NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 beats AMD FSR 4.1 in blind image quality test

A new blind test suggests NVIDIA still has the lead in upscaling image quality. ComputerBase compared DLSS 4.5, FSR 4.1, and FSR 4.0 across seven games, then asked people to choose the best looking result without knowing which technology they were seeing. DLSS 4.5 won in six of the seven games.

The test included Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Anno 117: Pax Romana, ARC Raiders, Resident Evil Requiem, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and The Last of Us Part I. FSR 4.1 improved over FSR 4.0 in most cases, but DLSS 4.5 was still preferred more often.

DLSS 4.5 still looks cleaner in most tested games

The result is not surprising, but it is still useful. Upscaling quality can be hard to judge from marketing screenshots because motion clarity, fine detail, noise, and shimmer matter more while playing. A blind test helps reduce brand bias and focuses attention on what people actually see. <table> <tr> <th>Upscaler</th> <th>Blind test result</th> </tr> <tr> <td>DLSS 4.5</td> <td>Preferred in six of seven games</td> </tr> <tr> <td>FSR 4.1</td> <td>Usually placed second and beat DLSS in The Last of Us Part I</td> </tr> <tr> <td>FSR 4.0</td> <td>Placed last across all tested games</td> </tr> </table>

The only game where DLSS 4.5 did not win was The Last of Us Part I, where FSR 4.1 came out ahead by a clear margin. That shows AMD’s newer upscaler can compete well in some titles, even if NVIDIA still leads overall.

Another important detail is the number of people who chose “no difference.” That suggests the gap between these technologies is becoming smaller, at least in some scenes. For many players, the difference may not be obvious during normal gameplay unless they pause, zoom in, or compare side by side.

The bigger picture is that both companies have improved upscaling a lot. DLSS 4.5 benefits from NVIDIA’s newer AI model, which appears to help with motion clarity and image stability. FSR 4.1 also shows clear progress compared with FSR 4.0, which is important because FSR works across a wider range of GPUs.

That remains AMD’s strongest advantage. DLSS generally looks better, but it requires NVIDIA RTX hardware. FSR is more flexible and can help people on AMD, Intel, and older NVIDIA GPUs. For many players, that wider support matters more than having the best possible image quality.

For now, the test gives NVIDIA a clear win on image quality. If you have an RTX GPU, DLSS 4.5 is likely the better choice in most supported games. If you do not, FSR 4.1 is still a meaningful upgrade over FSR 4.0 and gives more hardware access to modern upscaling.