Nvidia's DLSS upscaling beats AMD's FSR and plain old native rendering at 4K in a poll of over 1,000 gamers
PC Gamer
by Jeremy Laird February 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology has triumphed over AMD’s FSR and native 4K rendering in a comprehensive blind comparison study conducted by German tech site ComputerBase.de. The poll, which gathered responses from over 1,000 gamers across six popular titles, including *Cyberpunk 2077* and *Horizon Forbidden West*, showed that DLSS consistently outperformed both FSR and native 4K rendering in terms of image quality and preference.
The study involved a meticulous side-by-side comparison using ComputerBase’s video player, which allowed participants to zoom, pause, and analyze the visuals in detail. The upscaling technologies were tested at Quality mode with a target output of 4K, while native 4K utilized TAA anti-aliasing. DLSS emerged victorious in every game, often by significant margins. In *Satisfactory*, for instance, 60.9% of gamers preferred DLSS, far outpacing FSR (12.4%) and native rendering (15.1%). The closest competition was in *Cyberpunk 2077*, where DLSS secured 34.4%, compared to 32.4% for native rendering and 10.6% for FSR.
This dominance of DLSS can be attributed to its advanced AI-based upscaling techniques, which generate sharp details beyond the native resolution by leveraging temporal and vector data. Many modern games are also optimized for upscaling, making DLSS’s output often appear more detailed than native 4K rendering. While AMD’s FSR has improved over time, it still trails behind DLSS in this particular comparison.
The study highlights the growing importance of upscaling technology in gaming, particularly as hardware constraints push developers to prioritize performance and visual quality. The results underscore why DLSS has become a favorite among gamers
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Originally published on PC Gamer on 2/19/2026