Microsoft and AMD have announced that AMD’s FSR 4.1 upscaling technology is coming to Xbox Series X|S consoles.
While there’s no release date beyond “soon,” Xbox chief technology officer Scott Van Vliet confirmed the plan in an announcement video.
According to GameSpot, Van Vliet said AMD has been a partner for more than two decades, and that Microsoft and AMD are also working together on Project Helix, the next-generation Xbox.
FSR 4.1 is a machine-learning-based temporal upscaler, which renders a game at a lower resolution and reconstructs it at a higher one.
It will also support Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards, Gorgon Halo and Strix Halo Ryzen 9 laptops, and handhelds such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally devices, which use Z2 Extreme and Z2A chips.
AMD did not share any other details for Xbox Series X|S. Developers will have to patch their games to use FSR 4.1, so older titles won’t upgrade automatically.
Series X|S also lack dedicated machine-learning hardware, so gains are unlikely to match the PS5 Pro, where Sony already offers its own upscalers, PSSR and QSSR.
Earlier today, we reported that Project Helix is reportedly launching in the 2028 holiday season and is projected to cost between $1,200 and $1,800. Deadlines have reportedly been moved up “by at least several months” on Helix, “putting pressure on development teams to get the work done faster, including using AI.”
CEO Asha Sharma said that Xbox won’t use “AI for AI’s sake” and that it would be used as a tool for engineering and performance issues.
We also learned that Xbox’s restructuring is ongoing, with additional layoffs expected this month, in November, and January.