Something to look forward to: Nvidia introduced its deep learning super sampling technology a few years ago, and other GPU makers soon followed with their own solutions for graphics upscaling. Now, Microsoft is planning to bring the three main competing upscaling algorithms under the same DirectX 12 roof.
Nvidia, AMD, and Intel will soon have access to a unified API to bring the benefits of graphics upscaling to the entire PC gaming community. Microsoft recently announced the preview release of DirectSR, a new API specifically designed to standardize "super resolution" (SR) and upscaling support in games developed to run under Direct3D 12.
Microsoft stated that graphics upscaling can "elevate" the gaming experience by significantly increasing frame rates while preserving visual quality. Nvidia developed its AI-based DLSS technology first, followed by AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Intel's XeSS. Microsoft noted that the number of competing upscaling solutions keeps growing, and game developers are asking for a common API to scale SR across the entire PC gaming hardware ecosystem.
Microsoft partnered with AMD, Intel, and Nvidia to develop DirectSR, meaning the new API was primarily designed to integrate DLSS, FSR, and XeSS into standardized SR technologies for DX12 games. DirectSR will expose a "common set of inputs and outputs," providing a single code path for upscaling support.
Thanks to DirectSR, SR integration should become a straightforward and scalable exercise for gaming companies. Developers can implement SR support once, making the technology work on all DX12-enabled Windows devices. DirectSR support requires new compatible GPU drivers, Microsoft explains, which is the best way to tune and exploit PC gaming hardware capabilities.
There is also built-in support for generic, GPU-agnostic SR variants that can be used at the application level, making graphics upscaling accessible across diverse hardware products and configurations. With DirectSR, users will be able to choose between the available upscaler solutions supported by their GPU hardware to achieve the best in-game results.
DirectSR is a standalone solution, meaning game developers will no longer need to ship vendor-specific SDKs or DLL libraries. DLL swapping has been a popular method to achieve the best upscaling results in newer titles, particularly for owners of DLSS-compatible Nvidia GPUs. The DirectSR API preview specs are now available on GitHub, and Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have released updated GPU drivers to support the new library.
