Nvidia DLSS 4.5 Dominates Blind Test Against AMD FSR and Native Rendering

German tech outlet ComputerBase has conducted a comprehensive blind test comparing image quality across six popular games, with Nvidia's DLSS 4.5 emerging as the clear winner against both AMD's FSR 4 (Redstone) and native rendering using TAA.

Test Results Show Clear DLSS 4.5 Dominance

The blind test, which gathered 6,747 total votes, revealed that DLSS 4.5 captured 48.2% of all preferences across the six titles tested. Native rendering finished second with 24.0%, while AMD's FSR 4 lagged significantly behind at just 15.0%.

Individual Game Performance

DLSS 4.5 demonstrated particularly strong performance in several titles:

• Satisfactory: 60.9% preference rate
• Horizon Forbidden West: 56.3% preference rate
• Anno 117: 50.1% preference rate
• Cyberpunk 2077: 34.4% preference rate
• The Last of Us Part II: 40.9% preference rate
• ARC Raiders: 47.4% preference rate

Notably, FSR 4 failed to win a single game, not even managing to surpass native rendering in any category.

Testing Methodology and Scope

The test included six major titles: Anno 117, ARC Raiders, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, Satisfactory, and The Last of Us Part II. All games were tested at 4K resolution with upscaling set to "Quality" mode for both DLSS and FSR.

(Image credit: Future)

Technical Implications

The results demonstrate the significant advancements in DLSS 4.5 technology, with nearly half of all participants preferring the upscaled image quality over native rendering. This preference rate is particularly noteworthy given that native rendering typically represents the baseline for image quality comparisons.

Market Context

The test results come at a time when upscaling technologies are becoming increasingly important for gaming performance. With modern games demanding more from hardware, technologies like DLSS and FSR enable higher frame rates while maintaining visual fidelity.

Future Considerations

The test notably excluded Intel's XeSS technology, likely due to the lack of truly 4K-capable Battlemage GPUs in the market. Additionally, while DLAA (Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing) wasn't tested, the outlet noted that it would likely outperform super-sampled images, though this would introduce an Nvidia-specific bias to the test.

Industry Impact

These results suggest that Nvidia's DLSS technology continues to maintain a significant lead in image quality over competing solutions. For gamers and hardware manufacturers, this could influence purchasing decisions and development priorities for future gaming hardware and software optimizations.

Access to Test Materials

ComputerBase has made the individual gameplay videos available on their website, allowing readers to view the test materials and form their own conclusions about the image quality differences between the various rendering techniques.

The comprehensive nature of this blind test provides valuable data for both consumers and industry analysts, highlighting the current state of upscaling technology and its impact on gaming visual quality.