An unreleased AMD FSR 4.1 driver DLL is spreading on online tech forums, sparking interest over Radeon’s next upscaling update. Early image-quality comparisons show that FSR 4.1 brings some slight improvements, but some find the upgrade still insufficient.
This new DLL was reportedly leaked from AMD’s Radeon Adrenaline 26.3.1 Vanguard driver beta testing, indicating that it may soon become available for RX 9000 series owners. Unsurprisingly, the moment modders and enthusiasts noticed availability, they integrated it into various games and tested upscaling prowess. One of these early adopters and tinkerers is AthleteDependent926 on Reddit, who tested it on a Radeon RX 7900 XTX, showing that even this new version remains compatible with RDNA 3’s FP8 acceleration.
While the user didn’t share any information regarding FSR 4.1’s performance impact, the provided images showed a definite clarity advantage compared to FSR 4.0.3, giving the game a higher-resolution feel. Looking deeper at the Hogwarts Legacy example, above, shows that part of this apparent clarity could be due to the increased sharpness, which may simply be the result of a more aggressive filter parameter. However, the increased detail on the character’s coat is definitely the result of a better upscaling algorithm, capable of retaining small details despite the low-resolution input.
Needless to say, this mod sparked discussion on Reddit, as some praised its greater image quality while others were disappointed by the lack of a meaningful upgrade. Overall, most reports noted FSR 4.1’s better detail on thin or sharp objects such as robes, wires, and foliage, with some going as far as putting it ahead of Nvidia’s DLSS 4.0. There are also reports of fewer ghosting and artefacts, but we can’t be sure this is due to FSR 4.1 without hands-on testing. On the other side of the fence, some have been less impressed by this update, indicating seeing no improvement over FSR 4.0.
If you want to give FSR 4.1 a try and see for yourself, The Creator on Guru3D forums provided a link to download the DLL file. Though we can’t vouch for the file’s safety, as for now, no one has reported any embedded viruses. The easiest way to install it seems to be by simply dropping it into the System32 folder and replacing the existing file, after which the driver injects it into games. Personally, I prefer the method using OptiScaler; it offers more choice when and where to enable each FSR version.
