Microsoft explains how Auto SR technology works and the difference between it and DLSS

In a new developer blog post, Microsoft has revealed more about the Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR) technology, which aims to improve game image quality and performance.

Currently, the technology will be available only on new Copilot+ computers with a dedicated neural processor (NPU). The company explains that, unlike DLSS from NVIDIA, FidelityFX from AMD, and XeSS from Intel, Auto SR will not require additional settings or information from games. It will automatically work in existing games and improve them as they are without changing anything inside.

“These approaches require games to alter their rendering, for example, by using jitter and MIP bias to add finer details. In contrast, Auto SR tackles the task of enhancing games without the extra information to improve games as they exist today. It relies on larger models and the NPU to create stunning visuals,” the blog says.

Microsoft also said that Auto SR will automatically reduce the game’s resolution and then use the large language model underlying the technology to improve its visual appearance. This way, users of Copilot+ computers will be able to get the same picture, but will have better performance in the game.

For example, Microsoft provided several screenshots from Borderlands 3 comparing the game’s appearance in higher resolution and demonstrating the difference in frames per second that the game produces in 1480p and 720p with Auto SR enabled.

In particular, they also show how the game looks in native 720p and how it looks with Auto SR enabled.

However, Microsoft is also quick to warn that Auto SR has an average of one frame of lag as it uses AI to make improvements. According to the company, most players didn’t notice this delay, and if they did, “the sharper graphics and faster frame rates more than made up for it, enhancing the overall gaming experience.”

With the release of the first computers, Copilot+ Auto SR will automatically work in the 11 games already tested, but the technology can also be turned on to automatically improve all games in your library. The list of officially confirmed projects will continue to grow.