PSA for AMD and Intel Users: XeSS 1.3 was released ~2 weeks ago. Try Quality mode even on AMD , it was reported to be better quality and now even better. It was always reported as being better all around than FSR for Quality mode, new comparisons are out.
Backwards compatible API with XeSS 1.0 & 1.1 & 1.2
New AI models deliver greater detail reconstruction, better anti-aliasing quality, reduced ghosting, and improved temporal stability
New quality presets: Ultra Performance, Ultra Quality Plus, and Native Anti-Aliasing
Increased resolution scaling for existing quality presets, delivering better performance while preserving visual fidelity
Extract the libxess.dll from the zip’s Bin folder to "\Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 DARKTIDE*binaries* " (backup old copy)
P.S. I have zero skin in the game as I’m on nVidia myself so I haven’t tested this or care to, this is a pure PSA. For nV use DLSS, you can upgrade manually to latest DLSS 3.7.0.0. or use DLSS Swapper to ~automate it.
At least for the AMD side, i have run XeSS previously just to see what frames i got with maxed RT on a 7900xtx with the ultra quality preset versus FSR (2.2 or whatever the stock implementation is in DT), and it was better than FSR as far as fidelity and frames/artifacts.
Not really worth it vs medium RT/native render, but can at least confirm even unmodded XeSS is probably worth a shot if you’re on AMD hardware and want upscaling.
I’ll give it a spin if i play today just to see if i notice any improvements vs the old implementation.
From my understanding for XeSS 2.2 Quality was the sweet spot for AMD as it gave the same performance but better image quality and stability, reduced ghosting etc. vs FSR (balanced?), IIRC it held true across the board. Now 2.3 should be even better.
I see many an AMD user post god-awful screenshots and videos with very visible ghosting artifacts and many of them won’t even consider XeSS even when given the facts.
Right, finally had some downtime today so i hopped ingame and did some laps around the psykanum entrance to do some very basic motion testing in the particle shower there, and did a control screenshot at the end for each upscaler/setting.
Sloppy, but good enough for a simple fidelity check.
All screenshots done at 3440x1440, all setting apart from motion blur on/at highest setting, RT on and on high/high (reflections and global respectively).
Left the driver frame overlay in the pictures just so you can see the (relative) hardware tax and highs/lows/frametimes, even if that data is somewhat meh too with the parameters of the test being what they are.
For reference, when playing “normally” i use native/same settings as test, but RT at low/med, my lows are in the 70-80s and it normally keeps things at 100 frames (playing on a 100hz ultrawide) with no issues on damnation+, card is also undervolted to 1080.
First image is XeSS (patched) on quality. Ultra quality looked good but frames came in roughly the same as native, but both ultra quality and quality gained 10-15 frames while in motion, which was interesting.
I’d still rather run darktide native with low/med RT, but if i absolutely have to have RT at high/high for some reason and want to maintain 100ish fps, Xess would get there with a little bit of a fidelity hit.
I’ll try to remember to enable all this the next time i get a round or two in just to see how it runs in a “proper” setting and update if needed.
Now we just need to get a proper FSR3 implementation to test against for the AMD hardware folks that can’t use DLSS 3.5.
