THE CRUNCH
AMD's FSR 4.1.2 upscaling is now officially supported on Xbox Series X and S, with Microsoft's Game Development Kit including two machine learning upscaling models: a Full INT8 model and a more efficient Lite INT8 model. Both work on either console, but developers choose which to implement. The Lite model is half the size of the Full one and costs less to run, though AMD's GDK sample notes that upscaler memory is identical for both because it depends on render and display resolution rather than the model, making the choice a performance trade-off rather than a memory one.
Handhelds are covered too: AMD's FSR SDK 2.4 adds support for the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Ryzen Z2 A chips in the ROG Xbox Ally, Ally X and Ally X20, using a single efficient INT8 model. Because those devices run Windows, developers can integrate it through the standard SDK. AMD says it upgrades DirectX 12 games with FSR 3.1 or newer, with broader ROG Xbox Ally support following in a later update.
Early testing backs the Lite model's credentials. Ancient Gameplays, which tried both models before the rollout, found Lite works better at lower input resolutions and even removes some visual noise the Full model keeps, reasoning that it is built for handhelds and laptop integrated graphics where render resolutions are far lower.
The timing is pointed. Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on Xbox on November 19, and as a Rockstar title it is expected to be a graphical showcase, so an upscaling boost for six-year-old consoles just before launch is well timed. It follows AMD's October announcement that FSR 4.1 was coming to Xbox consoles, and RX 6000 graphics cards got FSR 4.1 early just a few weeks ago, extending the feature to older hardware across the board.