- AMD has accidentally leaked the source code for FSR 4
- Clues within that code suggest it could be working to bring FSR 4 to older Radeon GPUs
- It’s feasible this could happen, and it seems AMD is certainly trying to make it work
It seems AMD has accidentally released the full source code for FSR 4, and clues within that code represent an exciting hint that the newest frame rate boosting tech might come to older Radeon GPUs.
Tom’s Hardware reports that the mistaken spillage from Team Red was part of the release of a new version of its FidelitySDK, and it was initially picked up by VideoCardz and some keen-eyed folks on X. We know it was an error as AMD swiftly retracted the material (not before it was heavily screenshotted, though, or indeed downloaded by a good many folks).
As you may be aware, currently FSR 4 is for RX 9000 GPUs only – it helps the latest graphics cards from AMD run games more smoothly – but within the source code that was briefly exposed there lies a hefty hint that Team Red might be considering bringing the tech to RX 7000 models.
That suggestion consists of the FSR 4 source code appearing to have INT8 support, or at least work on that, alongside existing FP8 support. We don’t need to get into the weeds with what those terms mean, as it does get very techy and involved indeed.
All you really need to know is that FP8 workloads can be cut through much more swiftly with current-gen cards thanks to their beefed-up AI accelerators which are designed for these tasks – and in theory, the presence of INT8 would be to facilitate working better with RX 7000 graphics cards (it wouldn’t be relevant to RX 9000 GPUs).
As leaker Uzzi38 on X puts it, this is: “Confirmation for sure that AMD was interested in creating a watered down version of the model for less capable hardware.”
Analysis: a wider deployment of FSR 4 makes some sense
So, what does all this mean? Well, as Uzzi38 notes, it seems to confirm that AMD has at least experimented with getting FSR 4 running on past-gen graphics cards (which would surely be RX 7000 models).
While FSR 4 remains exclusive to RDNA 4 graphics cards – and it was the first take on AMD’s frame rate boosting tech to take this route, bringing in AI (machine learning) for refinements – there’s no reason why it can’t technically be run on older GPUs. The problem is whether it can be run well (or at least decently), and what performance levels gamers might witness on an RX 7000 card.
So, AMD has apparently been giving this a whirl, or may currently be in the process of actually implementing it (or trying to, anyway). I believe that this is likely to be in the works, given that experiments in Linux suggest FSR 4 could work okay on RX 7000 GPUs, and it also makes sense that Team Red will want to bring this tech to bear more widely in time. When AMD has newer advances for current-gen GPUs ready to go – FSR Redstone is on the horizon for later this year – the idea may be to drip-feed FSR 4 down to the next tier of Radeon graphics cards.
As to how this might shake out, the key is obviously whether AMD can ensure that FSR 4 is performant enough on these last-gen GPUs – or if it doesn’t have to be watered down too much in terms of the resultant image quality gamers are getting.
Even if there is something of a performance hit, though, gamers may well take the trade-off for improved image quality and detail – along with reduced ghosting and smearing, and other artifacts – that FSR 4 delivers over its predecessor FSR 3.
In short, this could be really big for PC gamers with RX 7000 graphics cards – or it might turn out to be a nothing burger. I’m inclined towards the former being the more likely outcome here, but obviously take that with the seasoning piled high.
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