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To enable DLSS, update the game and install a current NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver, open the game’s Graphics, Video, or Display options, and turn on the DLSS feature the title provides. The exact menu name and available features vary by game, engine, update, and GPU.
Start with NVIDIA’s resolution-based recommendation for DLSS Super Resolution, then compare image quality, motion artifacts, frame rate, and responsiveness in the game you actually play. Super Resolution, Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction, and DLAA are separate technologies, so support for one does not guarantee support for the others.
What DLSS options actually do
DLSS is not one universal switch. A game may expose one technology, several technologies, or none of them. Read each control separately before changing it.
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Super Resolution renders the game internally at a lower input resolution and reconstructs an image for the selected output resolution. The lower render workload can increase performance, but the result depends on the game’s implementation, motion vectors, interface rendering, and the selected mode. Super Resolution is the setting most games label simply as “DLSS.”
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Frame Generation
Frame Generation creates additional displayed frames between traditionally rendered frames. It is separate from Super Resolution: a game can offer either one, both, or neither. Frame Generation and newer Multi Frame Generation modes have narrower GPU and title requirements than the basic Super Resolution feature. Check the current feature and hardware requirements rather than assuming that an RTX card supports every mode.
Ray Reconstruction
Ray Reconstruction uses AI reconstruction in place of traditional ray-tracing denoisers. It targets the quality of ray-traced lighting and reflections; it is not another Super Resolution quality preset. A title may allow Ray Reconstruction alongside Super Resolution, or it may expose the controls independently.
DLAA
DLAA performs anti-aliasing at the game’s native output resolution. It is an image-quality choice, not a lower-resolution upscaler. Because it does not reduce the internal resolution, it can require more rendering performance than a Super Resolution mode. Availability is controlled by the game and, for some titles, by an NVIDIA app override.
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Check compatibility before changing settings
Do these checks first. They prevent the most common situation: looking for a menu option that the title or GPU cannot provide.
- Confirm the exact feature. A game’s RTX or DLSS listing may refer to Super Resolution, DLAA, Ray Reconstruction, Frame Generation, or a combination. Verify the feature column for the title, not just a general RTX badge.
- Check the GPU generation. NVIDIA’s current DLSS overview lists Super Resolution and DLAA across RTX 20, RTX 30, RTX 40, and RTX 50 series. Newer Frame Generation functions have narrower generation requirements. Use the current NVIDIA hardware table for the exact feature and card.
- Update the game. DLSS controls can arrive or change in a game patch. An older build may have fewer options than the current release.
- Install a current GeForce Game Ready Driver. NVIDIA’s setup guidance specifically calls for a current Game Ready Driver when enabling native DLSS support.
- Use the game’s own support information. Resolution scaling, ray tracing, anti-aliasing, and frame-generation controls can be grouped differently in each title.
NVIDIA reports more than 1,000 games and applications with RTX support. That figure is an overall RTX-support count, not a promise that every listed title supports every DLSS feature. NVIDIA’s feature-specific support table was updated September 29, 2026, so recheck it before relying on a title-by-title compatibility claim.
How to enable native DLSS in a game
- Update the driver. Install the current GeForce Game Ready Driver for your GPU. Restart Windows if the installer requests it.
- Update and launch the game. Let the game finish any patching before checking graphics options. Some launchers expose a separate test or beta branch; use the branch that actually contains the DLSS support you need.
- Open the graphics menu. From the title screen or pause menu, choose a label such as Settings > Graphics, Options > Video, or Display. Menu paths are title-specific.
- Set the output resolution first. Select the resolution you intend to display, such as 1920×1080, 2560×1440, or 3840×2160. Super Resolution recommendations are tied to output resolution.
- Find the DLSS controls. Look for Upscaling, Super Resolution, Anti-aliasing, Frame Generation, or a dedicated NVIDIA DLSS section. A title may place Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction on separate lines.
- Enable the desired feature. Choose a Super Resolution preset, or select DLAA if you want native-resolution anti-aliasing. If the game offers Frame Generation or Ray Reconstruction, enable those separately after confirming that your GPU and the title support them.
- Apply and restart when required. Some engines apply the change immediately; others require a graphics reload or a full restart. Follow the prompt rather than assuming the setting failed.
- Test an active scene. Walk, pan the camera, drive, or enter a scene with foliage, particles, fine geometry, and moving characters. Static screenshots do not reveal all reconstruction or frame-generation artifacts.
NVIDIA’s driver documentation describes native support this way: “When a game has native support for DLSS, there are usually settings to enable the various DLSS technologies without anything that needs to be done on the system running the game.” In practice, that means the normal path is a game-menu change, not a separate system-wide installation.
Which Super Resolution mode should you choose?
Use the following as a starting point, not as a guarantee of the best result. NVIDIA’s recommendations are based on output resolution; your game’s performance and your tolerance for image changes still decide the final setting.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1920×1080 | Quality | Preserves more input detail than the more aggressive modes while reducing the render workload. | Look for thin-line shimmer, foliage breakup, and text clarity during camera movement. |
| 2560×1440 | Quality | Provides the same quality-first starting point at 1440p. | Compare motion detail and frame pacing in the most demanding areas of the game. |
| 3840×2160 | Performance | Targets a larger performance gain at 4K, where native rendering is substantially heavier. | Check distant geometry, hair, particles, reflections, and HUD stability. |
| 7680×4320 | Ultra Performance | Targets the extreme workload of 8K output. | Inspect fine detail carefully; the lower input resolution makes artifacts easier to notice. |
These are vendor recommendations, not independent benchmark results and not universal optimum settings. If Quality is already fast enough, keep it for its higher input resolution. If Performance still misses your target frame rate, test a more aggressive mode only after deciding that the image trade-off is acceptable.
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What the mode names mean numerically
For NVIDIA’s documented Super Resolution override examples, the input-resolution scales are Quality at 67%, Performance at 50%, and Ultra Performance at 33% of the selected output resolution. DLAA is shown at 100% input resolution. These percentages describe the vendor’s scaling examples; they are not measured frame-rate gains.
For example, at a 3840×2160 output, a 50% linear scale does not mean that every internal dimension is simply half the visual detail in every game. The engine’s reconstruction, sharpening, dynamic-resolution behavior, and interface treatment affect the visible result. Treat the percentage as a mode definition, then judge the implementation on screen.
How to compare settings in a useful way
Change one variable at a time and use the same scene or repeatable route. Record the output resolution, selected mode, ray-tracing settings, Frame Generation state, and displayed frame rate. Otherwise, a change in lighting, crowd density, or camera position can make two modes appear faster or cleaner than they really are.
Check image quality
- Pause on fine geometry such as wires, fences, foliage, hair, and distant railings.
- Move the camera slowly and quickly. Temporal reconstruction can look clean when stationary but shimmer during movement.
- Watch reflections, particles, smoke, and transparent effects for trails or breakup.
- Read small HUD text and map labels. UI elements should remain stable and sharp.
Check performance and frame pacing
- Use the game’s built-in performance display when available, or a consistent external overlay.
- Compare the same scene for average frame rate and visible stutter, not only the highest number shown.
- Check demanding areas rather than an empty corridor. A mode that looks fast in a light scene may not meet your target in combat or a busy city.
Check responsiveness
Displayed frame rate and control response are related but not identical. Frame Generation can add displayed frames without replacing the time needed to render the underlying game frames. For a competitive or latency-sensitive title, judge mouse or controller response directly and do not assume that a higher displayed number is automatically better. The available evidence does not establish one universal best configuration for every competitive game or player.
Using NVIDIA app overrides
Native game controls should be your first choice. For supported titles, the NVIDIA app can expose per-game driver controls when the in-game option is missing or when you want a documented scaling preset.
- Open the NVIDIA app.
- Choose Graphics.
- Open Program Settings.
- Select the target game from the program list.
- Open Driver Settings and locate the available DLSS or Super Resolution control.
- Choose the desired value, apply it, and launch the game to verify the result.
The documented Super Resolution input-scaling range in the NVIDIA app is 33%–100%. NVIDIA’s examples map Quality to 67%, Performance to 50%, Ultra Performance to 33%, and DLAA to 100%.
| Override example | Input scale | Use it when | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 67% | You want the quality-first Super Resolution starting point. | The title must support the app override; this is not a universal replacement for native controls. |
| Performance | 50% | You need more performance, commonly at a demanding output such as 4K. | Image quality depends on the game’s reconstruction implementation. |
| Ultra Performance | 33% | You are targeting an exceptionally heavy output such as 8K. | Fine detail and motion artifacts deserve especially close inspection. |
| DLAA | 100% | You want native-resolution anti-aliasing rather than upscaling. | It can cost more performance and may not be available for every title. |
Availability depends on the installed NVIDIA app, driver, game, and feature. If a game does not appear in Program Settings, the desired control is absent, or the game ignores the override, use the title’s own graphics menu and verify that the current build is supported.
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When to try Frame Generation
Use Frame Generation only when the game exposes it and your GPU meets that mode’s requirements. It is most useful as a separate decision from Super Resolution: first establish a stable base rendering experience, then compare the generated-frame option. Look for visual problems around rapidly moving objects, thin geometry, particles, and user-interface elements. Test controller or mouse response as well as the displayed frame rate.
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Multi Frame Generation is a newer, distinct option where offered. Do not infer support from the presence of ordinary Frame Generation or Super Resolution; verify the current NVIDIA feature table and the game’s own requirements.
When to try Ray Reconstruction
Enable Ray Reconstruction when you are using ray-traced effects and the title offers the control. Compare reflections, indirect lighting, shadows, and denoised surfaces in motion. It addresses ray-tracing reconstruction and does not replace your choice of Super Resolution mode.
When to choose DLAA
Choose DLAA when native-resolution anti-aliasing and image stability matter more than the performance reduction associated with rendering at full resolution. If your frame rate is already comfortably above your target, DLAA can be a sensible quality-first test. If performance is constrained, compare it against Super Resolution Quality instead of treating DLAA as a faster option.
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Hardware and support: what you can and cannot assume
| Feature | What it does | Hardware and title check |
|---|---|---|
| Super Resolution | Reconstructs a higher-resolution output from lower-resolution input. | NVIDIA lists support across RTX 20, 30, 40, and 50 series; the game must also implement it. |
| DLAA | Applies AI anti-aliasing at native resolution. | NVIDIA lists it across RTX 20, 30, 40, and 50 series; title or app-override availability still varies. |
| Frame Generation | Creates additional displayed frames. | Requirements are narrower and generation-specific; verify the exact current table and title. |
| Multi Frame Generation | Provides a newer generated-frame mode where supported. | Do not assume eligibility from another DLSS feature; check the mode’s requirements. |
| Ray Reconstruction | Replaces traditional ray-tracing denoisers with AI reconstruction. | Confirm that the title exposes the feature and that your driver and GPU meet its requirements. |
“RTX-supported” is therefore an insufficient compatibility test. A listing can mean that a title supports ray tracing, Super Resolution, DLAA, or another RTX technology. Check the specific feature name and the GPU requirement for the mode you intend to use.
Troubleshooting missing or poor DLSS results
The DLSS option is missing
- Update the game and restart it after the update.
- Install a current GeForce Game Ready Driver.
- Confirm that the title supports the specific feature, not merely RTX effects.
- Check whether the option appears only after enabling a compatible rendering API or ray-tracing mode in that title.
- Verify that the game is running on the intended RTX GPU rather than an integrated adapter.
The option is present but disabled
A disabled control usually indicates a prerequisite or unsupported combination. Check the selected output resolution, rendering mode, ray-tracing state, GPU, and game version. Some titles require a restart after changing the graphics API or display mode.
The image shimmers or shows trails
Repeat the comparison in motion and try the next more conservative mode. For example, move from Ultra Performance to Performance, or from Performance to Quality. Also compare with DLAA or native anti-aliasing if available. Check reflections, foliage, particles, and thin geometry separately; one scene can expose artifacts that another hides.
Frame rate did not improve
Confirm that the mode is actually active after applying it and that the game is GPU-limited. A CPU-limited scene, a frame-rate cap, synchronization setting, or unchanged internal resolution can prevent a visible gain. Compare the same scene with the same ray-tracing and display settings.
Frame Generation looks fast but feels less responsive
Separate displayed frame rate from input response. Test camera movement and controls directly, and compare with Frame Generation disabled. Keep the mode only if the resulting responsiveness and image quality suit the game you are playing.
The NVIDIA app override has no effect
Overrides are title- and version-dependent. Confirm that the game is listed under Graphics > Program Settings, that the control appears under Driver Settings, and that the game is fully updated. If the title has native DLSS controls, use those controls when the override is unavailable or ignored.
Quick Recap
A practical decision sequence
- Identify the exact feature you want: Super Resolution, DLAA, Frame Generation, Multi Frame Generation, or Ray Reconstruction.
- Verify the game’s feature support and your GPU’s requirement in the current NVIDIA table.
- Update the game and GeForce Game Ready Driver.
- Enable the feature in the game’s graphics menu.
- For Super Resolution, start with Quality at 1080p or 1440p, Performance at 4K, and Ultra Performance at 8K.
- Run a repeatable movement test that includes fine detail, transparency, reflections, and combat or other demanding scenes.
- Keep the setting that meets your frame-rate and responsiveness target without unacceptable artifacts.
- Use an NVIDIA app override only for a supported title when the native control is absent or you specifically need the documented per-game scaling control.
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