How to get the best image quality using DLDSR+DLSS

[Cpt_Piett 4,692]

Here's a guide on improving image quality for those using DLSS. 

Goal: to get the best image quality without a significant impact on performance. 

Useful for: those with Nvidia RTX GPUs. 

What is DLDSR?

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DLDSR is an AI super sampling feature to upscale your games with keeping quality up. It is limited to only RTX cards as it utilizes their Tensor cores and capabilities.

Deep learning dynamic super resolution utilizes the Tensor cores in RTX GPUs, in order to upscale the image to a higher than native monitor resolution. It then downsamples the image to fit the monitor. Whilst doing so it enhances the detail, edges, and shimmering of the image. With the advanced AI-tech included in DLDSR, Nvidia promises that the performance impact is only half compared to the much older DSR technology. 

There is an important caveat though: For G-Sync to work, MSFS resolution need to be set at the same as Windows resolution. 

What does DLSS have to do with this?

Used in combination with DLDSR, DLSS can mitigate performance loss whilst still enabling a very high image quality. Especially when using DLSS super resolution in ultra quality mode (see below).

Opinions of which is the better alternative - DLSS vs TAA - differ wildly, both on this forum as well as out there on the world wide web. I find that there's very little perceivable difference. According to an oct '23 article from PC Guide, DLSS could provide better results in some scenarios: 

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TAA is good but not better than DLSS. That’s because TAA can also introduce some problems, such as blurring, ghosting, and temporal artifacts. It can muddle the picture massively due to its temporal components. Hence, when something is moving, the image gets very blurred. This is especially true with lower resolutions, or when features like motion blur or depth of field are turned off.

Besides, DLSS is a relatively new technology which is continuously updated by Nvidia.

How to enable DLDSR: 

Enable the first two options under DSR - Factors in global settings in Nvidia control panel:

Restart the PC, start MSFS. It's now possible to use two higher resolutions than the native monitor's resolution. If you have a 4K 3840x2160 monitor, the two new available resolutions are 5461x2880 and 6144x3240. The difference in total pixels is huge:

• 3840x2160 = 8,3 megapixels
• 5461x2880 = 15,7 megapixels
• 6144x3240 = 19,9 megapixels

I've found that the highest resolution (2.25x native) will increase the GPU load significantly, increasing temperature and fan noise. Thus, I use 5461x2880. 

How to enable DLSS ultra quality in MSFS?

In MSFS graphics settings under DLSS, it's possible to choose from several alternatives, ranging from ultra performance to quality. The latter option downscales the image to 0.67x the rendered resolution. However, when using the latest DLSS version, another alternative can be chosen: ultra quality, which only downscales to 0.80x. 

This process of implementing this is a two-step process that involves 1) updating the DLSS version and 2) changing some settings in Nvidia profile inspector. Besides using DLSS ultra quality, there are other good reasons for updating to the latest DLSS version. 

Even though MSFS was featured by Nvidia when introducing DLSS3 in September 2022, the DLSS version in MSFS is outdated. Current version in MSFS is 2.4.12.0, if I'm not mistaken. The most recent Nvidia version is however 3.5.10.0. Why download the most recent version? Because newer versions of DLSS usually bring improvements in image quality, performance, or both.

How to update DLSS version?

There's actually two different DLSS "versions" - a "standard" (non-FG) one and one to be used with frame generation on RTX40-series cards. Those with RTX40-series cards need to update both versions. 

Non-FG version

This version can easily be updated with the freeware app DLSS Swapper, which can be found here https://github.com/beeradmoore/dlss-swapper/releases/tag/v1.0.5.0

Here's a great instructional video on how to proceed: 

FG-version

For this one, the original version has to be manually replaced by the updated version. Step by step process:

• Download the most recent version here: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-3-frame-generation-dll/

• Make a backup copy of C:\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Content\nvngx_dlssg.dll. I just renamed the file to nvngx_dlssg.dll.old.
• Then extract the file from the downloaded .zip into C\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Content\ and choose replace.

The abovementioned non-FG version can be found here, for those who wouldn't mind doing it manually: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-dll/

To double-check if you have the latest version, download GPU_Z, navigate in the top menu to advanced - NVIDIA DLSS, then start scanning. When finished, it will show the active DLSS version for MSFS (and other games/apps). 

Note: This procedure has to be repeated when updating MSFS (sim updates etc.). 

Using Nvidia Profile Inspector to enable DLSS ultra quality in MSFS

This step involves changing some settings in profile inspector. For those who haven't used inspector before, it might seem a little overwhelming at first. I suggest watching a tutorial first to get familiar with the interface. Step by step process:

• download version 2.4.0.4 of inspector on GitHub
• go to issue #156 - DLSS related setting added - and download CustomSettingNames-DLSS.zip, or just use this link
• extract into inspector folder (the folder where nvidiaProfileInspector.exe resides)
• set the following settings as follows in inspector global profile under section 5 - Common:

How to use force resizable BAR on in MSFS?

While in inspector, I'd also recommend forcing rBAR on. This does not improve image quality, but can improve performance: 

Resizable BAR essentially makes the entirety of the graphics frame buffer accessible to the CPU at once; where it could once sip, it now guzzles. The idea is that once textures, shaders and geometry are loading in faster, games should run faster with higher frame rates.

How to force rBAR on? Set these as following (also section 5 - Common):

Some added tweaks

In order to fine-tune visual quality further, I'd suggest editing some settings in UserCfg.opt settings. The file can be found here: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache. Open the file in notepad or Notepad++ then navigate to the PostProcess section. 

• For those struggling with pixelated/grainy images (especially seen in clouds), I'd suggest changing FilmGrain from 1 to 0. 
• To minimize the risk of seeing a halo effect around objects (trees, buildings), change Fringe from 1 to 0. 
• Finally, for much better shadow quality, go to the section called Shadows and change from default 2048 to either 4096 or 6144. 

Conclusion: 

I find that I get a very high image quality using these techniques in combination. Cockpit instruments are crisp and easy to read and I don't have any ghosting on speedtapes etc. 

Hopefully someone finds this guide useful. It's lengthy and quite wordy as it's basically a summery of various youtube videos from IslandSimPilot and OverKillSimulations put into one place on this forum.

EDIT: Updated March 17 due to incorrect DLSS update procedure

Edited March 17 by Ray Proudfoot
//admin edit: revised per OP request

[RJC68 823]

Nice write up !

Well done, will be trying this after I land in Belgrade and tuck the Fenix up for the night 🙂

[mmcmah 408]

Fantastic write up! Thank you!!

Just today I was playing around with the graphics settings and concluded that DLSS with DLAA was the best option, along with DSR of 1.75x.

I compared TAA to DLAA (not under DLSS) and while in cockpit DLAA looked good, the shimmering of everything outside was HORRIBLE!

Comparing DLSS Quality to DLSS DLAA had the slight advantage to DLAA, but I didn't compare to Ultra Quality because I didn't know how to enable it.

That said, I found that DLSS Quality with DLAA and DSR 1.75x looks amazing. I wonder how much more strain DLSS Ultra Quality with DLAA and DSR will put on the card, but it'll probably be worth comparing that as well.

Who knows, maybe DLSS Ultra Quality and regular 4k will look good as well.

[Farlis 2,287]

This is a gamechanger for VR.

I don't understand why Asobo haven't made those newer versions available by default yet. The image clarity is clearly superiour to their highest default DLSS settings.

[Cpt_Piett 4,692]

Bad news: I just realized that G-Sync is not compatible with DLDSR in MSFS, sadly. I was able to reproduce this 100% by going back and forth between DSR-resolution and native resolution. 

2 hours ago, mmcmah said:

I wonder how much more strain DLSS Ultra Quality with DLAA and DSR will put on the card, but it'll probably be worth comparing that as well.

I just tested this, and there doesn't seem to be any significant difference in GPU load when choosing between ultra performance and ultra quality...

DLDSR however certainly puts a higher load on the GPU, relative to the upscaled resolution. The values below are from sitting in the Fenix cockpit at FlyTampa's YSSY, just after loading into the flight: 

Native resolution: GPU load 46%

1.78x: GPU load 75%

2.25x: GPU load 90%

[mmcmah 408]

2 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Bad news: I just realized that G-Sync is not compatible with DLDSR in MSFS, sadly. I was able to reproduce this 100% by going back and forth between DSR-resolution and native resolution. 

How did you test this? That's not my experience. I've had DSR and G-Sync working together 100% of the time.

[Cpt_Piett 4,692]

59 minutes ago, mmcmah said:

How did you test this? That's not my experience. I've had DSR and G-Sync working together 100% of the time.

That sounds promising. I realized G-Sync was not working as I started to notice screen tearing. It took a lot of digging around in inspector, NCP as well as searching the net before I decided to go back to native resolution.

And just like that, the monitor’s refresh rate started to sync with the GPU. I then switched back and forth between native and DSR-resolution. Every time I used DSR, G-Sync was broken (i.e. monitor stayed at a fixed Hz). And this was despite the NVidia indicator showing G-Sync in green on MSFS.

Edited February 24 by Cpt_Piett

[SKEWR 364]

First, thank you for trying to help fellow simmers!

Second, using the methods above, this method stops the blurriness with glass cockpits? If that is what you mean by no ghosting, the I’ll gladly run through these steps..

 

Thanks again

[AnkH 2,268]

Just be aware that this approach also increases the load on VRAM quiet considerably when using 1.78 or even 2.25 times the native resolution. Might be fine for 4090 users, all others might check that they do not run out of VRAM. Me for example being full at the edge using 1.78 on 1440p with my 4080...

[cianpars 1,166]

All of the above work well for me except increasing DSR settings, which whilst looking great, give me a lower framerate and stuttery performance.  I guess this is a byproduct of having only 10 gb VRAM running at 1440, using ultra settings and some VRAM intensive addons.

[Cpt_Piett 4,692]

There’s three main parts to the guide, and they don’t all have to be combined.

1. DLDSR supersamples native resolution with less of a performance impact than legacy DSR. It’s particularly useful in VR, as @Farlis mentioned. It can be combined with any antialiasing technique - TAA, DLSS etc

2. Having the latest DLSS version could bring benefits to both performance and image quality 

3. Enabling an extra option with DLSS - ultra quality - gives better image quality with a negligible hit on performance

53 minutes ago, SKEWR said:

Second, using the methods above, this method stops the blurriness with glass cockpits? If that is what you mean by no ghosting, the I’ll gladly run through these steps..

That’s one of the great benefits, I don’t notice any blurring or ghosting. I get this even when not using DLDSR. Of course higher resolutions will always be preferable, and some people might be more susceptible to notice ghosting. YMMV basically.

41 minutes ago, AnkH said:

Just be aware that this approach also increases the load on VRAM quiet considerably when using 1.78 or even 2.25 times the native resolution.

Thanks for pointing this out, I didn’t check it when testing. As I mentioned GPU load also increases significantly, so a fair bit of headroom is needed to use the highest resolutions.

Edited February 24 by Cpt_Piett

[bobcat999 8,484]

@Cpt_Piett Thanks for the info.  

Like with anything, there is always a trade off.  There are no free lunches for us unfortunately.  

I tried this many moons ago, and I thought I would try it again, but the result is the same.  It makes my GPU hot and noisy, so I changed back.
It is good to have these difference options highlighted and available to try though, as some peoples results may vary.

But basically, it seems we are upscaling then downscaling, then doing it all again with these modes mixed, so that is why the GPU has to work harder.

My view is that by the time you have done all this, you may as well have just selected TAA.  The visual results (apart from some shimmering at different distances) are very much the same for me, including performance.

It is interesting to try these different modes though.  Although I have an Nvidia card, I found I was able to select AMD FSR2 (in DX12), and that was actually very good looking at 4k. 
It was very sharp, and the runway lights etc. looked much better for some reason.  Once again though, no real performance, heat / noise / benefits.

The real answer of course is for Asobo to fix the blurry flat screens in DLSS.  Apparently it isn't an Nvidia issue at all.  Asobo do know about it, and it seems to require some kind of masking to the screens in MSFS to get it right.
I dare say as much as they pushed DLSS jointly with Nvidia, they will probably leave this now or it is low priority for them.  Maybe it is an improvement for MSFS2024 - that will be interesting to see.    Hmmm...

 

Edited February 24 by bobcat999

[JYW 2,984]

1 hour ago, bobcat999 said:

My view is that by the time you have done all this, you may as well have just selected TAA. 

This is my experience too.

I followed all of this when Overkill introduced it a few months back.  I did get lovely visuals.  But then when I checked FPS and performance, it was slightly lower than with non of this tomfoolery™ and just having TAA set 😄

I'm on a 5600 X with RTX 3080, so not top draw (but having said that, I get very satisfactory performance in all aircraft, in all scenery settings in MSFS).

Perfhaps the full tweaks are more suited to more powerful CPUs and RTX40XX GPUs.

Edited February 24 by JYW

[Farlis 2,287]

I checked this in 2D now and the gauges still get blurred and smeared. You can see it right away when scrolling around on the EFB of the PMDG or the Fenix.

So this is still not acceptable.

[Ixoye 1,821]

One benefit of my recent 4090 purchase is that I don't have to keep doing this tweaking anymore, I run my card at 3440x1440 FG TAA and render scale at 130 and the card eats everything I throw at it.