Lossless Scaling: Elevating Performance and Visual Fidelity with the Latest Updates
Lossless Scaling continues to carve out its niche in the gaming community as an essential tool for players seeking to enhance their gaming experience without sacrificing image quality. With a current average player count of 7,799, the software remains a popular choice among gamers looking to upscale lower resolution games to higher resolutions seamlessly. The recent updates have introduced significant improvements and new features that not only boost performance but also address compatibility challenges introduced by the latest Windows 11 update. In this article, we dive deep into the latest enhancements, including the new Resolution Scale option, the introduction of SGSR v1, and important quality fixes that collectively elevate Lossless Scaling’s capabilities.
Introducing Resolution Scale: Balancing Performance and Quality
One of the standout features in the latest Lossless Scaling update is the new Resolution Scale option for LSFG (Lossless Scaling Fullscreen Game). This innovative feature allows gamers to process input frames at a reduced resolution while still generating output at the original, higher resolution. For instance, if you are playing a game at 1440p, setting the resolution scale to 50% means that LSFG will work with a 720p input but output at the full 1440p resolution.
This approach offers a significant performance boost, especially on systems where rendering at native high resolutions can be taxing. The trade-off in visual quality is minimal and largely dependent on the game being played. Unlike traditional image scaling techniques, this feature does not simply upscale a lower resolution image but reduces the complexity of the input data for motion estimation algorithms, making the process more efficient.
Another important note is the full replacement of LSFG 1.1 with LSFG 2.3. The new version not only supports the Resolution Scale feature but also delivers faster performance and higher quality output. For users who prefer the older version, LS 2.11 remains accessible in the Betas section on Steam, but it no longer receives updates or support.
SGSR v1: A Lightweight Spatial Upscaler
Alongside the Resolution Scale feature, the update introduces SGSR v1, a highly lightweight spatial upscaler designed to complement Lossless Scaling’s existing toolkit. SGSR (Snapdragon Game Spatial Resampler) v1 focuses on delivering efficient upscaling with minimal resource consumption, making it ideal for users who want to maintain smooth gameplay without compromising too much on visual fidelity.
Developed by Snapdragon Studios, SGSR v1 is open source and available for review and integration. For those interested in the technical details or looking to contribute, the official GitHub page provides comprehensive documentation and resources: https://github.com/SnapdragonStudios/snapdragon-gsr.
Windows 11 24H2 Compatibility: Navigating New Challenges
The release of Windows 11 24H2 brought with it a significant change in how the Desktop Duplication API (DXGI) functions. Microsoft’s update made DXGI heavily reliant on MPO (Multiplane Overlay) support, which has introduced compatibility challenges for Lossless Scaling’s frame capture and pacing algorithms.
Without MPO support, DXGI struggles to reliably differentiate between updates from the game window and the Lossless Scaling window when both are displayed on the same monitor. This limitation prevents the software from capturing only new frames, effectively breaking the framepacing algorithm that is critical for smooth and consistent gameplay.
MPO support varies widely between systems, and unfortunately, there is no definitive method to determine why some setups support it while others do not. Users can check their system’s MPO compatibility using the dxdiag tool. In some cases, workarounds exist-for example, disconnecting one of two connected monitors may force the remaining monitor to support MPO, restoring functionality.
As it stands, DXGI is no longer a reliable capture method on Windows 11 24H2 unless Microsoft revises its approach or GPU manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD enhance MPO support in their drivers. On a positive note, Microsoft has addressed a longstanding bug in the Windows Graphics Capture (WGC) API, which may offer an alternative capture method moving forward.
Quality Fixes: Sharpening the Visual Experience
Beyond new features and compatibility improvements, the latest update also brings a suite of quality fixes aimed at refining the visual output of Lossless Scaling. Notably, there has been a reduction in LSFG artifacts on patterned textures and in dark scenes, an issue that was particularly noticeable when HDR (High Dynamic Range) was enabled. This fix ensures that games with complex textures and lighting look cleaner and more natural.
Additionally, the LS1 sharpening correction has been adjusted so that a sharpening value of zero now truly matches the original image without any unintended enhancement. This subtle but important tweak improves color accuracy and overall image fidelity, especially when HDR is active.
Localization has also been improved with the addition of Portuguese and Serbian translations, broadening the accessibility of Lossless Scaling to a more diverse global audience.
Conclusion: A Step Forward for Lossless Scaling Users
The recent updates to Lossless Scaling demonstrate the developers’ commitment to balancing cutting-edge features with practical usability. The introduction of Resolution Scale and SGSR v1 offers gamers new ways to optimize performance without sacrificing quality, while the handling of Windows 11 24H2’s challenges shows adaptability in a rapidly evolving software environment.
Quality fixes further polish the user experience, making Lossless Scaling not just a tool for upscaling but a reliable companion for enhancing the visual and performance aspects of gaming. As the community grows and the software continues to evolve, Lossless Scaling remains a must-have for gamers who demand the best of both worlds - performance and visual fidelity.