DLSS 4: What’s Exclusive to RTX 50 Series?

The quest for smoother gameplay and stunning visuals has been a driving force in PC gaming for decades. Back in 2018, NVIDIA introduced the first generation of Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), a revolutionary technology that utilised the power of AI to enhance graphics, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing, and it was clear that further development would be needed to make it more appealing.

While initially met with mixed reception, DLSS quickly evolved. DLSS 2.0, released in 2020, marked a significant leap forward, offering impressive image quality improvements and wider game support. DLSS 3.0, launched in 2022 alongside the 40 series GPUs, introduced Frame Generation, further boosting performance and solidifying DLSS as a game-changer. Sure the “I don’t want fake frames” haters are out there, and they’re entitled to that stance, but I’m a big fan of DLSS in its current form, and with DLSS 4, it looks like it’ll be better than ever.

Now, in 2025, NVIDIA has unveiled DLSS 4, pushing the boundaries of AI-powered graphics yet again. This latest iteration boasts a groundbreaking technique called Multi-Frame Generation, where the AI network analyses multiple frames to intelligently generate entirely new ones, effectively multiplying frame rates without sacrificing image quality. DLSS 4 also brings significant improvements to detail reconstruction, anti-aliasing, and the reduction of ghosting and artefacts, resulting in a more immersive and visually stunning gaming experience, which also leans into Reflex 2 technology to improve input latency.

While DLSS 4 will ultimately benefit all RTX GPU users with an enhanced AI network for improved image quality across the board, the full potential of this technology is unlocked with the new NVIDIA 50 series graphics cards. These GPUs, like the upcoming RTX 5090, are specifically designed to leverage the power of Multi-Frame Generation.

However, it seems that older cards, such as the RTX 4000 series (for certain) will leverage all the other advantages, but without the newest Multi-Frame Generation technology, which seems to rely on the greatly improved on-board hardware of the 5000 series.

While initially launched with the RTX 50 series, NVIDIA has confirmed that DLSS 4 will be made available to all RTX GPUs This means gamers with older RTX graphics cards can also look forward to experiencing the benefits of this technology. So this should include both the RTX 30 and 20 series, although I’m sure the newer the generation the more they’ll be able to leverage those technologies. Both the 20 and 30 series won’t benefit or feature the enhanced Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation technologies, and of course, being older cards, their DLSS performance will not be as potent as the 40 and 50 series.

Key Features and Advancements

• Multi-Frame Generation: DLSS 4 introduces a revolutionary technique called Multi-Frame Generation. This process uses AI to analyse multiple frames, intelligently generating entirely new frames in-between the traditionally rendered ones. This leads to a significant boost in performance, effectively multiplying frame rates without compromising image quality.
• Enhanced Image Quality: DLSS 4 goes beyond just boosting performance. It also brings substantial improvements to image quality, offering:
  • Improved Detail Reconstruction: Finer details and textures are preserved and even enhanced, resulting in sharper and more realistic visuals.
  • Reduced Ghosting and Artifacts: DLSS 4 tackles issues like ghosting and motion artefacts more effectively, leading to smoother and cleaner images, especially in fast-paced scenes.
  • Superior Anti-Aliasing: Jagged edges are smoothed out more effectively, resulting in a more polished and refined look.

Overall, NVIDIA DLSS 4 marks a significant leap forward in gaming technology. Its innovative Multi-Frame Generation, coupled with enhanced image quality features and wider GPU compatibility, promises to redefine the gaming experience for a vast audience. I really can’t wait to see it in action, and partly I want to see how current-gen and the next-gen cards compared in both rasterisation and DLSS tests, as I suspect Nvidia isn’t comparing new cards to old cards with them both using DLSS 4, newer on DLSS 4 vs old on DLSS 3, and if older cards can support DLSS 4, the performance gap between the two will likely shrink a little further.