Image of Arm
Nvidia AMD and Intel have all embraced AI-powered techniques to improve their graphics capabilities. Arm has now entered the market with a new Arm Accuracy super Resolution (Arm ASR), which is based on AMD’s previous technology.
Arm ASR originally developed for mobile GPUs and not for PCs. Arm demonstrated Arm ASR running Unreal 5’s desktop renderer on mobile platforms. Arm ASR increased the rendering engine’s speed by 30 percent. This suggests that Arm customers, including Qualcomm with its Snapdragon PCs, could use the technology in the future to accelerate PC graphics.
Arm ASR was announced a year earlier and is now available as an Unreal Engine plug-in. Unity will release a plugin later this year. Arm has stated that it will expand Arm ASR onto other platforms without specifying which or when.
Arm ASR was built on AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 2(FSR 2) which is an older version of the simpler FSR 2. It takes lower resolution images and upscales, increasing frame rates through faster processing. AMD’s later versions, including FSR 3 & FSR 4, include frame generation. Arm ASR is said to use a better version of temporal upscaling.
Arm demonstrated Arm ASR in a new demonstration video.
Arm stated that game developers only need to enable the ASR plug-in, configure the project settings for Temporal Anti Aliasing and verify the integration. Arm says that “prominent game studios such as Enduring Games Infold Games and Sumo Digital have integrated Arm ASR in their development processes. This has led to improved performance while maintaining the same visual quality.” “Said”
It’s unclear at this point whether or not licensees such as Qualcomm will be able to access Arm ASR due to the unexpected IP litigation between the two. Qualcomm announced last week that it had filed an additional two briefs in its battle against Arm. The case was largely settled to Qualcomm’s benefit after Arm unexpectedly attempted to cancel Qualcomm IP license. These recent briefs ask for the court to rule in favor of Qualcomm in a claim that has not been resolved in the IP trial. The second motion supports Qualcomm’s separate attempt at suing Arm for breaching contract.
Geraint North declined to comment in an emailed message on whether Qualcomm will have access to ASR technology. “We do not comment on specific partners. However, Arm Accuracy (Super Resolution) is now available as open-source to all developers so they can experience the benefits of Arm ASR for their mobile games and graphic projects,” he stated.
To best support this community we want to make Arm ASR the most performant and portable possible, maximising the number of upscaling choices that developers can choose,” North added. “Arm ASR does not rely on any specific GPU implementation. We test across a variety of devices to ensure that the experience is good.
However, it is true that the Windows on Arm platform has generally struggled to run any games, largely due to compatibility issues. Arm ASR, which is a product of Qualcomm and the Arm ecosystem, will likely make gaming on Arm attractive to both developers and customers.
The story was updated by Arm at 9:25AM PT.
Mark Hachman, Senior Editor at PCWorld
Mark is a technology writer with over 30 years experience. He has been writing for PCWorld since the last decade. He has written over 3,500 articles, covering PC microprocessors and peripherals, Microsoft Windows, and other topics, for PCWorld. Mark has written for PC Magazine, Byte and eWEEK as well as Popular Science, Electronic Buyers’ News and Electronic Buyers’ News. He also shared a Jesse H. Neal Award with Popular Science for breaking news. He recently gave away a collection consisting of a dozen Thunderbolt hubs and docks, as his office had no room for them.
