The publication Wccftech compared the latest versions of scaling technology – NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and AMD FSR 4.
Both platforms show significant progress compared to previous generations. NVIDIA has significantly improved the transformer architecture, expanding the training set and increasing the complexity of calculations, while AMD has been able to get close to the level of its competitors.
Testing is performed on the video card Radeon RX 9060 XT (8 GB) and Geforce Rtx (16 GB) at 1440p resolution. System performance is comparable, which allows us to focus solely on image quality.
Compare in game
DLSS 4.5 stands out for its sharpness and enhanced detail, while FSR 4 relies on softer and smoother transitions. In Cyberpunk 2077, the results were almost equal: both methods solved the task, but both revealed noticeable defects, including flickering of neon elements and textures. At the same time, DLSS 4.5 has better artifact control, especially in scenes with complex geometry and vegetation.
In Hogwarts Legacy, the advantage belongs to NVIDIA. FSR 4 exhibits noticeable noise in vegetation as the camera moves, while DLSS 4.5 maintains stability and clarity even when using frame mode.
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, where the original image was intentionally blurred due to post-processing effects, DLSS 4.5 produced more convincing results due to increased sharpness. In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the differences between the technologies are minimal – both upscaling methods deliver high clarity and good scene readability even in dynamic scenes.
Forza Motorsport lacks native support for FSR 4, and using it through OptiScaler will result in noticeable artifacts and double projection of objects. At the same time, DLSS 4.5 operates stably and without image distortion.
Summary of comparison between DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4
As a result, DLSS 4.5 exhibits a higher, more stable level of image quality and is generally superior to FSR 4. The main advantage of NVIDIA technology remains its more widespread and reliable implementation in games, while FSR 4 still relies heavily on the quality and depth of integration in each specific project.
