Although we can now watch video on 4K and 8K TVs and monitors, the content available sometimes does not have that resolution, resulting in a poor viewing experience.
Whether it’s because you don’t have a higher tier subscription, the platform you’re watching doesn’t offer high resolution, or the video you’re watching is simply old, 1080p content sharp enough to watch on modern large TVs Not there .
So, how does NVIDIA solve this? With RTX VSR. This way.
What is RTX VSR?
RTX VSR stands for RTX Video Super Resolution—an upscaling technology that uses the AI and Tensor Core found in the latest Nvidia RTX video cards. Although the VSR technology is different from DLSS, the concept behind NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling technology is the same—where the low native resolution is upscaled to 4K using AI.
What makes RTX VSR different from DLSS 3.0 is that the GPU only works with the data displayed on your screen (which is low-resolution video). DLSS, on the other hand, has access to game engine data, giving it more information to work with.
Furthermore, DLSS only works with supported games, while RTX VSR works with every video as long as you watch it on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. That’s why RTX VSR is more advanced than DLSS.
Which GPUs are compatible with the RTX VSR?
According to NVIDIA’s RTX VSR blog post, the RTX VSR is compatible with all GeForce RTX 40- and 30-series GPUs. So that means you’ll need at least an RTX 3050 to enjoy it. This tech can help you decide between RTX 3060 and Arc A770 if you want to enjoy 4K video while streaming on your PC.
These models include both desktop and laptop GPUs. Furthermore, we expect the upcoming RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 video cards to support the technology.
How to turn on RTX VSR
If you’re running an RTX 30- or 40-series GPU, it only makes sense to turn this feature on. After all, you’ve already paid for an expensive PC part, so you might as well maximize its use.
You must have the latest GeForce Game Ready drivers or NVIDIA Studio drivers to enable the RTX VSR. You need to update Google Chrome to version 110.0.5481.105 or higher or Microsoft Edge to version 110.0.1587.56 or higher, whichever browser you are using. Unfortunately, the RTX VSR doesn’t work with other browsers like Firefox and Opera, so you’ll have to live with these two.
RTX VSR vs Native Video Quality
So, how does the RTX VSR compare against native video? Let’s do some comparisons below.
First, let’s look at the finer details of the Crab Rave animated music video. At 720p, you’ll notice that subtle details in green bushes are softer and blurrier. With the RTX VSR but still at 720p, these bushings now have more detail, but they still aren’t as sharp as native 1080p video.
If you shoot older videos, movies, and shows at lower resolutions, the RTX VSR does wonders for your viewing experience. For example, we tested the anime Gundam SEED, which only has a maximum resolution of 360p.
If you shoot older videos, movies, and shows at lower resolutions, the RTX VSR does wonders for your viewing experience. For example, we tested the anime Gundam SEED, which only has a maximum resolution of 360p.
We also tested the RTX VSR with human faces. In this episode of Law & Order, we got stuck into the eyes of one of the characters, because that’s where you’ll see the most detail. Looking at our cropped images, it’s clear that 720p has less detail than 1080p.
When you look at the samples on the RTX VSR, you’ll notice that the faces have sharper lines and better resolution. However, it’s also smoothed out and lost some texture – like when we used filters during our video calls.
So, although RTX VSR On offers better quality, native resolution is still the best option if you have access to it. But if you’re looking to watch video produced at a lower resolution or don’t want to pay a monthly subscription fee for 4K access, the RTX VSR is a viable option.
Effect of RTX VSR on GPU performance
When you’re just watching video, it’s usually handled by your CPU’s onboard graphics (if it has one) or with negligible load on your GPU. But since the RTX VSR uses the tensor cores of your GPU, it’s bound to affect its performance.
When we played Gundam SEED Episode One without the RTX VSR, our laptop’s RTX 3060 returned a 4% utilization rate in the 3D graph. But when we turned on this feature, this usage increased by 30%. It also increased the GPU temperature from 51 to 54 degrees C.
Still, the jump is minor for the quality gains you get over video. So, unless you’re playing a GPU-intensive game and simultaneously watching YouTube videos (which your teammates would highly recommend), then using the RTX VSR won’t be a problem.
