Upscaling and Frame Generation on PC, Explained

The problem these features try to solve

Every frame a game displays has to be drawn by your graphics card, and drawing high-resolution frames with detailed lighting takes a lot of work. As games become more visually ambitious, even capable hardware can struggle to reach smooth frame rates at high resolutions. Upscaling and frame generation are two approaches designed to close that gap.

You will find these options under different names depending on the game and the hardware vendor, but the core ideas are similar. Understanding them helps you decide when to use them and how to configure them for the kind of game you are playing.

How upscaling works

Upscaling renders the game at a lower internal resolution and then enlarges the image to fit your screen. Simple upscaling just stretches the picture, which can look blurry. Modern techniques are much more sophisticated. They use information from previous frames, motion data and, in some cases, machine-learning models to reconstruct fine detail.

Most games offer several quality modes. A quality mode renders at a resolution close to native and produces an image that can be hard to distinguish from it. Performance modes render at a much lower resolution and deliver a larger speed boost, sometimes with softer details or visible artifacts around fast-moving objects. Upscaling tends to work best when the output resolution is high, because there is more information to work with.

How frame generation works

Frame generation takes a different approach. Instead of drawing every frame in full, the graphics hardware creates additional frames between the ones the game renders, using motion information to predict what the in-between image should look like. The result is a higher displayed frame rate and smoother-looking motion.

There is an important caveat. Because generated frames are not produced by the game itself, they do not reflect new input from your mouse or keyboard. The game still responds at its underlying frame rate, and frame generation can add a small amount of input delay. In practice, this means the feature works best when the base frame rate is already reasonably good. It can make a smooth game look even smoother, but it cannot fully rescue a game that is struggling.

When to turn them on

For slower games such as strategy titles, story-driven adventures or exploration-heavy role-playing games, upscaling and frame generation can make a demanding game look and feel great on modest hardware. Small artifacts or slight delays are rarely noticeable in these genres.

For competitive multiplayer games, responsiveness usually matters more than visual smoothness. Many players in these games prefer to lower graphics settings instead of relying on frame generation. Upscaling in a quality mode can still be a reasonable choice if it helps you reach a higher real frame rate.

A practical way to test

The best way to evaluate these features is to try them in a demanding scene. Start with upscaling in its highest-quality mode and see whether the frame rate improvement is enough. If it is not, step down one mode at a time and watch for blurriness or shimmering on fine details like hair, foliage and fences. If you try frame generation, pay attention to how the game feels when you move the camera quickly, not just how it looks.

These tools are options, not requirements. If you prefer the look of native rendering and your hardware can manage it, there is nothing wrong with leaving them off.

Upscaling and frame generation, explained simply

The problem these features try to solve

How upscaling works

How frame generation works

When to turn them on

A practical way to test

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