The term “DLSS” has been used in connection with a video game, graphics cards or leaks about new consoles and you don’t know what that is? We reveal what the abbreviation means.
You will not only come across “DLSS” as a term when it comes to graphics cards. (Source: Photocreo / depositphotos.com)
DLSS is one of many terms you’ll come across in the tech world, not just when you buy a new PC. The term could also play a role in one or two upcoming consoles in the future. According to leaks, both PS5 Pro and Switch 2 should have this technology.
When people talk about DLSS, you can at least be sure that, like ray tracing, it is a feature that you should definitely be able to use. But what lies behind it is sometimes not entirely clear. It is also of little help that DLSS is used as a synonym for various technologies.
DLSS is a technology designated by Nvidia. AMD offers a similar feature, but it’s called “FSR”, while Intel calls the technology “XeSS”. Sony is also said to be working on its own form of the new technology for upcoming consoles and even if the Switch has a Tegra chip from Nvidia, it is conceivable that Nintendo is also working on its own form of DLSS for the Switch 2.
What is “DLSS”?
The term “DLSS” means nothing other than Deep Learning Super Sampling. It is an upscaling technique that occurs in real time by taking a low-resolution image as a source material and upscaling it using AI.
In practical terms, this means for you: If you want to play a video game like Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K and with stable FPS, then that puts a lot of strain on the processing power of your graphics card. So you have to decide between high resolution or high FPS. This is exactly where DLSS comes in.
DLSS relieves the load on your graphics card so that you can play in 4K without having to calculate every single image (“frame”). Accordingly, more images can be generated if you activate DLSS in Cyberpunk 2077, so your FPS number increases.
What about “DLSS 2.0” to “DLSS 3.5”?
Since Nvidia released DLSS, the company has continued to make improvements to the technology. There are now also DLSS 2.0 and DLSS 2.5, which are basically a pure further development of the original technology.
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However, things look different with DLSS 3. In this case, it is no longer just Nvidia’s upscaling technology, but rather a combination of different technologies. In addition to DLSS, DLSS 3 also includes Nvidia Reflex and Frame Generation.
While DLSS and Frame Generation are intended to increase the number of FPS, Reflex’s job is to reduce the latency between your graphics card and your processor. With DLSS 3.5, which Nvidia presented as part of Alan Wake 2 at Gamescom 2023, another feature has been added to the technology construct. Since then, the DLSS construct has also included Ray Reconstruction, which is intended to calculate the lighting in games with more detail.
Using “DLSS”
If someone tells you that they play with DLSS, then that most likely means that not only is the person playing a DLSS-enabled title like Cyberpunk 2077, but also that the person most likely has a 2000 series RTX graphics card or higher used by Nvidia. However, the term DLSS is sometimes used as a synonym for FSR, XeSS or other forms of the same graphics technology. It is therefore possible to generate more images using AI and thus reduce the load on the graphics unit.
You should know these terms about graphics cards
Nvidia vs. AMD
You can easily get lost in the “jungle” of graphics cards from Nvidia or AMD. With this guide, we will help you keep track and buy the best graphics card for you.
If you want to use DLSS yourself, then you need a corresponding and, if possible, new graphics card. We’ll tell you where you can buy suitable graphics cards cheaper.
In addition, using DLSS is ideal if you want to play at a high resolution while your native frame rate is below 60 FPS or if you want to use ray tracing.
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