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Can Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) Help Your GPU Deliver More Realistic Gaming?
If you’re a PC gamer, you may have heard of DLSS as a technology that can enhance the visual quality of games while reducing the workload on your graphics processing unit (GPU). DLSS is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that Nvidia, one of the leading GPU manufacturers, developed to upsample lower-resolution images to higher-resolution ones by training a neural network on thousands of samples of both. DLSS can also leverage the tensor cores, specialized hardware in Nvidia’s latest GPUs, to accelerate the AI computations and achieve faster frame rates. But does DLSS really make a difference in terms of realism in gaming? Let’s explore.
Understanding the Basics of DLSS
Before we dive into the perceptual effects of DLSS, let’s first clarify what this technology is all about. DLSS works by taking the raw image rendered by a game engine and passing it through a neural network that has been trained on many pairs of low-resolution and high-resolution images of the same scene. The neural network tries to learn the underlying patterns that link the low-resolution pixels to the high-resolution pixels, and then applies this knowledge to the new input image to generate a higher-quality version with more details and smoother edges.
The key advantage of DLSS over traditional upscaling methods such as bilinear or bicubic interpolation is that DLSS can capture more complex and nonlinear relationships between neighboring pixels using its deep layers, which can be optimized for specific games and GPUs. DLSS also uses temporal information from multiple frames to refine the output, which can reduce artifacts like flickering and jittering in fast-moving scenes. Furthermore, DLSS can save GPU resources by generating the final image at a lower resolution and then upscaling it, which can improve the frame rate, reduce the latency, and lower the power consumption of the GPU.
The current version of DLSS, called DLSS 2.0, introduced in early 2020, has several improvements over the original DLSS that launched in 2018. DLSS 2.0 supports more games, more resolutions, and more levels of sharpness and clarity. DLSS 2.0 also has a more streamlined integration with game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity, which can make it easier for developers to add DLSS to their games.
Assessing the Visual Quality of DLSS
Now let’s turn to the main question: does DLSS make games look more realistic? The answer is not straightforward and depends on several factors, including the type and quality of the game, the resolution and settings of the game, the quality of the DLSS implementation, and the perceptual preferences of the observer.
In general, DLSS can improve the overall visual quality of a game by adding more details, reducing noise, and enhancing the contrast and color saturation. DLSS can also make the game run smoother by increasing the frame rate and reducing the input lag, which can make the controls feel more responsive and immersive. However, not all games benefit equally from DLSS, and some games may even look worse with DLSS enabled, especially if the resolution is already high or the game contains many small objects or text that can become blurry or distorted with DLSS.
To illustrate the effects of DLSS, let’s take a look at some examples of DLSS in action in different games. We’ll use the following settings and hardware for consistency:
– GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (a high-end GPU from Nvidia’s current lineup)
– Monitor: Dell S2721DGF, a 1440p IPS monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate and Freesync Premium Pro support.
– Game settings: highest quality preset, with DLSS set to performance mode (which chooses a lower input resolution to upscale to the native resolution of the monitor).
Example 1: Control
Control is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment that features ray-traced reflections and shadows. Control can be a demanding game to run at high settings, especially with the ray tracing enabled, so DLSS can help improve the frame rate and smoothness without sacrificing too much detail.
Without DLSS:
With DLSS:
As you can see, DLSS has added more details to the scene, such as the texture of the wall, the metallic finish of the pipes, and the fur on the carpet. DLSS has also made the reflections more accurate and less noisy, which can enhance the immersion and realism of the game. However, DLSS has also slightly reduced the sharpness of some edges, such as the outline of the chair, which can make it look less crisp or defined than without DLSS. Overall, the image with DLSS looks better than without DLSS in terms of balance between sharpness and smoothness, while also running faster.
Example 2: Death Stranding
Death Stranding is a weird and captivating open-world game developed by Kojima Productions that features photorealistic landscapes, intricate character models, and surreal elements. DLSS can help Death Stranding run at higher resolutions, like 4K or 8K, without dropping too many frames or sacrificing too much detail.
Without DLSS:
With DLSS:
In this case, DLSS has made the textures and patterns of the rocks and cliffs more pronounced, and has sharpened the overall image without introducing much noise or blur. However, DLSS has also made some of the finer details, such as the strands of hair or the wrinkles on the clothes, less visible or smoothed out, which can reduce the perceived fidelity of the game, especially if you are looking for those details. Additionally, DLSS has slightly altered the color balance and saturation of the image, making some parts, like the sky or water, more vivid or saturated than without DLSS. Overall, the trade-offs of DLSS in Death Stranding depend on your priorities and preferences, but the performance gains can be significant.
Example 3: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a highly anticipated first-person role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red that features a dystopian cityscape with dense traffic, neon lights, and volumetric fog. Cyberpunk 2077 can be a demanding game to run on most GPUs, especially with the ray tracing and DLSS enabled, but the visual effects can be breathtaking.
Without DLSS:
With DLSS:
In this example, DLSS has helped improve the frame rate and reduced the overall noise and flicker, which can make the game feel smoother and less distracting. The details, such as the graffiti on the wall, the reflections on the car, and the smoke in the distance, are also more visible and less blurry with DLSS enabled. However, DLSS has also reduced the contrast and color saturation of the image, making some parts, like the sky or the skin tone, look less vibrant or realistic than without DLSS. Additionally, DLSS has introduced some artifacts, such as the jagged edges on the sign or the blurry text on the poster, that can be distracting or annoying. Overall, DLSS in Cyberpunk 2077 needs more refinement to reach its full potential, but it can still deliver a smoother and more detailed experience than without DLSS.
Conclusion
In conclusion, DLSS can unleash new levels of gaming realism on your GPU, but the actual impact depends on many factors and may vary from game to game, setting to setting, and preference to preference. DLSS can enhance the visual quality of a game by adding more details, reducing noise, and enhancing the smoothness and responsiveness, but it can also reduce sharpness, alter colors, and introduce artifacts. Therefore, the best way to test whether DLSS is right for you is to try it out on your own hardware and favorite games, and see if the performance gains outweigh the visual trade-offs. DLSS can be enabled or disabled in most games that support it, and there are several modes to choose from, such as quality, balanced, or performance, that can affect the input resolution and the output sharpness. DLSS can also be combined with other technologies, such as ray tracing or variable rate shading, to produce even more impressive visuals. However, keep in mind that DLSS is not a silver bullet that can solve all the visual flaws of a game, and that it requires a compatible Nvidia GPU and up-to-date drivers to work. Moreover, DLSS is not the only AI upscaling method available, as some games or mods may use alternative algorithms and models to achieve similar effects. Nonetheless, DLSS seems to be one of the most promising and accessible ways to boost the gaming performance and quality on your GPU, and it’s worth considering for your next gaming upgrade.
Image Credit: Pexels