Several DLSS 5 mod updates have boosted performance of Nvidia’s Neural Rendering tech on AMD Radeon GPUs to reach playable levels, more than doubling the frame rates compared to the first version. According to the developer behind DLSS-NR-on-AMD, the mod can now deliver 75fps in Cyberpunk 2077 using a Radeon RX 9070 XT.
With two updates claiming to boost performance by 15% and 18% respectively in less than a day, DLSS-NR-on-AMD can now be realistically used by Radeon users wanting to check DLSS 5. For those unfamiliar, DLSS 5 is an exclusive Nvidia technology that drastically transforms the graphics of a given game. As such, bringing it to Radeon GPUs using a mod previously came at a huge performance cost.
Following an encouraging reception for the first version, the mod creator has continued to improve the way it translates DLSS 5 commands into code that can run on AMD hardware, specifically on Radeon RX 9000 and RX 7000-series GPUs.
In just a couple of weeks, DLSS-NR-on-AMD has transformed from games looking like a slideshow to playable experiences, more than doubling performance compared to its humble beginnings. For instance, YouTuber Ancient Gameplays took one of its latest versions (0.4.0) for a spin and found that frame rates have improved from around 30fps (before) to 50fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p Ultra.
Ancient Gameplays also tested it in Control Resonant and measured about 30fps at 1440p. Dropping resolution to 1080p is, as you can expect, a great option to further improve performance, with the mod creator indicating that you can expect around 75fps in Cyberpunk 2077 when doing so.
A part of this improvement is down to a new way of handling the Neural Rendering pass. Instead of pushing the high-quality final image through the Neural Renderer algorithm, the mod uses the internal/lower-resolution image, only upscaling it after DLSS 5 has worked its magic. It also trims down the maths to the bare essentials required to run on AMD’s architecture. The latter doesn’t impact visuals in any distinguishable way, according to the mod’s creator.
That said, while performance has improved, there’s still a lot of work to do. On top of further optimisations, DLSS-NR-on-AMD also needs some bug fixing. For example, games like Cyberpunk 2077 still suffer from stuttering and crashes when using it.
Performance aside, the mod has now also received a new installer, with an integrated settings editor. This is much easier to get working than the tedious process of manually copying a file to replace the original one.
While it’s still not perfectly optimised, at least now games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Control Resonant are playable above 30fps. With some help from frame generation, you can even enjoy it now at around 60fps. At this speed, DLSS 5 mods may reach their full potential before the in-house AMD neural rendering tech actually comes out.
