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Another killer update has been unleashed by the developer of the Lossless Scaling utility. For those on the lookout for an alternative game upscaling solution, the new LSFG 3.1 update comes with image quality and performance gains, potentially delivering “up to 2x GPU load reduction,” according to the developer.
The headlining 2x GPU load reduction comes courtesy of this tool’s new Performance Mode. According to the release notes, the new mode delivers this boost, depending on hardware config and settings, “with a slight reduction in image quality.” So, as is often the case with these kinds of tools, there can be a trade-off.
In some cases, it is noted that the new Performance Mode can, conversely, “improve image quality by allowing the game to achieve a higher base frame rate.” So, this is yet another graphical tweak that gamers will need to explore on a per-hardware-config, per-game, and per-preference basis.
Sticking to the topic of quality, the developer has announced that the following improvements have been introduced with the new LSFG 3.1 update:
- Enhanced overall image quality within a specific timestamp range, with the most noticeable impact in Adaptive Mode and high-multiplier Fixed Mode
- Improved quality at lower flow scales
- Reduced ghosting of moving objects
- Reduced object flickering
- Improved border handling
- Refined UI detection
Lossless Scaling utility refresher
Developed by a one-man band, the Lossless Scaling utility is a GPU-agnostic tool that provides an alternative graphics upscaling technology at the one-off bargain price of $6.99.
If your GPU doesn’t support technologies like DLSS, FSR, or XeSS, you may be attracted to Lossless Scaling to fill the gap with admirable performance and configurability. The tool has found a lot of fans within the PC gaming community, especially among those who sometimes find the best GPU they have at hand is an older discrete card or integrated graphics. But it has other use cases.
As well as offering up its own built-in upscaling options (like LS1, Nearest Neighbor, xBR, Bicubic CAS, and Anime 4K), Lossless Scaling can work its magic via AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution or Nvidia Image Scaling.
Like other upscalers, Lossless Scaling isn’t without its issues, particularly apparent when pixel peeping, or in games where frame gen latency is a no-no.
What’s next?
Though flagged as a “major update” and containing “significant architectural improvements” the Lossless Scaling tool version is only incremented by 0.1, to 3.1. Our inner marketeer would have perhaps suggested that LSFG move to version 4 to look more competitive against DLSS4 and FSR4. It already features machine learning enhanced upscaling. But for all we know, there may be even more significant updates and feature introductions in line to push the version up a whole number.
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