The video reviews AMD’s FSR 4.1 upscaling technology, confirming its improved image sharpness and clarity over FSR 4, especially in ultra performance mode at 4K, but notes ongoing issues with image stability, lack of Vulkan support, limited GPU compatibility, and driver-related warnings. While FSR 4.1 marks progress and benefits both PC and PlayStation 5 Pro users, the presenter highlights areas for AMD to improve, such as user choice in driver upgrades and broader hardware support, to better compete with Nvidia’s DLSS.
The video provides a detailed update on AMD’s FSR 4.1 upscaling technology following its official release as part of the 26.3.1 driver. The presenter revisits earlier testing done on a leaked version of FSR 4.1 and confirms that the final official release is essentially identical in image quality and performance. AMD’s claims about sharper image quality, particularly in motion and finer details, are validated, with FSR 4.1 reducing smearing and improving clarity compared to FSR 4. However, these improvements come with some trade-offs, notably less image stability and increased shimmering and grain in challenging scenarios, which Nvidia’s DLSS 4 and 4.5 still handle more effectively.
One of the key advancements in FSR 4.1 is its enhanced ultra performance mode, which significantly improves image sharpness and clarity at 4K resolution compared to FSR 4. This makes the mode more usable and closer in quality to Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 preset L, although stability issues persist. The presenter appreciates AMD’s efforts to improve this mode but notes that DLSS remains superior in terms of consistent image stability. Overall, FSR 4.1 represents a positive step forward but still has room for refinement.
The video also highlights some notable shortcomings with the current FSR 4.1 implementation. Most importantly, there is no support for Vulkan, which prevents upgrading Vulkan-based games to FSR 4.1 and limits developer integration. This is especially problematic since Vulkan is widely used, and modders have unofficially enabled Vulkan support before AMD has. Additionally, AMD has not extended FSR 4 or FSR 4.1 support to older RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 GPUs, restricting advanced upscaling features to only the latest RX 9000 series GPUs. This contrasts with Nvidia’s broader DLSS support across older hardware and raises concerns about AMD’s commitment to supporting a wider range of GPUs.
Another issue discussed is the lack of user choice in the Radeon driver upgrade feature. Currently, users are forced to use FSR 4.1 if they enable the upgrade, with no option to revert to FSR 4 if they prefer its stability. Nvidia’s driver upgrade system offers more flexibility by allowing users to select different DLSS versions per game, which is a feature AMD could benefit from adopting. The presenter suggests that adding this option would improve user experience, especially in cases where FSR 4.1’s clarity gains are offset by instability.
Finally, the video mentions a driver-specific problem with the 26.3.1 release causing some games, like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Part One, to display unsupported or outdated driver warnings despite running the latest software. While these warnings do not prevent gameplay, they could confuse casual users. The presenter closes by noting the shared upscaling model between FSR 4.1 and Sony’s PSSR2 for PlayStation 5 Pro, indicating that console gamers will also benefit from these improvements. Viewers are encouraged to support the channel for continued independent testing and analysis.
