Microsoft announces DirectSR for DirectX, a single API for NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS

With the revelation that Windows 11 was getting an 'Automatic super resolution' feature called Auto SR, powered by AI, the recent DirectSR announcement from Microsoft's DirectX team had many assuming that the company was planning to unveil its version of DLSS, FSR, or XeSS at GDC in the coming weeks.

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It turns out that's not the case; DirectSR sounds very exciting as it's a new API designed in partnership with GPU makers like AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA "to enable seamless integration of Super Resolution (SR) into the next generation of games." Integrating upscaling or Super Resolution (SR) technologies within DirectX aims to make it a lot easier for developers to add this support to their games.

"DirectSR is the missing link developers have been waiting for when approaching SR integration, providing a smoother, more efficient experience that scales across hardware," Microsoft's Joshua Tucker writes.

"This API enables multi-vendor SR through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate a variety of solutions including NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS," Joshua adds. "DirectSR will be available soon in the Agility SDK as a public preview, which will enable developers to test it out and provide feedback."

Basically, it sounds like implementing Super Resolution with DirectSR will allow developers to add all competing technologies at once without integrating each separately. As for Microsoft's AutoSR, odds are this will be included in the list if it requires per-game implementation.

However, the version we've seen in Windows Settings sounds more like AMD's driver-based Super Resolution or NVIDIA's Image Scaling in that it will work at the 'driver level.'