Before CES 2025, AMD’s Radeon team announced FSR 4, their latest upscaling technology. This version of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) uses machine learning to improve image quality. However, it will only be compatible with AMD’s new RDNA 4 GPUs.
RX 9070 XT, RX 9070, and RX 9060 are the new RDNA 4 GPUs that have been introduced.
Additionally, AMD introduced the new RX 9070 XT, RX 9070, and RX 9060 graphics cards. Older versions such as the RX 7900 XT, RX 7800 XT, RX 7700 XT, and RX 7600 XT will be replaced by these. AMD hasn’t shared performance details or pricing yet, but they mentioned that the RX 9070 series will perform similarly to the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 GRE.
The final prices may depend on Nvidia’s announcements at CES 2025, as Nvidia is launching their new RTX 50 series GPUs later today.
What’s New in FSR 4?
FSR 4 is AMD’s first upscaling technology to use AI. This is a big improvement because earlier versions like FSR 2 and FSR 3.1 had problems in fast-moving scenes. For example, lightsaber movements in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor often appeared blurry.
FSR worked better only when the original image resolution was high, like when you upgrade from 1440p to 4K. On the other hand, AI-powered technology like Nvidia’s DLSS 2 and Intel’s XeSS create clearer images, even when there’s movement.
AMD has decided to make FSR 4 only for RDNA 4 GPUs, which is similar to what Nvidia did in 2018 when they limited DLSS to their RTX 20 series. This approach will allow AMD to utilize the dedicated AI hardware in their new GPUs.
Why This Really Matters?
AMD has always lagged behind Nvidia and Intel in upscaling technology for years. Even companies such as Sony, which uses AMD hardware in PlayStation consoles, urged AMD to improve. FSR 4 is a major step forward and could make AMD more competitive.
Still, AMD needs to work on improving their ray-tracing performance, as more games are adopting advanced lighting effects. The success of FSR 4 and the RDNA 4 GPUs will depend on their pricing and real-world performance.
With Nvidia’s RTX 50 series just around the corner, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for gaming hardware. For now, FSR 4 is a welcome improvement for AMD.