AMD and Microsoft confirm FSR 4.1 support for Xbox consoles and handhelds
AMD and Microsoft have announced that the latest iteration of FidelityFX Super Resolution, FSR 4.1, will be supported on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and both models of the Xbox Ally handheld. This update aims to provide considerable performance improvements by utilising machine learning upscaling technology, allowing games to run at lower render resolutions while maintaining visual clarity.
FSR is AMD’s upscaling technique designed to ease the rendering workload on hardware, boosting frame rates and overall performance without a corresponding drop in image quality. FSR 4.1 is a significant advancement over earlier versions, featuring optimisations tailored to Microsoft’s console ecosystem.
Impact and availability on Xbox platforms
According to Xbox CTO Scott Van Vilet, the collaboration between Microsoft and AMD has led to this enhanced support as part of their ongoing effort to optimise performance across Xbox hardware and Windows PC. FSR 4.1 is expected to arrive on the Xbox Ally handheld devices within the year, starting with the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally X20 models.
Support for the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles has been confirmed as coming soon, though Microsoft has not provided a precise release timeframe. Initially, it was unclear whether the base Xbox Ally would support FSR 4.1, but subsequent confirmations have clarified that it will also receive the update.
The Xbox Series S has presented challenges to developers due to its atypical RAM configuration. FSR 4.1 could alleviate these issues by enabling higher quality upscaling without demanding a fully native 1080p render, potentially easing development constraints for titles on this platform.
Technical collaboration and future plans
Microsoft’s statement highlights that this development is just one part of a larger partnership between the two companies. Both teams continue to work closely on hardware and software synergy, with references to further advancements under Project Helix and upcoming technologies like FSR Diamond. These future innovations aim to expand on the benefits introduced by FSR 4.1.
While specific performance metrics for FSR 4.1 on Xbox have not been detailed publicly, AMD showcased substantial uplifts in earlier demonstrations for desktop and handheld platforms. This suggests that Xbox players using Series S or Xbox Ally X devices can expect notable performance gains once the update is made available.
