Every year, video game graphics are advancing to the next level, but the generational performance gains in computer hardware are slowing. As a result, GPU leaders like AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel invent technologies to “artificially” boost FPS.
Upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR are presently the simplest ways to increase 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 upscaling technology, Intel XeSS or Xe Super Sampling.
So, how does XeSS measure up against the established and tested DLSS and FSR?
Let’s discover!
Table of ContentsShow
What Is XeSS?
XeSS is an in-game upscaling technology developed 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 higher resolution.
The reduced image resolution also reduces the demand on the GPU (and other hardware), which effectively increases FPS. At the same time, visual quality does not decrease; in some cases, XeSS may improve visual quality.
Here’s the edited text: How much the image will be augmented depends on which quality mode is selected in the game’s settings. Users can choose from the following quality modes:
- Ultra Quality
- Quality
- Balanced
- Performance
Performance mode offers the worst 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 significant boost in FPS and usually offers better image quality. However, DLSS is proprietary, but more on that later.
AMD’s FSR 2 also proved to be (almost) as capable 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 a supplementary 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 reduction in visual quality might not be worth it.
Of course, if you have an NVIDIA GPU and DLSS is available in the game, it’s probably better to go with DLSS. FSR also might be a better pick than XeSS currently.
However, if you have an Intel Arc GPU, XeSS can offer an edge over AMD’s FSR. Hardware Unboxed tested both upscaling technologies with Arc A770, and XeSS provided a superior FPS boost.
Here’s XeSS utilized in Hitman 3:
As we can see, XeSS slightly edges out FSR 2.1 with the Quality mode/preset. But what about visual quality?
Well, to spot the distinctions, here’s Hardware Unboxed’s video comparing DLSS, FSR, and XeSS:
From this video, we can see that there isn’t much disparity between XeSS and DLSS (or FSR).
However, the outcome is vastly different if you use XeSS with an AMD or NVIDIA GPU.
Using an RTX 3060, DLSS and FSR offer a greater boost in FPS compared to XeSS. Unfortunately, utilizing a non-Intel Arc GPU also diminishes 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 exclusive, or in other words, works only with NVIDIA’s RTX series, while FSR works with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel video cards.
Like FSR, XeSS works with most modern 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 work 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 lesser upscaling model, which leads to worse 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 accessibility still isn’t too impressive.
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 comprehensive as DLSS or FSR, but we imagine this list will rapidly grow over the years as new games release.
Is XeSS Worth It?
So, after all of this information, is XeSS worthwhile?
At present, XeSS may not be the top choice 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 significant improvement over time. Consequently, it could potentially outperform NVIDIA and AMD’s alternatives.
And, of course, if XeSS is the only available upscaling technology, it is definitely worth using it if you need a bit of extra FPS in your game!
