Highlights

  • Microsoft's Auto SR upscaling tech will only be available for Copilot+ PCs and a curated list of games for optimal performance.
  • The list of supported games includes popular titles like Borderlands 3, Control, Sekiro, and The Witcher 3.
  • Microsoft's move towards ARM processors with Copilot+ PCs indicates a shift towards efficiency and innovation in gaming technology.

Microsoft has released a list of games that will be able to use its upcoming Automatic Super Resolution upscaling tech once its Copilot+ PCs begin rolling out. Referred to as Auto SR, the technology designed to enhance frame rates and the graphical quality of those frames made waves earlier this year, until Microsoft revealed that while the technology will be available to use for gaming in general, support will be restricted to Copilot+ PCs and a specially curated list of games.

Super Resolution technology has been available from manufacturers like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, but Auto SR is Microsoft's in-house version of upscaling technology. This technology is also distinct from Microsoft's Direct SR, which is simply an API designed to help developers working on current and next-gen games integrate the SR technology from the aforementioned manufacturers more easily. Each of these technologies uses AI calculations to deliver cutting-edge graphical experiences.

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Microsoft has released an abbreviated list of supported games, but the complete list comes courtesy of worksonwoa.com, or "Works on Windows on Arm." The list of games that will receive support from Microsoft for Auto SR technology is as follows:

  • 7 Days to Die
  • BeamNG drive
  • Borderlands 3
  • Control
  • Dark Souls III
  • God of War
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  • Resident Evil 2
  • Resident Evil 3
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Auto SR as an opt-in feature will also be available for Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Skyrim: Special Edition.

Microsoft's ARM Race Continues

When Copilot+ PCs hit shelves, only those using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor will be available, but Intel and AMD are currently working on their own products designed to meet Copilot+ certification. As Apple's use of ARM processors continues, the use of the Snapdragon X and it's ARM architecture represents Microsoft's further adoption of the highly-efficient processor design into its products. As time goes on, Microsoft assures that the list of games receiving Auto SR support will expand. So, while it's important to remember that machines that are Auto SR capable can use it with all games, only those on the list will be able to use it optimally and with Microsoft support.

Microsoft's graphical upscaling technology is still untested on a consumer base, and it remains to be seen whether it truly is an alternative to what NVIDIA and its competitors have been working on and using already. As of this writing there have been no mentions of graphical presets or specifications of quality, but it will be fascinating to see how well the in-house SR technology from Microsoft compares, and how AI technology truly contributes to the wider gaming public.