Could Nvidia be trailing behind AMD in upscaling tech? AMD certainly thinks so

The Nvidia and AMD logos clashing with lightning bolts around them.
(Image credit: Shutterstock, AMD, Nvidia)

It’s hard to talk about AMD without bringing up arch nemesis Nvidia, and vice versa, when it comes to upscaling technology and GPU technology. Nvidia drops DLSS, and AMD follows quickly with FSR. Normally we expect Nvidia to lead with a new feature or product launch, with AMD soon following, but according to AMD’s Aaron Steinman, that’s not really how it goes. 

PCGamer’s Jacob Ridley rightly describes this as a cat-and-mouse game. Steinman challenges the rhetoric of ‘Nvidia leading, AMD following’ by saying “I would be curious to know if Nvidia feels now they have to match what we’ve done in making some of these solutions driver-based.”

Steinmin seems to be referencing AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames launching later in January 2024 and the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) that’s already available. The main difference between technologies is their availability. AMD’s FSR is accessible to people regardless of the GPU they have, and is more widely available across most games, as it doesn't have to have developers support the software within their game.

AMD’s Steinman adds “DLSS is only available on certain solutions, so either Nvidia is going to have to benefit from our solution because we did make it open-source and cross-vendor, or they're probably going to need to do something similar”.

Tit for Tat?

AMD’s open-source technology allows people with Nvidia GPUs to use FSR in PC games that don’t support DLSS, while DLSS remains closed-source and exclusively available to certain Nvidia GPUs. So, team red looks - and depending on who you ask, is - more consumer-friendly and could lead game developers to just default to using FSR since it works with all GPUS, regardless of the GPU manufacturer. 

So it’s easy to see that Steinman's suggestion that Nvidia will need to either make DLSS available on AMD GPUs or make DLSS open source to be able to compete, or get pushed aside due to accessibility. It’s not likely we’ll see this happen, however - Nvidia has been firm on resisting open source. 

Despite Nvidia having a huge market lead, the GPU fight between AMD and Nvidia isn’t over yet, nor do we see it ending anytime soon. "I mean, the competition will never end, right? We'll have new technologies, they'll have new technologies," Steinman says.

This tussle can be good for consumers, however, as we could see new, innovative features added, and maybe even prices drop as they fight over us.

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

You might also like

TOPICS
Muskaan Saxena
Computing Staff Writer

Muskaan is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing writer. She has always been a passionate writer and has had her creative work published in several literary journals and magazines. Her debut into the writing world was a poem published in The Times of Zambia, on the subject of sunflowers and the insignificance of human existence in comparison. Growing up in Zambia, Muskaan was fascinated with technology, especially computers, and she's joined TechRadar to write about the latest GPUs, laptops and recently anything AI related. If you've got questions, moral concerns or just an interest in anything ChatGPT or general AI, you're in the right place. Muskaan also somehow managed to install a game on her work MacBook's Touch Bar, without the IT department finding out (yet).

Read more
The Nvidia and AMD logos clashing with lightning bolts around them.
Sure, Nvidia DLSS 4 is incredibly impressive - but AMD's improved upscaling tech could be a real game-changer
AMD logo
Nvidia's DLSS 4 is amazing – here's what AMD's FSR 4 needs to do to take it on
Illustration of a generic PC graphics card
AMD's decision to make FSR 4 exclusive to its new GPUs is a disappointing compromise in a bid to beat Nvidia - I hope it's worth it
The Nvidia GeForce 5090 GPU on display at CES 2025
Nvidia releases stats that prove DLSS and Frame Generation are here to stay - sorry, angry gamers
AMD RX 9070 GPU models
It's looking bleak for AMD's older GPUs - a file spotted in unofficial Radeon drivers further hints at FSR 4's RDNA 4 exclusivity
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics card
AMD's driver-level frame generation may be getting the update it deserves - AFMF 2.1 reportedly being developed for launch alongside RDNA 4 GPUs
Latest in GPU
Zotac Gaming RTX 5090 Graphics Card
Nvidia Blackwell stock woes are compounded by price hikes as more RTX 5090 GPUs soar in pricing, and I’m sick and tired of it all at this point
Nvidia app
Tired of manually optimizing your games? Nvidia's new G-Assist could save you time
Nvidia RTX 5080 against a yellow TechRadar background
RTX 5080 24GB version teased by MSI - is it time to admit that 16GB isn't enough for 4K?
Nvidia AMD
Nvidia rumors suggest it's working on two affordable GPUs to spoil AMD's party
An Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super against a two-tone background
Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super: should you upgrade to the latest Blackwell GPU?
An Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060 against a two-tone background
Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Which mainstream GPU is right for you?
Latest in News
Xbox Series X and Xbox wireless controller set to a green background
Xbox Insiders are currently testing a new Game Hub feature that looks useful, but I've got mixed feelings about it
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Broadcom warns of worrying security flaws affecting VMware tools
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC
Oura Ring 4
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Cleaned your Pixel Buds Pro 2 recently? If not, you might be getting worse sound
Google Maps on a phone being held in someone's hand
Google Maps is getting two key upgrades, for easier route planning and quicker access to Gemini AI