DLSS 4 brings crystal-clear graphics to VR games - but installation requires tricks
The new version of Nvidia's AI upscaling technology promises significantly better image quality in virtual reality. Initial tests with DLSS 4 show impressive results.
The latest version of Nvidia's DLSS technology, DLSS 4, brings massive improvements for VR gaming, according to numerous user reports. "It's a real game changer. About 95% of all artifacts are gone, you can see sponsor logos and lettering clearly and see the road very far," reports a user named VicMan73 on Reddit about the game EA Sports WRC.
In older versions, he has not been able to use DLSS4 at all. Big leap "I was able to switch from ASW without DLSS at 40 fps to a full 80 fps at the same resolution — and with DLSS in quality mode. While DLSS was previously practically unplayable in VR, version 4 now delivers razor-sharp and clear images."
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The installation currently still requires several manual steps:
- Installation of the DLSS file version 310.10 via the DLSS swapper
- Activation of "Preset J" in the Nvidia Inspector (not available for some users)
- Optional: Adjustment of engine.ini for maximum sharpness
Particularly interesting: The "Auto mode" of DLSS 4 seems to deliver the best results in VR. "DLSS in AUTO mode delivers the best results and is the only way to get certain games to run really well," explains user LunchFlat6515. He suspects that Auto mode works similarly to DLAA and heavily super samples the image. However, this is not upscaling, as is the case with DLSS.
The improvements can also be seen with various graphics cards. Users report good results with both the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4070 Super in combination with Meta Quest 3. However, as DLSS 4 uses a new AI model, the performance on older graphics cards before the RTX 3000 series is worse than with the AI model that was still used in DLSS 3as a test by Digital Foundry recently showed. Users with older systems must therefore weigh up whether the better image quality is worth the extra performance.
Be aware of technical limitations
Not all DLSS functions can be used in VR. Frame generation, which inserts additional images between the rendered frames in normal PC games, does not work in VR. Users have found that this technology increases the input delay in VR too much.
DLSS 4 currently only supports selected VR titles natively, including Kayak VR: Mirage, Microsoft Flight Simulator and No Man's Sky. Some games rely on AMD's FSR technology as an alternative, such as Blade and Sorcery and Elite Dangerous. Flat-screen games with VR mods such as LuKross also benefit from DLSS 4, provided the main game supports the technology. For SkyrimVR DLSS 4 is possible thanks to the modding-community, DLSS 4 is also available for SkyrimVR.
Existing VR optimizations
In addition to DLSS, VR platforms offer their own technologies to improve performance. Meta Quest uses ASW (Asynchronous Space Warp), Virtual Desktop relies on SSW, and Steam VR uses Motion Smoothing. These technologies work similarly to Nvidia's Frame Generation and can be combined with DLSS.
Moderate performance increases in the RTX 5000 series
The upcoming RTX 5000 series from Nvidia showed modest performance increases compared to the previous generation without DLSS 4. According to initial manufacturer benchmarks, the RTX 5090 achieves around 30 percent more performance than the RTX 4090. The RTX 5080 only increases by 15 percent, while the RTX 5070 Ti and 5070 are around 20 percent faster than their predecessors.
These figures are based on tests in Resident Evil 4 and Horizon Forbidden West without the new DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation. Experts suspect that Nvidia has already selected games for these benchmarks that show particularly large performance gains. The actual performance gains could be even lower in other games.
What do you think of DLSS 4 in VR? Join the conversation on Facebook, Bluesky or X or share your opinion in the comments below.
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