Nvidia DLSS 3: explaining the AI-driven gaming tech

Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) has been a staple of PC gaming for a number of years now, however DLSS 3 turns the tech on its head. It guarantees impossibly excessive body charges in demanding video games like Portal RTX through the use of AI to generate frames all by itself.
It’s a easy idea, however DLSS 3 is complicated. We’re right here to catch you up on what DLSS 3 is, the way it works, and what video games you’ll discover it in.
What is DLSS 3?
Nvidia
DLSS 3 isn’t a brand-new type of Nvidia’s tech. It’s a bundle of three completely different options: DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Frame Generation, and Nvidia Reflex. DLSS Super Resolution works because it did in the previous, upscaling your video games from a decrease decision to enhance efficiency. Reflex, as we’ll dig into later, continues to cut back latency. It’s Frame Generation that’s new.
This function makes use of AI to generate each different body you see in video games, and you may mix it with DLSS Super Resolution for even larger efficiency. The vital word right here is that Frame Generation and Super Resolution are separate settings in DLSS 3 video games, so you possibly can go for one or the different, each, or neither. If you’ve got a high-end RTX 40-series GPU, you possibly can even mix Frame Generation with Nvidia’s Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing (DLAA) in supported titles.
Reflex isn’t non-obligatory, although. If you activate Frame Generation, it’s worthwhile to additionally use Reflex. We’ll dig into why it’s so vital in the subsequent part.
How does DLSS 3 work?
The first part of DLSS 3 is the current supersampling or upscaling strategies seen on DLSS 2. Since it’s out there in a big library of video games, it solely is sensible to construct over the expertise. As per Nvidia, DLSS 2 can enhance body charges by 200% to 300%. With DLSS 3, the firm launched “Optical Multiframe Generation” which is the core performance that separates the newest model from its predecessors.
Nvidia
The Optical Flow Accelerator analyzes two back-to-back in-game frames and, after exact calculations, an AI-generated body is added inbetween. The accelerator has the capability to seize the path and velocity at which pixels are shifting from one body to the different, and might even seize pixel-level data like particles, reflections, shadows, and lighting. Using engine movement vectors and optical circulate to trace movement, the AI can precisely reconstruct each geometry and results. Essentially, the AI provides additional frames to your video games, thereby enhancing body charges and total high quality.
While body technology helps in producing larger body charges, particularly when in comparison with DLSS 2, it additionally has the potential to enhance the total response and smoothness in video games which can be bottlenecked by your CPU. But there’s a draw back to border technology. The AI-generated frames find yourself growing latency, as they’re neither created by the recreation, nor the person, thus in sure video games, one can face diminished responsiveness. DLSS 3 generates each different body you see, so that you solely get the responsiveness of half of the ultimate body price. For instance, a recreation working at 60 frames per second (fps) will really feel prefer it’s working at 30 fps.
This is the place Nvidia Reflex is available in, as it really works in tandem with the GPU and CPU to cut back this latency. Having a decrease system latency signifies that your recreation controls are extra responsive, which in flip makes on-screen actions happen nearly instantaneously when you click on your mouse button or some other management enter.
As per our testing, DLSS 3 really works rather well. Using an RTX 4090 graphics card and DLSS 3 enabled, we discovered Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with ray tracing set to the max produced practically 50% extra frames than when simply utilizing DLSS 2. Compared to not utilizing DLSS in any respect, DLSS 3 had over thrice the body price.
EXCLUSIVE First Look! Cyberpunk 2077 with NVIDIA DLSS 3 & Ray Tracing: Overdrive
It makes some in any other case unattainable conditions doable, too. For occasion, on the RTX 4090, DLSS 3 lets you play some video games at 8K which can be in any other case unplayable with out the tech.
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DLSS 3-supported graphics playing cards
As of now, DLSS 3 is just out there with Nvidia’s newest GeForce RTX 40-series graphics playing cards. This means if you wish to strive it, it’s worthwhile to get your palms on any of the following GPUs:

DLSS 3 works throughout laptop computer and desktop graphics playing cards, so you probably have any of the playing cards listed above, you’re good to go. It doesn’t work on any competitor playing cards, although, so that you’re locked out you probably have AMD or Intel GPU.
It’s value noting that DLSS Frame Generation is the solely function restricted to RTX 40-series GPUs. DLSS 3 additionally consists of DLSS Super Resolution and Reflex, which can be utilized with all RTX graphics playing cards.
DLSS 3.5 replace
Nvidia
Nvidia is gearing as much as launch the DLSS 3.5 replace that provides Ray Reconstruction into the combine. This function is obtainable on all RTX GPUs, and its mentioned to make ray tracing extra immersive and correct.
The function provides an AI-driven denoiser to ray tracing, permitting the lighting impact to be extra correct. In some circumstances, Nvidia says that Ray Reconstruction may even enhance efficiency. The function isn’t out but, but it surely’s anticipated to launch in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty in September.
Can you employ DLSS 3 on the RTX 30-series?
Nvidia
DLSS 3 is just out there on Nvidia’s newest Ada Lovelace structure, thus it might probably solely work on GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs. One can’t use DLSS 3 on RTX 30-series graphics playing cards as they don’t embrace an Optical Flow Accelerator, which is the core part to attain body technology.
It’s value noting, nonetheless, that DLSS 3 appears to be software-locked to RTX 40-series GPUs. You can bypass it with a config file, in accordance with Wccftech, although it is going to seemingly trigger instability, crashes, and poor efficiency in most video games.
Note, nonetheless, that DLSS Super Resolution nonetheless works on all RTX GPUs. In DLSS 3 video games, you possibly can nonetheless use the Super Resolution portion on RTX 20-series and RTX 30-series GPUs. Only Frame Generation is locked to RTX 40-series graphics playing cards.
DLSS 3 video games
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
There are near 50 video games that at present assist DLSS 3, with extra titles being added nearly each month. Here are all the video games that we at present know assist Nvidia’s newest supersampling tech.

A Plague Tale: Requiem
Atomic Heart
Bright Memory: Infinite
Chernobylite Enhanced Edition
Conqueror’s Blade
Cyberpunk 2077
Dakar Desert Rally
Deliver Us Mars
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
Diablo IV
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
F1 22
Forza Horizon 5
Hitman 3
Hitman World of Assassination
Hogwarts Legacy
Icarus
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Justice
Loopmancer
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
Marauders
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Midnight Ghost Hunt
Nakara: Bladepoint
Need For Speed Unbound
Perish
Portal with RTX
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Redfall
Returnal
Ripouy
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Super People 2
Sword and Fairy 7
Super People
Synced
The Finals
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
The Swordsmen X: Survival
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Tower of Fantasy
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
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