When it comes to 4K gaming, the debate over upscaling technologies has raged for years. Native resolution has long been the gold standard, but NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5 and AMD’s FSR have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible—often delivering smoother performance without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. Now, a blind test involving over 1,000 participants has delivered a surprising verdict: DLSS 4.5 is the preferred choice for image quality in six major games, beating both native 4K and AMD’s FSR upscaling.
The test, conducted by a German tech community, pitted three rendering modes against each other in titles like Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part II, and Horizon Forbidden West. Participants were shown side-by-side comparisons at 4K—native resolution with Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA), DLSS 4.5 in Quality mode, and FSR 4 in its highest preset—without knowing which was which. The results were clear: 48.2% of voters chose DLSS 4.5 as the best-looking option, nearly double the 24% who preferred native resolution. AMD’s FSR trailed further behind at 15%, with 12.8% seeing no difference between the three.
- DLSS 4.5 dominates in perceived quality: In every game tested, it secured the highest vote share, often by a wide margin. Even in Cyberpunk 2077, where native resolution performed relatively well, DLSS 4.5 still won with 34.4% of the vote.
- Native resolution isn’t always the best: While native 4K with TAA was the second choice overall, it struggled in games like Satisfactory (15.1% preference) and Horizon Forbidden West (19.4%), where DLSS 4.5’s sharpening and detail preservation made a noticeable difference.
- FSR 4 lags behind: Despite improvements, AMD’s upscaling technology only won in The Last of Us Part II, where it captured 25.3% of the vote—still far behind DLSS 4.5’s 40.9%. The test used FSR 4’s Quality preset, not the higher DLAA mode, which could skew results further in DLSS’s favor.
- Motion handling remains a challenge: While the test focused on static image quality, both technologies still grapple with frame-generation artifacts, particularly in fast-paced scenes. DLSS’s Frame Generation 2 and FSR’s similar tech aim to boost FPS, but at the cost of occasional blurring or ghosting.
The results suggest a fascinating dynamic: when gamers aren’t told they’re looking at an upscaled image, DLSS 4.5 often wins on pure visual appeal. This challenges the long-held belief that native resolution is inherently superior. The test also underscores how upscaling has evolved—modern algorithms like DLSS’s temporal upscaling and AMD’s AI-based sharpening can now produce images that rival or even exceed native renders in certain scenarios.
For gamers, the takeaway is clear: DLSS 4.5 isn’t just about performance—it’s about quality. While native 4K remains the theoretical benchmark, the gap in real-world perception is narrowing. Those with NVIDIA GPUs (RTX 40-series or newer) now have a compelling reason to enable DLSS 4.5, especially in demanding titles where FPS and smoothness matter as much as pixel-perfect clarity.
AMD’s FSR 4, meanwhile, still has room to improve. The test’s results align with broader feedback: while FSR has made strides in compatibility and performance, DLSS’s superior image processing—particularly in texture detail and anti-aliasing—gives it an edge in head-to-head comparisons. That said, FSR’s broader hardware support (including AMD, Intel, and even some NVIDIA GPUs) ensures it remains a viable option for those without green-team GPUs.
One limitation of the test is that it didn’t include DLSS 4.5’s Frame Generation 2 or FSR 4’s equivalent in motion scenarios, where artifacts can become more noticeable. Future tests might explore how these technologies perform in dynamic gameplay, where frame pacing and temporal stability play a bigger role. For now, though, the verdict is in: if you’re gaming at 4K and want the best of both worlds—high FPS and high quality—DLSS 4.5 is the clear winner.
