Machine Learning is the Real Star of this Generation

Both the Xbox consoles and PlayStation 5 have machine learning AI tech allowing them to upscale lower-resolution images with great effect. We don’t know to what extent it’ll work yet, but one thing’s for certain – it’s going to be the real star of the coming generation.

We don’t know the difference between the consoles in this regard yet, although there’s reason to believe the Xbox will be a bit better at it. But we do know FidelityFX Super Resolution – AMD’s equivalent of the brilliant DLSS – is coming to both.

When you can build a game for 1080p or 1440p and output a flawless or even improved 4k image, that opens up a lot of headroom. That’s going to be vital towards the end of the generation.

DLSS Benchmarks – machine learning in action

Don’t just take my word for it. DLSS – which to stress, is not AMD’s solution – has had incredible results.

PC Gamer found DLSS could more than double framerate in a game.

Using a RTX 2080, a 57fps in Control could, with the game’s DLSS performance mode turned on, reach 124fps with an output of 1440p and raytracing disabled.

Wolfenstein: Young Blood, with raytraced reflections at Ultra, running at 79FPS performed at 120FPS with DLSS on.

These are the kinds of differences that make an impact. If only everything was that simple.

This stuff’s only going to get better – and on console it could mean a brand new life for these devices.

The Best of the Best

We’ve already seen it with cross-generational games – these consoles aren’t keeping up so well.

Okay, that’s unfair. They’re doing just fine and are better than the vast majority of PCs out in the wild, but they’re certainly bandwidth starved. You’re not getting 4K, 60fps and raytracing, for instance.

That’d be pretty tough even on the greatest of PCs.

But if developers are already getting rid of the notion of having it all – especially on game’s that can potentially run on the Switch – where do they go from here? Uncharted 5 and Gears of War 6 are going to have to make compromises.

Unless AMD’s DLSS equivalent works even half as well. If developers can target 1440p, 1080p or even 720p without the massive drop in quality, that gives them an awful lot of extra bandwidth to play with.

Now, take this with a grain of salt. We don’t know how FidelityFX Super Resolution works, but the potential is there to be massive.

The downside – and I don’t really mean that as harshly as it sounds – is that this is a rapidly changing field. DLSS is evolving quickly, and FidelityFX Super Resolution will probably go through many iterations too – on PC. On console, we have a set graphics card. We have set features in that hardware.

What we get is what we get and only time will tell how successfully it improves our games.

Machine Learning is the Real Star of this Generation

But if you’re impressed by what you’re getting now, it’s only a matter of time until we start to get really blown away.

If FidelityFX Super Resolution works as planned, it’s going to define this generation. The leap will be massive, while allowing us to maintain 60fps as standard. That is an exciting proposition.