- DirectSR has been unveiled as a new API that lets developers seamlessly add AI super resolution features to games.
- Microsoft has worked with Nvidia, AMD, and Intel together on DirectSR. It will be released as a public preview for testing soon.
- Implementing DLSS, FSR, and XeSS in new games could become a seamless process with the DirectSR API.
Next month, during the Game Developers Conference (GDC 2024), Microsoft is unveiling a brand-new image upscaling technology for PC gamers. The AI upscaling technology is called “DirectSR,” and it is touted as a new API for developers to implement support for Super Resolution solutions in games but more efficiently than before.
DirectSR is “designed in partnership” with all the major chip makers. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are part of this partnership and have helped Minecraft make DirectSR a reality. Currently, the AI super-resolution technologies from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, are called DLSS, FSR, and XeSS, respectively. These features are available in games and can be turned on independently.
However, with three different super-resolution (SR) techniques, there should be “something better” to make it more seamless for game developers to integrate SR into the games that they’re working on. This is exactly what DirectSR hopes to fix. According to Microsoft, “DirectSR is the missing link” that game devs needed, to seamlessly put super-resolution in their games.
DirectSR is an incredibly exciting development. With this new API, super-resolution technologies of Nvidia (DLSS), AMD (FSR), and Intel (XeSS) are expected to become easier to implement. Speaking of how it works:
“This API enables multi-vendor SR through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate a variety of solutions including NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS.” – Joshua Tucker, Program Manager at Microsoft
When Is Microsoft DirectSR Coming?
DirectSR will soon be released in the form of a public preview under the Agility SDK of DirectX. Game developers will begin using it, and we will know how it works then.
Microsoft’s DirectSR does sound quite magical, and it looks like adding Super Resolution in games will make it more convenient for developers, who already deal with more nuances when developing for PC gaming as compared to consoles.
Instead of developers needing to implement SR features like DLSS and FSR individually, DirectSR API could end up offering an “all-in-one” solution that can work on a wide variety of hardware. Here are the details of Microsoft’s DirectX State of the Union event, which is to be held at GDC 2024, where DirectSR will be introduced.
The event details mention that Rob Martin and Wessam Bahnassi, engineers at AMD and Nvidia respectively will be part of this DirectSR unveiling. It is being held on March 21 from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM (PST) during the GDC 2024 conference in San Francisco, California.
What are your thoughts & expectations on DirectSR? Let us know in the comments below.
