Arm modifies AMD’s FSR to introduce battery-saving GPU upscaling for phones and tablets

Some of the best Arm processors come from companies like Apple and Qualcomm, which license Arm's processor instruction set but create their own custom or semi-custom CPU designs. These companies have leveraged Arm's technology to produce high-performance processors that power a wide range of devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and servers. However, Arm itself continues to innovate, developing its own CPU and GPU architectures along with related technologies. Recently, Arm has announced its entry into the competitive field of graphics upscaling technology with its new solution, Accuracy Super Resolution (ASR).

ASR is a temporal upscaler that is based on AMD's open-source FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR2). According to Arm, this allows developers to benefit from familiar API and configuration options, streamlining the integration process. Graphics upscaling technologies like AMD's FSR and Nvidia's DLSS are widely used in gaming PCs to enhance graphical fidelity—enabling higher frame rates or rendering high-resolution images on less powerful hardware. However, Arm is positioning ASR differently by emphasizing its potential for power savings, which is crucial for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Peter Hodges, Arm's Director for Ecosystem Strategy, highlighted the advantages of ASR in maintaining high-quality rendering at stable, low temperatures. This is particularly important for mobile devices where rendering at native resolutions can lead to undesirable thermal throttling, degrading the user experience and reducing engagement times. By using ASR, developers can achieve high-quality visual results while keeping GPU usage low, thus minimizing heat generation and power consumption.

Arm claims that ASR's GPU usage is as little as one-third of that required by FSR2 at the same target resolutions and scaling factors. Moreover, ASR is reported to deliver 20 to 40 percent better frame rates than FSR2 on Arm devices, depending on the settings. These optimizations make ASR particularly suitable for low-power mobile GPUs with integrated graphics, which do not have the same memory bandwidth as desktop-class graphics cards.

When the ASR specification is released, its adoption will depend on OS makers and game developers. For example, Apple is expected to continue using its own MetalFX upscaling technology, which is also derived from AMD's FSR. Microsoft is developing "Automatic Super Resolution" for Arm devices and working on a vendor-agnostic upscaling API called "DirectSR." Qualcomm has introduced Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, a simpler spatial upscaler similar to AMD's first-generation FSR algorithm.

One of the key advantages of ASR is its hardware-agnostic nature and open-source licensing under the MIT license. This could allow other upscalers to incorporate ASR's improvements, potentially leading to broader adoption and further innovation in the field. Qualcomm's simpler spatial upscaler may offer an easier integration path, but Arm's ASR promises superior image quality on the same GPUs, making it an attractive option for developers.

Despite the proliferation of upscaling standards, the introduction of ASR by Arm highlights the diverse applications of graphics upscaling technology. While traditional use cases focus on enhancing visual fidelity for gaming, Arm's ASR addresses critical issues such as power efficiency and thermal management in mobile devices. This not only broadens the scope of upscaling technology but also underscores Arm's commitment to advancing performance and user experience across various platforms.

In summary, Arm's ASR represents a significant step forward in the realm of graphics upscaling technology, offering tailored optimizations for mobile devices. By leveraging open-source principles and focusing on power savings and thermal efficiency, ASR has the potential to revolutionize the way graphics are rendered on Arm-based devices. As the technology becomes available, it will be interesting to see how it is adopted and adapted by the broader developer community, potentially setting new standards for mobile graphics performance.