Since the start of this console generation (PS5/Xbox), and for much longer on PC, gaming has experienced game-changing technology. DLSS, FSR or XeSS, these technologies allow our games to run better on our machines. But don’t developers take advantage of this to optimize their games “less well”?
DLSS from NVIDIA, FSR from AMD: what is upscaling?
Games are more and more resource intensive, but our machines are more and more powerful.
Since video games have adopted increasingly higher resolutions, particularly with the arrival of 4K, developers have found themselves facing a dilemma. On the one hand, gamers demand exceptional graphics quality, on the other, machines, even the most efficient, reach their limits.
Indeed, whether it is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PS5, or the “aging” Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, we are finding more and more games which benefit from quite remarkable graphic quality. But for video games, developers must also take into account the fluidity they will grant to the player. In general, users prefer to play at 60 frames per second (FPS), or more, to benefit from the best responsiveness between the controller and the screen.
Upscaling, whether it’s NVIDIA’s DLSS or the PS5 Pro’s PSSR, is a method of generating a higher resolution image from a lower resolution image. This process reduces the load on the GPU (graphics processor) by asking it to process lighter images, before “reconstructing” them in high definition using sophisticated algorithms.
Technologies like DLSS or the PS5 Pro’s PSSR use artificial intelligence to generate these missing pixels, allowing games to run at higher frame rates without sacrificing visual quality.
However, upscaling is not unanimous. Some purists believe that this is a form of “cheating”, because it does not produce real high definition images, but approximations.
PSSR: a solution or a symptom of poor optimization?
The PS5 Pro, expected for its ability to push back what is capable of producing an image on console, introduces PSSR technology, an in-house version of upscaling.
With increased power, this model aims to provide a smoother gaming experience in 4K or even 8K in some cases. PSSR is based on the same principle as NVIDIA’s DLSS, reducing the load on the hardware while maintaining correct image quality thanks to AI.
But some gamers worry that this technology will become an excuse not to optimize games more thoroughly. In other words, developers could rely on upscaling to work around shortcomings in the game engine instead of seeking to improve overall performance.
Historically, good optimization meant that developers spent time adjusting every detail so that the game ran smoothly on a wide range of hardware configurations. With tools like PSSR, it might become tempting to rely on technology to “fix” optimization gaps. For example, rather than improving the efficiency of a game engine or reducing resource consumption, it would be enough to use upscaling to compensate.
Good optimization means that the game runs at a decent framerate, on a range of configurations, including the worst.
– Dean Sekulic, developer at Croteam studio (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam)
One of the current challenges in video game development is the relationship between graphics quality and the necessary hardware resources. Machines, whether PCs or consoles like the PS5 Pro, are becoming more and more efficient, but players’ expectations are also increasing. They demand realistic graphics, vast open worlds and impeccable fluidity, particularly with the rise of 4K and 8K televisions.
To meet these expectations, studios must make compromises. Games should be playable at stable frame rates, while still offering quality graphics. Upscaling helps reduce the need for resources by lightening the load on graphics processors, but is not a substitute for thorough optimization. For example, a game that is well optimized for a machine will be able to run correctly without needing to resort to aggressive upscaling techniques.
Upscaling, a cheat or a necessity?
It’s tempting to see upscaling as an “easy way out” for developers.
After all, why spend months fine-tuning optimization details when AI technology can do some of the work? But in reality, upscaling is more of a response to evolving display technologies than an excuse.
However, if developers rely too much on upscaling, the risk would be that games become more demanding in terms of resources without offering a well-optimized version for all machines.
NVIDIA even made a video on this subject, to explain how their in-house technology, DLSS, works.
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