Microsoft introduces EDGE with Video Super Resolution for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs

Microsoft has confirmed that all RTX models (20, 30 and 40 series with Tensor cores) and the Radeon RX 5700 to 7800 series will support this technology. The video upscaling feature is now available for all GeForce and Radeon users of the mentioned series.

However, the AI technology only works if the video resolution is lower than 720p, but not smaller than 192 pixels wide or high. Also, it only works on video content that is not protected by DRM (PlayReady or Widevine), so it may not be active on sites like Netflix or other streaming services. Microsoft’s VSR technology is said to remove compression artifacts and improve text sharpness. The feature is now available for 50% of users and will be enabled later for the rest. However, users can also enable this feature manually by changing the browser flag:

edge://flags/#edge-video-super-resolution

Another condition that must be met is mains power; it will not work on a battery-powered device. However, Microsoft is already working on supporting multiple GPUs and hybrid technology, so there is a possibility that both iGPUs and dGPUs will be used simultaneously in the future.

Due to the processing power required to clean up and upscale video, Video Super Resolution (VSR) is currently offered only if the following conditions are met:

• The device has one of the following GPUs: Nvidia RTX 20/30/40 series OR AMD RX5700 to RX7800 series GPUs.
• The device is connected to the mains.
• Both the height and width of the video are greater than 192 pixels.
• The video is not protected by digital rights management technologies such as PlayReady or Widevine. Frames from these protected videos are not accessible to the browser for processing.

We are working on automatic hybrid GPU support for laptops with multiple GPUs. In the meantime, you can try VSR by changing the Windows settings to run Edge on your discrete GPU (Microsoft).

The feature is currently available in the Canary channel for 50% of users and will be activated when the above conditions are met. When the function is enabled, you will see an HD icon in the address bar. If you click on this icon, you can enable or disable the function.

If you want to try the feature manually, you can enable it at edge://flags/#edge-video-super-resolution.

Source: Microsoft Edge via @9550pro