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Upscaling can make a game run faster by rendering fewer pixels internally and reconstructing the image at your display resolution. The trade-off is that some detail must be inferred. A low internal resolution or an aggressive quality mode usually produces softness; unstable temporal data can produce shimmer, crawling foliage, flicker, or ghost trails. Those are different problems, so the fix is not simply “add more sharpening.”
Start by identifying the active upscaler, internal-resolution preset, output resolution, anti-aliasing path, and sharpening value. Then test a less aggressive mode in motion, compare another supported scaler or native rendering, and check driver and game updates. If only one game remains unstable, its motion vectors, exposure handling, or upscaler integration may be at fault and may require a developer update.
What upscaling is doing to the image
Your monitor may display 2560×1440 or 3840×2160, while the game renders internally at a lower resolution to reduce GPU work. An upscaler reconstructs an output-sized frame from that smaller source. The reconstruction can preserve much of the apparent detail, but it cannot recover every piece of information that was never rendered.
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Spatial upscaling
A spatial scaler works mainly from the current frame. It enlarges the lower-resolution image and applies reconstruction and, in some implementations, sharpening. Because it has no reliable information from previous frames, fine patterns can change from frame to frame. NVIDIA describes this behavior as temporal instability in its discussion of spatial scaling. Thin wires, foliage, distant fences, and high-contrast texture can appear to crawl or sparkle even when the camera is moving only slightly.
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Temporal reconstruction
Temporal methods use the current low-resolution frame together with information accumulated from earlier frames. Motion vectors tell the algorithm how objects and pixels moved; a history buffer supplies detail that may not be visible in the current sample. DLSS and XeSS-SR are examples of temporal approaches, although their implementations and supported features differ by game and version.
Temporal reconstruction can retain more detail at the same internal resolution, but it is dependent on the quality of its inputs. Incorrect motion vectors, changing visibility, disocclusion (a surface becoming visible after being hidden), or incorrect scene exposure can make the history unreliable. The result may be ghosting, flickering detail, or a soft image that changes as you move.
Blur, shimmer, flicker and ghosting are not the same symptom
Identify the visual failure before changing settings. Use a repeatable scene with foliage, railings, text, a character moving across a contrasting background, and a slow camera pan. Compare while moving, not only in a paused screenshot.
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|---|---|---|
| Everything looks uniformly soft, including large objects | Low internal resolution, an aggressive performance preset, or restrained reconstruction detail | Select the next higher quality mode and compare frame rate |
| Edges or fine patterns crawl, sparkle or flicker during motion | Temporal instability, insufficient samples, or problematic spatial scaling | Compare a temporal scaler, a higher-quality preset, or native rendering |
| A faint copy trails behind a moving object | Ghosting from history and motion-vector errors, disocclusion, or exposure handling | Test another scaler or native anti-aliasing; check for a game update |
| Edges look harsh, halos appear, and fine texture seems noisy | Too much sharpening applied after reconstruction | Reduce sharpening substantially, then reassess stability |
| Only one title has the problem while other games look normal | Game-specific integration or rendering-path conflict | Verify anti-aliasing and competing upscalers; report the title-specific issue |
Blur and shimmer can coexist. For example, an aggressive preset can leave a soft base image while temporal instability makes foliage shimmer. Treat each symptom separately instead of assuming one slider controls both.
Check the active settings before changing anything
- Open the game’s Graphics, Video or Display menu. Look for a setting named Upscaling, Super Resolution, Resolution Scaling, Render Scale or a similar label.
- Record the output resolution. This is the resolution sent to the display, such as 1920×1080, 2560×1440 or 3840×2160.
- Record the internal-resolution mode. Quality, Balanced, Performance and Ultra Performance are common labels, but their internal percentages vary by game. Do not assume the same label renders the same number of pixels in two titles.
- Identify the scaler. Confirm whether the game is using DLSS, FSR, XeSS, a vendor-neutral temporal option, a spatial scaler, or native rendering with anti-aliasing.
- Check sharpening separately. Some games expose a sharpening slider next to the upscaler; others apply a hidden default. Note its value before testing.
- Check anti-aliasing and resolution scaling together. A game can expose multiple reconstruction paths that are not designed to run simultaneously. Write down which anti-aliasing option is active.
AMD’s FSR documentation describes choosing an FSR mode through supported games’ graphics or video menus. The exact menu names and available modes remain title-specific.
Fix a soft or blurry image
Raise the quality preset one step
If the whole image is soft, move from Performance to Balanced or from Balanced to Quality. This generally increases internal rendering resolution and gives the reconstruction more source detail. The change costs performance, so measure frame rate and frame-time consistency in the same scene. A higher preset is a diagnostic, not a guarantee: a title with a weak integration can remain blurry even at a less aggressive setting.
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Verify that the game is not rendering at an unexpectedly low scale
Some games combine an upscaler with a separate render-scale slider. A 100% output-resolution setting does not necessarily mean the game is rendering natively if an upscaler is enabled. Return the render-scale control to its documented default, then test the upscaler again. If dynamic resolution is enabled, temporarily disable it while diagnosing so that the internal resolution does not change during the comparison.
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Sharpening can restore perceived edge contrast after reconstruction, but it cannot recreate missing geometry or texture detail. Too little sharpening leaves a soft image; too much produces halos, ringing and unstable high-frequency texture that may be mistaken for shimmer. NVIDIA documents sharpening controls for Image Scaling and GPU scaling paths, including in-game and control-panel adjustments. Treat the setting as a minor adjustment after selecting a suitable scaler and internal resolution.
Check display-side scaling only after the game path is correct
If the game is outputting a non-native resolution and the monitor or operating system is enlarging it, that second scaling step can add softness. First test the game at the display’s native output resolution with a known upscaler mode. Do not buy a cable, monitor or separate scaling device as a general cure; the evidence here supports correcting game settings and integration rather than a universal hardware remedy.
Fix shimmer, crawling detail and motion flicker
Test movement, not a still frame
Temporal instability often appears only when the camera or objects move. Slowly pan across foliage, roof tiles, wires and fences. If a still screenshot looks acceptable but those patterns flicker in motion, increasing sharpening is unlikely to help and may make the instability more obvious.
Try a higher-quality mode
A higher internal resolution gives the reconstruction more samples and can stabilize thin geometry. Compare the same camera path at the same output resolution. Keep notes on foliage stability, distant geometry and frame rate rather than judging from one paused frame.
Compare spatial and temporal options when the title supports them
A spatial mode may avoid some history-related ghosting but can show more temporal instability of its own. A temporal mode may retain more detail but depends on motion vectors and history data. There is no universal DLSS, FSR or XeSS winner: support, implementation and game content determine the result. Use the game’s own scene and a similar performance target for a meaningful comparison.
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Reduce or disable sharpening during the test
High-frequency sharpening exaggerates tiny changes between frames. Set sharpening low or off, compare motion, then add only enough sharpening to counter visible softness. If the crawling remains with sharpening disabled, the cause is more likely reconstruction or integration than the sharpening pass.
Understand ghosting and why motion data matters
A temporal upscaler must decide where information from a previous frame belongs in the current frame. It uses motion vectors, depth or visibility information, exposure and other inputs. If an object moves but its vector is missing, has the wrong scale, or is generated for a different rendering path, the algorithm can blend old pixels into the new position. You may see a translucent trail, smeared vegetation or detail that takes several frames to settle.
Intel’s XeSS Super Resolution Developer Guide 2.0 states: “Correct exposure is essential to minimize ghosting of moving objects, blurriness, and precise brightness reconstruction.” This is an integration requirement described for developers, not a consumer guarantee. Players normally cannot correct a bad exposure value or motion-vector scale from a menu.
Changing visibility is another difficult case. When the camera reveals a surface that was not visible in the previous frame, there is no valid history for that area. A well-integrated algorithm detects the disocclusion and falls back to current-frame information; an imperfect path may leave a smear or unstable edge.
Compare DLSS, FSR, XeSS and native rendering fairly
Use the same output resolution, scene, camera movement and approximate performance target. Record observations rather than assuming a vendor description predicts every game.
| Comparison criterion | What to inspect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Detail retention | Texture lettering, distant geometry, foliage and thin wires | Shows whether the lower-resolution source is being reconstructed convincingly |
| Temporal stability | Crawling, sparkle or flicker during a slow pan | Reveals instability that a still image hides |
| Ghosting | Trails behind characters, vehicles and particles | Exposes errors in history rejection or motion data |
| Softness and ringing | Blurred edges versus bright halos and oversharpened texture | Separates insufficient reconstruction from an overly strong sharpening pass |
| Performance | Average frame rate and frame-time consistency in the same scene | A visually preferable mode may not meet your latency target |
| Compatibility | Interaction with anti-aliasing, dynamic resolution and other reconstruction paths | Conflicts can create artifacts independent of the scaler’s nominal quality |
Native rendering with the game’s conventional anti-aliasing is a useful reference. It costs more GPU time, but it tells you whether the artifact originates in upscaling or is already present in the title’s native anti-aliasing and post-processing.
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Game-specific integration problems
If several games look fine and one title does not, suspect that title’s implementation before blaming your display. Developer-side issues include motion-vector scale, missing vectors for certain effects, incorrect exposure, history invalidation during camera cuts, and conflicts between temporal anti-aliasing and a separate upscaler.
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Disable competing reconstruction paths
Intel advises disabling competing upscalers and TAA when enabling XeSS to reduce incompatibilities. If a game exposes both TAA and XeSS as independent toggles, follow the title’s documentation and test with only the intended reconstruction path active. Do not assume every game labels these dependencies clearly.
Check effects that often lack reliable motion data
Particles, transparencies, hair, foliage, reflections and animated materials can use different rendering paths. If only one of these effects shimmers or leaves trails, the issue may be missing or unsuitable motion data rather than the global quality preset. A player-side workaround is usually limited to changing the scaler, quality mode or effect setting; a complete fix may require a patch.
Update the game and graphics driver
Intel recommends checking whether the installed driver is optimal for XeSS. NVIDIA has described newer DLSS model presets as improving temporal stability and reducing ghosting, but availability depends on the supported game and its configuration. Updating is worthwhile, but it cannot guarantee that a title’s motion vectors or exposure integration are correct.
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- Choose a repeatable test scene. Use a slow camera pan containing foliage, thin geometry, text and a moving object.
- Capture the baseline. Note output resolution, upscaler, quality mode, sharpening, dynamic resolution, anti-aliasing and frame rate.
- Separate softness from instability. Check large static surfaces for blur, then inspect fine detail during motion.
- Raise the quality mode one step. Keep all other settings unchanged and repeat the same camera movement.
- Set sharpening low. Compare motion with little or no sharpening, then add a modest amount only if needed.
- Test native rendering if practical. This establishes whether the artifact is specific to reconstruction.
- Test another supported scaler. Keep output resolution and the performance target as similar as possible; record differences in detail, shimmer and ghosting.
- Check for a second scaling or anti-aliasing path. Disable dynamic resolution and competing reconstruction options while testing.
- Update the driver and game. Re-run the same scene after updating so you can tell whether the change affected the artifact.
- Escalate a title-specific defect. Report the game version, GPU, driver, output resolution, upscaler mode, anti-aliasing setting and a short video showing the motion artifact.
Common mistakes that make the image worse
- Using the most aggressive performance mode by default. It may deliver the desired frame rate but leaves too little source detail for stable reconstruction.
- Maxing out sharpening to compensate for blur. This adds edge contrast, not missing information, and can amplify shimmer and halos.
- Judging from a paused screenshot. Temporal artifacts are often visible only while the camera or object moves.
- Changing several settings at once. You lose the ability to identify which change helped or hurt.
- Assuming a vendor label guarantees a result. “Quality” modes and supported features vary by title, implementation and version.
- Running two reconstruction systems together. TAA, a built-in scaler and a separate super-resolution option can conflict when the game does not support that combination.
- Buying hardware before diagnosing the path. A new monitor, cable or scaling device does not repair incorrect motion vectors or exposure data inside a game.
When a hardware upgrade is relevant—and when it is not
Upscaling artifacts alone are not evidence that you need a new graphics card or display. If the image becomes acceptable when you select a higher-quality mode, the limiting factor was the internal render resolution and your performance target. If native rendering is smooth and clean but the upscaler is unstable, the issue is reconstruction or integration.
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Hardware becomes a separate consideration only when you have diagnosed a concrete limitation: for example, the game cannot maintain the frame rate you require at a quality mode you find acceptable, or the display itself has a confirmed scaling or signal problem. The troubleshooting sequence should establish that condition first.
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What to expect from updates
Driver and game updates can improve model presets, shader paths, motion-vector handling and compatibility. They cannot make every title identical, and a change advertised for one game or configuration may not apply to another. After updating, repeat the same controlled comparison rather than relying on a general claim that an update “fixed” upscaling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the image look blurry only when I move the camera?
That pattern usually points to temporal reconstruction or motion-data behavior rather than a simple static-resolution problem. Test a higher quality mode, lower sharpening and native rendering in the same moving scene.
Can sharpening remove shimmer?
No. Sharpening changes edge contrast and can make shimmer more conspicuous. Choose an appropriate internal-resolution preset and scaler first, then use sharpening sparingly.
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No universal ranking applies. Compare the modes supported by your game using the same scene, output resolution and performance target, checking detail, motion stability, ghosting and compatibility.
What if only one game has severe ghosting?
Check for competing TAA or upscaling paths, update the game and driver, and test another scaler or native rendering. Persistent problems may require the developer to correct motion vectors, exposure or history handling.
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