Xbox ally gets ai boost: auto sr arrives in april

Microsoft is adding Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X in April, promising a significant performance leap for the handheld gaming PC. The update, revealed at GDC, leverages AI to upscale games, potentially boosting frame rates by nearly 30% while preserving visual fidelity.

Faster frames on the go

The feature, initially slated for Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X or X2 processors, works by rendering games at a lower resolution and then intelligently scaling them up. A demonstration by Kotaku's Ethan Gach showed Forza Horizon 5 running at 35 fps without Auto SR, jumping to around 51 fps with it enabled.

However, the implementation isn't without caveats. Tom's Hardware points out that Auto SR, while enhancing performance, can introduce latency, a common trade-off with AI-powered upscaling. And the Technology is currently limited to games supporting DirectX 11 or 12.

This update represents a substantial improvement for the ROG Xbox Ally, already lauded as the best handheld PC gaming option available. The question remains whether the lower-powered ROG Ally will also receive this enhancement. But for those invested in portable gaming, the Ally’s evolution continues.