One of the most popular features of Nvidia GPUs is DLSS. But what is DLSS, and why is it so important?
In this guide, we’re going to run through what DLSS is, as well as why it’s important for gamers.
What is DLSS?
DLSS is an acronym for Deep Learning Super Sampling and it is an Nvidia RTX feature that uses artificial intelligence to boost a game’s framerate performance higher, coming in handy when your GPU is struggling with intensive workloads.
When using DLSS, your GPU essentially generates an image at a lower resolution to lessen the strain on the hardware, and then it adds additional pixels to upscale the picture to the desired resolution, using AI to determine what the final image should look like.
And as many of us will know, bringing your GPU down to a lower resolution will result in a significant frame rate boost, which is what makes DLSS technology so appealing, as you’re getting both high frame rates and a high resolution.
Right now, DLSS is only available on Nvidia RTX graphics cards, including both the 20-Series and 30-Series. AMD does have its solution to this problem. FidelityFX Super Resolution provides a very similar service and is supported on AMD graphics cards.
DLSS is supported on the 30-Series line of GPUs as the RTX 3060, 3060 Ti, 3070, 3080 and 3090 come with the second-generation of Nvidia Tensor cores, which offers greater per-core performance, making it easier to run DLSS.
Nvidia is also expected to announce its latest generation of GPUs during its September GTC 2022 Keynote, the Nvidia RTX 4000 Series, codenamed Lovelace. If you’re interested in watching the event as it goes live, make sure to check out our article on how to watch the Nvidia GTC 2022 Keynote.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, the RTX 4000 Series is likely to include the RTX 4070, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090. We expect that the Nvidia RTX 4000 Series will provide DLSS capabilities, potentially to a higher extent than its predecessor, though we will be sure to update this article once we know more about the Lovelace series and have reviewed them.
Does DLSS reduce visual quality?
One of the biggest criticisms of the tech when it first launched was that many gamers could spot that the upscaled picture often looked a little blurry, and wasn’t always as detailed as the native image.
Since then, Nvidia has launched DLSS 2.0. Nvidia now claims that it offers image quality comparable to the native resolution.
What does DLSS actually do?
DLSS is achievable as Nvidia has gone through the process of teaching its AI algorithm to generate better-looking games and how to best match up with what’s already on screen.
After rendering the game at a lower resolution, DLSS uses previous knowledge from its AI to generate an image that still looks like it was running at a high resolution, with the overall aim of making games rendered at 1440p look like they’re running at 4K, or 1080p games in 1440p, and so on.
Nvidia has claimed that the technology for DLSS will continue to improve, though it is already a solid solution for anyone looking to see significant performance uplifts without the game looking or feeling too different.
What games support DLSS?
DLSS only works with supported games, which means not every indie classic or blockbuster AAA title will be able to take advantage of this technology. The list is continually expanding, and you can check out all the games that support DLSS at the time of writing just below:
- Alan Wake Remastered
- AMID EVIL
- Anatomy Of Fear
- Anthem
- Apocalypse: 2.0 Edition
- Aron’s Adventure
- Assetto Corsa Competizione
- AWAY: The Survival Series
- Back 4 Blood
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Battlefield 2042
- Battlefield V
- Beyond Enemy Lines 2
- BIOHAZARD VILLAGE Z Version
- Bodies of Water VR (Beta)
- Bright Memory
- Bright Memory: Infinite
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Chernobylite
- Chivalry 2
- Chorus
- ChronoTecture: The Eprologue
- Cions of Vega
- Control
- CRSED F.O.A.D
- Crysis Remastered
- Crysis 2 Remastered
- Crysis 3 Remastered
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Death Realm
- Death Stranding
- DeepStates (VR)
- Deliver Us The Moon
- Diablo II: Resurrected
- DiRT 5
- DOOM Eternal
- Edge of Eternity
- Enlisted
- Escape From Naraka
- Everspace 2
- Exit From
- F1 2020
- F1 2021
- F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
- Fall Balance Ball
- Far Cry 6
- Faraday Protocol
- Farming Simulator 22
- Final Fantasy XV
- Fortnite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Frozenheim
- Ghostrunner
- Godfall
- Gu Jian Qi Tan Online
- Helios
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Höll Space 5D6
- Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- ICARUS
- INDUSTRIA
- Into the Radius VR
- Iron Conflict
- Jurassic World Evolution 2
- Justice
- JX3 Online RTX version
- Last Hope on Earth
- LEGO Builder’s Journey
- Life Is Strange: True Colors
- Loverowind
- Marvel’s Avengers
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries
- Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition
- Minecraft with RTX
- Monster Hunter World
- Moonlight Blade
- Mortal Online 2
- Mortal Shell
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
- Myst
- Myth of Empires
- NARAKA: BLADEPOINT
- Necromunda: Hired Gun
- Nine To Five
- Nioh 2 The Complete Edition
- No Man’s Sky
- Observer: System Redux
- Outriders
- Poker Club
- Powerslide Legends
- Pumpkin Jack
- Qu Gian Qi Tan Online
- Quake II RTX
- RAZE 2070
- Ready or Not
- Recall
- Redout: Space Assault
- REFICUL 666
- Resident Evil Village
- Ring of Elysium
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Rune II
- Rust
- Scavengers
- Severed Steel
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Soul Dossier
- Stay in the Light
- Supraland
- Swords of Legends Online
- Sword and Fairy 7
- System Shock Demo
- The Ascent
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- The Fabled Woods
- The Medium
- The Orville Interactive Fan Experience
- The Persistence
- The Riftbreaker
- The Riftbreaker: Prologue
- To Hell With It
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Twin Stones: The Journey of Bukka
- Uncrashed : FPV Drone Simulator
- Unknown Woods
- Wakamarina Valley, New Zealand
- War Thunder
- Watch Dogs: Legion
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood
- World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
- Wrench
- Xuan-Yuan Sword VII
- Yag
Which graphics cards support DLSS?
Nvidia has made it pretty easy to know which of its graphics cards support DLSS, as it’s usually anything that has ‘RTX’ in its name. But just so you’re 100% sure, we’ve listed all the Nvidia GPUs that supports the technology below:
- GeForce RTX 2060
- GeForce RTX 2060 Super
- GeForce RTX 2070
- GeForce RTX 2070 Super
- GeForce RTX 2080
- GeForce RTX 2080 Super
- GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- Nvidia TITAN RTX
- GeForce RTX 3060
- GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
- GeForce RTX 3070
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
- GeForce RTX 3080
- GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- GeForce RTX 3090
And make sure to keep this page bookmarked, as we will be updating this article everytime a new game or new GPU comes out with DLSS support.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.