The latest iteration of AMD’s upscaling tech significantly enhances visual fidelity on the Steam Deck, offering a noticeable leap in clarity for supported titles despite minor performance trade-offs.

Recent footage from Deck Wizard showcases Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Stellar Blade running on Valve’s handheld with AMD FSR 4 alongside the older 3.1.5 version. These visual demonstrations reveal the updated scaling solution produces sharper textures and reduced artifacts compared to previous implementations. While achieving 60 FPS remains ideal for fluid gameplay—particularly in Stellar Blade’s fast-paced combat sequences—the current improvements suggest FSR 4 could become a game-changer for portable gaming as development continues.

AMD’s upscaler now adopts machine learning technology like its competitors, with FSR 4 initially restricted to RX 9000-series graphics cards. However, enthusiasts have discovered methods to enable the tech on RDNA 2/3 GPUs using a community-modified INT8 variant, accessible through open-source frameworks such as OptiScaler. While performance demands increase slightly, the visual upgrades make this adaptation particularly impactful on portable hardware.