AMD FSR Upscaling 4 is now available to Xbox developers, and with it, machine-learning-based upscaling arrives on Xbox Series X|S consoles for the first time. Microsoft's Xbox team published a new GDK sample on November 4, and AMD followed with the integration details on GPUOpen the same day.
What Shipped
AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1.2 ships with the October 2026 Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK). It includes two INT8 models: the Full model and a new Lite model that is less than half the size and carries a lower upscaling cost. Both models run on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and the implementation was optimized for the consoles' RDNA 2-based GPUs in collaboration between AMD and the Xbox team.
The model choice is a performance trade-off, not a memory one: upscaler memory depends on render and display resolution, not on the model, so it is identical for Full and Lite. A new GDK sample lets developers switch between FSR 4.1 Full, FSR 4.1 Lite, and FSR 3 at runtime and compare image quality against upscaling cost in the same scene, with on-screen metrics. The sample builds for both Xbox Series X|S and Windows desktop.
How It Integrates
Integration uses the same AMD FSR SDK API developers already use on Windows: registered Xbox developers get AMD-signed binaries for Series X|S in the GDK and the same API headers as on PC. The upscaler takes the same inputs as FSR on PC — jittered color, depth, and motion vectors — with the reactive mask and the transparency and composition mask as optional. Quality modes also match PC: Native AA, Quality, Balanced, Performance, and Ultra Performance. AMD recommends using those standard names and scaling ratios in game settings so players get a consistent experience across titles.
The Performance Cost
GPU cost measurements from the GDK sample, as published by Microsoft:
| Console | Model (INT8) | Output resolution | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | FSR4 Lite | 1440p | 1.29 ms |
| Xbox Series X | FSR4 Lite | 4K | 2.75 ms |
| Xbox Series X | FSR4 Full | 1440p | 1.95 ms |
| Xbox Series X | FSR4 Full | 4K | 3.86 ms |
| Xbox Series S | FSR4 Lite | 1080p | 1.9 ms |
| Xbox Series S | FSR4 Lite | 1440p | 3.4 ms |
| Xbox Series S | FSR4 Full | 1080p | 2.9 ms |
| Xbox Series S | FSR4 Full | 1440p | 5.2 ms |
Beyond the Consoles
Support extends across the Xbox ecosystem, including the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Those are Windows devices, so developers bring FSR Upscaling 4.1.2 to them with the standard AMD FSR SDK; with FSR SDK 2.4, upscaling supports the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Ryzen Z2 A processors that power the hardware.
What It Means for Players
Games running on existing Series X|S hardware can now use ML-based upscaling — a capability that previously required newer silicon — without any hardware change. Developers in the Xbox developer program can get started by reviewing the GDK sample and reaching the team through the Xbox Developer Forums.
Sources
- Xbox Game Dev Blog — AMD FSR Upscaling 4 Is Now Available for XBOX Developers — primary, opened; confirms availability for Xbox developers, the RDNA 2 optimization, the Full and Lite INT8 models in the GDK sample, the full performance table, and the developer program contact path
- AMD GPUOpen — AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1.2 Comes to XBOX — primary, opened; confirms version 4.1.2 with the October 2026 GDK, first-time ML upscaling on Xbox consoles, the Lite model size and cost, SDK parity with Windows, the quality mode names, and ROG Xbox Ally support