DLSS 3 vs FSR 3: Which is the better upscaling tech (2024)?

Nvidia's DLSS 3 and AMD's FSR 3 are the latest and most sophisticated upscaling formulas in the market. Both are plush with the latest technologies like AI-powered frame generation, anti-aliasing, and more. Nevertheless, there are certain differences between them, including supported hardware and output image quality.

We tested the two framerate boosters thoroughly in some of the latest titles and, in this article, will go over what you can expect from both. We will also try to answer questions about which technology is superior. However, do note that this is rather subjective in some scenarios and will vary based on which picture you prefer more.

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Both DLSS 3 and FSR 3 have unique advantages over each other

Let's start the discussion with supported hardware. Both the latest versions of DLSS and FSR require some specific hardware for the advanced mathematical computations supporting the technologies.

Nvidia's technology is locked to just its graphics cards, and only the new RTX 40 series video cards can fully utilize the full feature set, including frame generation. Team Green states that their upscaling formula heavily utilizes Tensor cores and ray accelerators, which are only found in the latest video cards. So unless you have one of the latest RTX pixel pushers, you are out of luck.

AMD is more lenient with the hardware requirements of FSR 3, and their Fluid Motion Frames tech works on some older GPUs as well. You need to have at least an RX 5000 or RTX 20 series video card to get the technology up and running. This opens the technology up to a much wider market that is potentially locked out of DLSS. Team Red did the same with FSR 2, which is even available on GTX 10 and 16 series graphics cards.

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What the upscaling technologies bring to the table

Before delving into which upscaling formula is better, let's look at what each of them offers. Here's how DLSS 3 and FSR 3 operate. First off, the game is rendered at a much lower resolution than the display. The result is then intelligently upscaled using some complex neural networks that closely resemble what a native picture would look like.

There is some loss in quality and addition of artifacts in the final image. Some latency is also introduced, so this isn't ideal for fast-paced esports titles. However, the amount of latency has been reducing over the years.

Image quality presets in AMD FSR 3 (Image via AMD)

Both DLSS 3 and FSR 3 offer four presets to choose from:

1. Quality: 1.5x upscaling
2. Balanced: 1.7x upscaling
3. Performance: 2.0x upscaling
4. Ultra Performance: 3.0x upscaling

On top of this, the latest iterations of the technology also support frame generation technologies. This tech uses AI to scan two consequent frames generated by the GPU and then intelligently generates frames that could go in between them. This multiplies the overall framerate by a factor of two to three, making the gameplay much smoother than usual.

DLSS 3 and FSR 3 have also introduced deep learning-powered anti-aliasing features that use AI to further improve the image quality at the cost of some performance. This additional step is also common to both technologies.

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DLSS 3 wins in terms of quality

When it comes to the output image quality, Nvidia DLSS 3 continues to triumph over AMD's solution. DLSS 3 has gotten much better these days, and most players can barely notice the difference in the overall quality, even with the tech turned on. Some even prefer the slightly softer textures produced as a result of upscaling.

FSR has improved vastly since its introduction, but it still has a lot of catching up to do. The biggest pro of the formula is its wide support, which makes it the only technique most gamers will have access to. Framerate gains with the two upscaling formulas are almost the same these days. Hence, you won't spot a major difference in overall smoothness.