Every year, video game graphics are advancing to the next level, but the generational performance gains in computer hardware are declining. As a result, GPU leaders like AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel invent technologies to “artificially” enhance FPS.
Upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR are currently the simplest ways to boost FPS in-game. However, DLSS is NVIDIA’s invention and is available only to RTX graphics cards, while AMD’s FSR is available to (almost) all GPUs.
Intel entered the world of discrete GPUs in 2022 with their Arc lineup and introduced their improved technique, Intel XeSS or Xe Super Sampling.
So, how does XeSS measure up against the established and proven DLSS and FSR?
Let’s explore!
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What Is XeSS?
XeSS is an in-game upscaling technology created by Intel, resembling DLSS and FSR. It takes a lower-resolution image of a game and processes it through an AI-enhanced upscaling algorithm to produce the image at a greater resolution.
The reduced image resolution also decreases the demand on the GPU (and other hardware), which effectively increases FPS. At the same time, visual quality does not diminish; in some cases, XeSS may improve visual sharpness.
Here’s the edited text: How much the image will be enhanced depends on which quality mode is selected in the game’s configurations. Users can choose from the following quality options:
- Ultra Quality
- Quality
- Balanced
- Performance
Performance mode offers the poorest visual quality but the most substantial increase in FPS; Ultra Quality provides the exact opposite, with Quality offering slightly more FPS (at the cost of image fidelity). And, naturally, Balanced mode provides a middle ground for FPS and image clarity.
Currently, XeSS is still in its infancy, while NVIDIA’s DLSS 3, which got introduced with RTX 4000 series, offers a more substantial boost in FPS and typically provides excellent image quality. However, DLSS is proprietary, but more on that later.
AMD’s FSR 2 also proved to be (nearly) as effective as DLSS. FSR 3 will also release soon, together with RDNA 3 GPUs.
Why Use XeSS?
XeSS should be used when available simply because it offers an additional boost in performance, especially if you are running games at 4K or 1440p. Of course, XeSS will provide an FPS boost in 1080p too, but the decrease in graphic quality might not be worth it.
Of course, if you have an NVIDIA GPU and DLSS is available in the game, it’s likely better to go with DLSS. FSR also might be a favorable pick than XeSS currently.
However, if you have an Intel Arc GPU, XeSS can offer an advantage over AMD’s FSR. Hardware Unboxed tested both upscaling technologies with Arc A770, and XeSS provided an excellent FPS boost.
Here’s XeSS utilized in Hitman 3:
As we can observe, XeSS marginally surpasses FSR 2.1 with the Quality mode/preset. But what about visual clarity?
Well, to spot the differences, here’s Hardware Unboxed’s video comparing DLSS, FSR, and XeSS:
From this video, we can observe that there isn’t much difference between XeSS and DLSS (or FSR).
However, the result is considerably different if you use XeSS with an AMD or NVIDIA graphics card.
Using an RTX 3060, DLSS and FSR offer a greater boost in FPS compared to XeSS. Unfortunately, utilizing a non-Intel Arc GPU also reduces visual quality. Specifically, there is noticeable shimmering and flickering when rapid movement takes place, which can be jarring.
You can see more of the visual quality of XeSS in Hardware Unboxed’s test with an RTX 3060 and RX 6650 XT.
Compatibility
One of the advantages FSR has over NVIDIA is its compatibility. DLSS is proprietary, or in other words, works only with NVIDIA’s RTX series, while FSR works with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel graphics cards.
Like FSR, XeSS works with most contemporary GPUs, excluding only those that do not have DP4a support. So, any GPU after NVIDIA’s GTX 10 series and AMD’s RDNA 1 GPUs will function with Intel XeSS.
However, there is a reason why XeSS with Intel Arc cards offers superior image quality and an FPS boost. XeSS utilizes the XMX cores in Arc GPUs for its upscaling, while XeSS with other, non-Arc GPUs uses DP4a instructions and a basic upscaling model, which leads to inferior results.
Availability
Last but not least is accessibility. XeSS, just like FSR and DLSS, needs to be implemented into games by its developers. However, since XeSS came to the scene a little bit later, its in-game availability still isn’t too substantial.
Here are the current games that support XeSS upscaling:
- ANVIL
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II/Warzone 2.0
- Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
- The DioField Chronicle
- Dying Light 2
- Dysterra
- Enlisted
- Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
- GhostWire: Tokyo
- Gungrave GORE
- Hitman III
- Judgment
- Lost Judgment
- Martha Is Dead
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- The Riftbreaker
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Super People
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt
The list of games supported isn’t as extensive as DLSS or FSR, but we imagine this list will quickly grow over the years as new games release.
Is XeSS Worth It?
So, after all of this information, is XeSS advantageous?
At present, XeSS may not be the premier option among the three upscaling technologies since DLSS and FSR generally provide higher FPS without much loss in visual quality. However, with Intel’s updates to XeSS and its GPUs, it is expected to show substantial improvement over time. Consequently, it could potentially outperform NVIDIA and AMD’s alternatives.
And, of course, if XeSS is the sole available upscaling technology, it is certainly worth employing it if you need a bit of extra FPS in your game!
