Microsoft's Automatic Super Resolution is now officially out for the ROG Xbox Ally X

It’s the company’s response to NVIDIA’s DLSS and other similar upscaling tech.

Image by Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Back in April, Microsoft revealed that it had started testing Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) on the ROG Xbox Ally X. Now, the upscaling technology designed to compete with similar video game tools like NVIDIA's DLSS, is officially rolling out to the Ally X, ROG Xbox Ally X20 and select Windows Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen. The official version of Auto SR works even when the console is undocked, unlike the preview version that doesn't support handheld play. 

Auto SR allows the docked handheld to offer "1440p-like detail alongside smooth framerates on larger screens." It means it can upscale your game up to 1440p in resolution to make it look sharper if you're playing on the TV. While that was its original purpose, Microsoft said it made the upscaling tech available even in handheld mode due to popular demand. Auto SR can "smooth things out" if a demanding game "feels a little choppy on the go," the company wrote in its announcement. 

The new version of Auto SR works with games running at 1080p on default, which would be most games played on the ASUS consoles. During its preview, you'd had to lower the game's resolution before the tech could kick in. Now that's no longer necessary. Microsoft warned, however, that when using 1080p on handheld, "performance may not be as optimal as other configurations." You're bound to still see visual quality improvements, though, especially for older games. 

In addition, the new Auto SR can reach framerates up to 120 fps, wheres the preview version could only hit between 60 to 75 fps. Microsoft explained that it would make fast-past and competitive games like shooters feel and look smoother on screen. Finally, Auto SDR now supports HDR visuals. Both the higher framerate capability, which Microsoft calls "Performance Mode," and HDR support will be rolling out with future Windows updates.