A new comparison test suggests that NVIDIA’s latest upscaling tech is still ahead of AMD’s. In a blind test across multiple games, most players preferred DLSS 4.5 over FSR 4.1.
DLSS wins in six out of seven games
The test included seven major titles and asked users to pick the best looking image without knowing which technology was being used.
Results showed:
- DLSS 4.5 was chosen as the best in six out of seven games
- FSR 4.1 came second in most cases
- FSR 4.0 ranked last consistently
The only exception was The Last of Us Part I, where FSR 4.1 came out on top.
Many players could not tell the difference
One interesting detail is how often players selected “no difference” between options.
This suggests:
- Upscaling tech has improved significantly overall
- Visual gaps are smaller than before
- Differences are sometimes hard to notice in real gameplay
Why DLSS is still ahead
DLSS 4.5 uses a newer AI model that focuses on:
- Better motion clarity
- Reduced noise
- Improved sharpness
These improvements seem to give it an edge in most scenarios, even though AMD has made progress with FSR 4.1.
Key difference between the two approaches
| Feature | DLSS 4.5 | FSR 4.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Requires NVIDIA RTX GPUs | Works on many GPUs |
| Image quality | Usually higher | Improving but behind |
| Compatibility | Limited | Much broader |
DLSS offers better quality in many cases, but FSR remains more accessible since it works across different hardware.
The takeaway: quality vs accessibility
This comparison highlights a familiar trade off:
- DLSS 4.5 delivers better visuals in most cases
- FSR 4.1 works on a wider range of devices
For players with RTX GPUs, DLSS is still the preferred option. For everyone else, FSR remains an important alternative that continues to improve.
The gap is shrinking, but for now, NVIDIA still appears to have the lead in image quality.
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