Microsoft’s Auto SR Upscaling Exits Preview, Adds Handheld Play
Microsoft's Automatic Super Resolution is out of preview on the ROG Xbox Ally X and X20, now works in handheld mode and is coming to AMD Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft has taken its Automatic Super Resolution technology out of testing. The game upscaling feature, known as Auto SR, is now officially available on the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally X20 handhelds and on select Copilot+ PCs running AMD Ryzen processors, the company said in a post on its DirectX Developer Blog dated Nov. 10. The release adds features players had asked for during the preview, chief among them support for handheld play away from a dock.
Auto SR renders a game at a lower resolution and then upscales the image, so the game runs more smoothly while still looking sharp. Engadget described the feature as Microsoft’s answer to Nvidia’s DLSS, the upscaling technology that has become standard on Nvidia graphics cards. The ROG Xbox Ally handhelds are portable gaming PCs made by Asus in partnership with Microsoft’s Xbox division. Copilot+ PCs are a class of Windows laptops that Microsoft certifies for on-device AI features.
What changed from the preview
Microsoft started testing Auto SR on the ROG Xbox Ally X with members of its Xbox Insider program in April. The preview had two big limits: the device had to be docked to a TV or monitor, and players had to lower a game’s resolution below 1080p before upscaling would turn on.
The official version removes both limits. According to the blog post by Stefan Bojanic, a product manager at Microsoft, these changes are available now:
- Handheld play: Auto SR now runs on the device’s built-in screen, including on battery power.
- 1080p support: Games running at 1080p can use the feature directly. When the handheld is docked to a higher-resolution display, Auto SR can upscale to 1440p. Microsoft says this gives “1440p-like detail alongside smooth framerates on larger screens.”
- More hardware: Select Copilot+ PCs with AMD Ryzen chips now support Auto SR.
Microsoft added a caveat. At 1080p on the handheld’s internal screen, “performance may not be as optimal as other configurations,” the company wrote, though it said players should still see visual gains, especially in older games. Engadget noted that 1080p is the default resolution for most games on the Asus devices, so many titles should no longer need manual adjustment.
A faster mode and HDR are coming later
Two more features will arrive through future Windows updates. Microsoft said they may take some time to reach every device.
The first is a new Performance Mode. During the preview, frame rates with Auto SR topped out at roughly 60 to 75 frames per second. Performance Mode raises that ceiling to as high as 120 frames per second, almost twice the old limit. Microsoft said the higher frame rates should make fast-paced and competitive games, such as shooters, look and feel smoother. Players can switch between Performance Mode and the existing Quality Mode while a game is running.
In a test Microsoft shared, Rocket League on the ROG Xbox Ally X at 720p with high graphics settings averaged 70 frames per second in Quality Mode and 115 frames per second in Performance Mode.
The second feature is compatibility with Auto HDR, a Windows feature that adds high dynamic range lighting to older games. Until now, players had to pick either Auto SR or Auto HDR. Once the update arrives, the two will work together on HDR TVs, HDR monitors and the ROG Xbox Ally X20.
Why it matters
Handheld gaming PCs have to balance graphics quality, frame rates and battery life. Upscaling is one of the main ways to improve that balance, and companies including Nvidia have made it a selling point for their hardware. By building Auto SR into Windows and extending it to the handheld screen, Microsoft is offering a similar tool to people who use its Xbox-branded handhelds both on the go and connected to a TV.
Microsoft said handheld support was added in response to popular demand, and it pitched the feature as a way to smooth out demanding games that feel choppy when played on the go.
How to turn it on
Microsoft’s instructions say users need the latest Windows 11 updates and an updated Game Bar, the overlay Windows uses for gaming tools. They also need to download or update the Auto Super Resolution Package from the Microsoft Store. The setting is in Game Bar under Widgets, then Display, then Graphics, where players can choose Quality or Performance. Microsoft is asking for bug reports through its Feedback Hub app.
Microsoft did not give a date for when Performance Mode and Auto HDR support will reach all devices.
