What you need to know
- The latest Windows 11 preview build includes a hidden new AI feature that was previously rumored.
- The AI feature is called Auto Super Resolution, and will use AI to enhance supported games with higher frame rates and crisper visuals.
- The feature is expected to ship as part of the next major Windows 11 update, coming this fall.
It's widely anticipated that the upcoming next version of Windows 11, officially confirmed to be version 24H2 and coming in the second half of this year, will headline a handful of new next-gen AI features and experiences. Such features include a more advanced Copilot with the ability to understand context across apps, identify text and images on screen at any time, and turn everything you do on your PC into a searchable moment using natural language.
Much of the AI features being worked on are productivity facing, but not all of them. In fact, I reported back in December that Microsoft is working on a new feature called Super Resolution, which is now finally showing up in early Windows 11 version 24H2 preview builds. Officially dubbed "Automatic Super Resolution" (Auto SR,) this new feature will use AI to "make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced details."
The OS provides no more information on the feature at this time. However, my sources say Super Resolution will be able to improve the framerate in games, as well as upscale the resolution to make visuals appear crisper. PCs with dedicated NPU silicon will automatically handle this new AI capability, but it's unclear if PCs without an NPU will be able to fully utilize Auto SR too.
Auto SR is essentially a built-in equivalent to DLSS, which is NVIDIA's deep learning super sampling technology that also uses AI to create additional frames and improve image quality in video games, and Auto SR will be able to achieve similar things. However, Microsoft's version will be the first to utilize dedicated NPU silicon on PCs that have it, whereas existing AI game upscaling technology relies mostly on the GPU.
