Dead Redemption 2 achieves near 60 FPS performance with lossless scaling on the Steam Deck running Windows.

The downsides of requiring Windows installation for lossless scaling are discussed, contrasting with the preference for Steam OS.

The potential for system-wide frame generation on the Steam Deck is suggested as a desirable feature.

Links to the lossless scaling app and Valve's Windows 11 drivers for the Steam Deck OLED are promised in the video description.

The freedom to install multiple operating systems on the x86 Steam Deck hardware is emphasized.

Transcripts

what's going on everybody it's ETA Prime

back here again today we're going to be

taking a look at some lossless scaling

and frame generation on the steam deck

OLED keep in mind this will also work on

the LCD steam deck but there's one major

caveat here this is only working in

Windows right now and recently steam put

out some new drivers for Windows 11 on

the steam deck OLED I recently created a

video showing off Windows 11 performance

on this device and since then I've had a

lot of people asking about lossless

scaling and if you're not familiar with

lossless scaling basically it's an

application that you can buy from Steam

and it allow you to use frame generation

and upscaling on basically any backend

any game any system as long as it's

running windows with these lowerin igpu

devices I found with most of them we're

seeing a pretty nice jump in performance

and if you take a look at our FPS

counter up top you'll notice we've

actually got two listed the first one is

our original FPS that's what the steam

deck can do on its own the second one is

with the generated frames so on average

we're seeing around 47 on the steam deck

all by itself but with lossless scaling

enabled and some frame generation we're

up in the '90s with it we've basically

doubled the frame rate of Red Dead 2 and

you can see we're still only running at

15 watts here on the steam deck in this

video I'm going to show you how it works

and then we're going to test out a few

more games I'm going to go ahead and

plug my steam deck into my game capture

so we can get a better look at

everything but then we'll move back over

to the built-in screen in just a

bit many of you you might have already

heard the news but Val has recently

given us updated Windows drivers for the

steam daac OLED and this is exactly how

we're going to get lossless scaling

working unfortunately it's just not

working in Linux but as you can see here

we've got that custom Apu for the steam

deck OLED and of course the custom AMD

GPU I've dedicated 4 gigs of vram from

the BIOS here and we've got lossless

scaling installed this is seven bucks

over on Steam but if you can utilize it

it's well worth the money and I've been

doing a lot of testing with the Rog Ally

Alli X couple iono devices with AMD gpus

this can really help out I'm going to

jump right in here to cyberpunk 2077 I'm

going to show you how to use lossless

scaling on the steam

dag since I'm plugged into a monitor

with the steam deck I've got the overall

resolution actually set to 900p we've

got cyberpunk 2077 all low settings FSR

is at performance and when I say all low

I mean everything is turned down as low

as it can go 720p borderless this the

only way we can get that scaling working

with lossless

scaling I've got After Burner running in

the top leftand corner there and right

at the end you can see I've got it named

old FPS and that's because once we

enable frame generation with lossless

scaling After Burner is just not going

to be able to pick up those extra frames

that are generated but lossless scaling

does have a built-in FPS counter so we

will enable that overall with no frame

generation no scaling this this is

actually working much better than I

thought it would I'd say we're seeing an

average of around 51 FPS with cyberpunk

2077 at 720p but we're about to get a

lot more out of it I need to break away

from the game we've got lossless scaling

right here installed so again this is

seven bucks from Steam and when I'm

using this on the built-in screen I

usually don't use any kind of scaling

unless I really need to take that

resolution down with the game under 800p

because obviously that's the resolution

of the steam deck oled's display but

since we're on a bigger monitor 900p I

will enable this and for scaling mode I

usually just leave this at Auto full

screen and scaling type we can actually

choose between a few different scalers

here but the main two that I use are FSR

and LS1 this is lossless scalings

built-in scaler and I do think it looks

a lot better next thing we want to do

here is enable frame

generation lsfg 2.3 we've also got lsfg

1.1 you can you can experiment with

these but I've been using the latest

version from mode we've got a 2X 3x and

a 4X on higher-end systems you can get

4X the FPS but I'm going to leave this

at two because we are working with a

lowend

igpu I leave performance mode on moving

down

rendering and if you hover over any of

this it's going to give you a breakdown

on what's going on but I'm using vsync

Max frame latency now this will

introduce some more latency to your

input but if I'm looking to get better

performance in a single player game I do

not mind whatsoever I'm not going to

take it up super high I've left this at

three for cyberpunk 277 and of course we

want to draw that FPS so we can see the

old FPS and the new generated

FPS so I've got everything set up here

I'm going to

scale choose my

window give it a

second it just scaled it up from 720 to

900p and I'm going to have to reload

because I didn't know what was going on

in the background

there I just had to reload my game real

quick but up in the top leftand Corner

you'll notice we have two frame counters

going we've got the old FPS that's also

going to be listed with After Burner

there and we've got the generated FPS so

it's looking like right now about 45 FPS

without frame generation up to around 91

FPS with frame generation and it's

storing three frames ahead right now so

again you will encounter a bit of

latency if you're using a mouse and

keyboard it's definitely noticeable but

if you're using a controller like an

external controller or even the built-in

controller you really can't notice it

that much going up to three frames at

least in my opinion in single player

games so yeah even on the steam Deck

with lossless scaling installed it's

working much better than I thought it

would there are some games that have

given me some weird issues and I'd say

the main issue here would be that it

doesn't work in Linux yet it would be

really nice if this could be ported over

to Steam OS that way we don't have to

install Windows but until then I did

want to show off a few more games here

with lossless scaling enabled and the

first one here is Hogwarts Legacy this

is one that gave me an issue if you keep

an eye on the hat my character has on

right now during quick movements it

really does glitch out especially when

doing 360s so it kind of disappears for

a second and I guess it's just not being

generated properly using lossless

scaling what it looks like to me is the

generated frames are kind of missing

that hat I'm not exactly sure how the

hat is rendered in this game and and

just knowing that it's happening with

this item here I'm sure there's more

throughout the game you'll run into

issues with on average with the way I

have the game setup right now we're

seeing around 34 FPS natively but around

62 with lossless scaling and frame

generation

enabled I thought this one was pretty

impressive with Elden ring 720p low

settings on average we're seeing around

33 FPS but with lossless scaling enabled

we're up to around 68 on average and in

tight quarters this jumps up to around

85

FPS I personally don't recommend using

frame generation with fast-paced games

but I did test it with Forza Horizon 5

and the results were pretty awesome I

was actually really surprised here we at

720p medium settings no FSR were just

using lossless on the steam deck OLED

with these settings inside of Windows

average of 43f FPS of course we could

actually take this up much higher with

some FSR enabled but we're already

working with such a low resolution I

didn't want to use any scaling here and

just with frame generation enabled using

lossless scaling we're seeing around 76

FPS but I got to say the most impressive

game that I've tested so far with

lossless on the steam de OLED is Red

Dead Redemption 2 I hate the way that

Red Dead 2 uses the slider bar for your

settings so I'm five clicks up from the

lowest of theow and at the lowest of the

low with FSR set to Performance the

steam Deck with Windows can come real

close to locking this down at 60 but

getting a little extra out of it and

we're still in favor performance Zone we

can now get averages of around 86 FPS

with lossless scaling enabled on this

game and it does feel really good in

this wide open area here I personally

wouldn't mind putting some time in with

this game using these same settings that

I have here

so overall L the scale and is actually

working pretty well on the steam deck

olad but there are a lot of downsides

like the fact you have to install

Windows and if that's your main go to be

my guest I mean it's totally fine to

install any operating system you want

for me I'd much rather have Steam OS

installed on here because I can just

pick that thing up and go everything's

right there ready to go easy access to

all of my games I personally love what

Val is done with the steam dag but it

would be really nice to see something

like this like frame generation come

over to the steam deck natively one of

the big claim to fames was systemwide

FSR so something like systemwide frame

generation would be a real treat on the

deck but that's going to wrap it up for

this one if this is something you want

to try I'm going to leave links in the

description to the lossless scaling app

remember you pick it up on Steam I'll

also leave links to valve's official

website with the newer Windows 11

drivers for the steam deck OLED in the

end it's up to you and one of the best

things about an x86 platform like this

is the fact that we can install op

operating systems on it we're not locked

down to Just One OS on this unit we're

not renting it we own this Hardware so

we should be able to go ahead and

install whatever we'd like if you do end

up trying this out let me know in the

comments how it goes for you and like

always thanks for watching