What Is Intel XeSS and How Does It Work? Explained!

With high-end graphics playing cards getting costlier every year — generally sufficient to bankrupt most people — holding onto your pricey previous GPUs for some time longer appears increasingly more like an important thought. You might not get essentially the most frames per second in your favourite on-line video games, however you’ll get by, wouldn’t you? Now, if solely there was a approach to get higher gaming efficiency with out shelling out a ton of money. Luckily for you, Intel has you lined with XeSS (Xe Super Sampling), which may give a substantial increase in FPS and (presumably) image high quality.

What is Intel XeSS: Explained (2023)

XeSS, or Xe Super Sampling, is an AI-based upscaling expertise designed by Intel to ship a greater, smoother, and more constant gameplay expertise. But how does it work, and the way large a bounce in efficiency are you able to anticipate? Let’s discover out.

How Does Intel XeSS Work

XeSS renders video games in a decrease decision and makes use of machine studying and synthetic intelligence algorithms to upscale the image to your native decision. For instance, if you’re enjoying a sport at a 1440p decision, XeSS will render all frames at a decrease decision (900p, 720p, 800p, relying on which high quality/ mode you select) and artificially improve the image high quality to make it seem like 1440p. The upscaled image is just like the native render, or higher, in some circumstances.

Rendering frames at decrease resolutions additionally provides you an enormous efficiency uplift. Since your GPU doesn’t need to push as many bodily pixels, it may as a substitute focus its horsepower to produce more frames per second. If you’ve ever been a low-spec gamer, you understand video games run sooner at decrease resolutions (at the price of image high quality). However, with XeSS enabled, you get more frames totally free with out compromising on image high quality. That’s a win-win state of affairs, people.

Intel XeSS Compatible GPU List

Unlike Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling, Nvidia’s proprietary upscaling tech that solely works with RTX collection GPUs), Intel XeSS provides wider compatibility. XeSS is open-source and can work on any GPU that helps the DP4a instruction set. Below, we’ve got enlisted Intel XeSS-compatible GPUs.

Nvidia GPU

• GTX 10 collection
• GTX 16 collection
• RTX 20 collection
• RTX 30 collection
• RTX 40 collection

AMD GPU

• RX 5000 collection 
• RX 6000 collection
• RX 7000 collection

Intel GPU

• Intel Arc GPUs
• Intel Xe-LP built-in GPUs (eleventh technology cell CPUs and newer)

While XeSS works with all non-ancient graphics playing cards, its upscaling efficiency is considerably higher on the Intel Arc A770 and A750. The higher-end Arc GPUs characteristic XMX (Xe Matrix Extension) cores, that are just like the Tensor cores present in Nvidia GPUs, and work by offering more compute functionality for AI-accelerated workloads. Thanks to the XMX cores, the Arc A770 and A750 can obtain higher outcomes with XeSS. If you’re a proud proprietor of a Team Blue GPU (that rhymes, huh?), you can be happy with the efficiency increase that XeSS provides. 

Even should you don’t have an Intel Arc GPU, you’ll nonetheless get a good bounce in efficiency. However, I’d suggest making an attempt out each Intel XeSS and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (additionally out there for a variety of GPUs whatever the model) to see which provides higher efficiency numbers. Check out our AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) protection to know more. 

Intel XeSS Supported Games

The help for XeSS has grown considerably up to now few months, which is an effective signal. However, in comparison with the competitors, Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR, the record is relatively slim. Hopefully, we’ll see more AAA video games on the record quickly. Until then, discover the record of video games that presently help XeSS right here:

How to Enable XeSS in Supported Games

It’s like flipping a change (actually). If your sport helps XeSS, navigate to its show/ graphics settings and click on the “XeSS” toggle to allow it, as proven within the screenshot under. Some video games gives you a affirmation immediate with a “Yes/ No” choice. Select “Yes” within the pop-up window.

When you activate XeSS, you will note another choice to regulate the upscaling high quality. You can set it to:

• Performance: a big improve in FPS with barely lowered image high quality
• Balanced: stable increase in efficiency with minimal degradation of image high quality
• Quality: higher image high quality and a good (however not big) improve in efficiency
• Ultra Quality: near native image high quality (or generally higher), however the FPS improve received’t be as drastic. 

Intel XeSS: In-Game Performance

With XeSS set to Performance mode, video games like Hitman III and Ghostwire: Tokyo carried out 2x higher, which is terrific! Even some graphically demanding video games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider noticed a 1.4x improve in efficiency, leaping from 62 FPS to 87 FPS at 1440p maxed-out settings. Calling it spectacular could be an understatement.

However, not everybody needs to cope with the compromise on image high quality. Let’s be life like. If graphics high quality didn’t matter, we’d all be high quality working 20-year-old video games with character fashions that seemed like potatoes. Sometimes, you need to benefit from the beautiful visuals of your favourite AAA sport.

Well, setting XeSS to Balanced mode gives you comparatively higher image high quality, albeit with a slight discount in FPS numbers. Here, Hitman III and Ghostwire: Tokyo carried out 1.75x and 1.61x higher than native, which continues to be unbelievable! When you select Quality and Ultra Quality modes, the efficiency will take successful, and you might not see any enchancment in frames per second.

Enhance Your Gameplay with Intel XeSS

In conclusion, Intel XeSS isn’t as highly effective as Nvidia’s DLSS and doesn’t help as many video games as AMD’s FSR. So, I like to recommend sticking with DLSS you probably have an RTX 20, 30, or 40 collection GPU. If you’ve an older Nvidia card (GTX 10 collection & up) or an AMD card (RX 460 & up), FSR might offer you barely higher efficiency (and sport help). However, XeSS continues to be a brand new but excellent upscaling expertise that may give as much as 2x the efficiency in your present graphics playing cards! I might strongly suggest making the most of it at any time when you’ll be able to. More frames totally free is just too good a deal to cross. Are you already using XeSS in-game? Did this text persuade you to attempt it out? Do tell us within the feedback under.