Upscalers and Frame Generation: When to Use Them and When Not To

An upscaler paints the game at a lower internal resolution and reconstructs the image up to your display’s: it relieves the GPU. Frame generation creates extra frames between the ones the game paints: it raises what you see, not what responds to your controls, and it adds latency. They are two different tools for two different problems, and using them without knowing your limit is the cause of almost all disappointments.

This guide is about the decision: when they help and when they do not. For the detail of NVIDIA’s technology (DLSS, DLAA, Frame Generation and Reflex), you already have DLSS, frame generation and Reflex explained.

The two tools, in a table

	Upscaler	Frame generation
What it does	Paints at lower resolution and reconstructs	Inserts generated frames between real ones
Technologies	DLSS Super Resolution, FSR, XeSS, the engine’s TSR	DLSS Frame Generation, other makers’ frame generation
What it raises	Real frames (if the GPU limits)	Displayed frames
Effect on latency	Usually lowers it (more frames)	Raises it slightly
Helps with a CPU limit?	Almost nothing	Raises the displayed rate, not the real one
Quality cost	Slight artifacts depending on mode	Artifacts in fast motion

When to use the upscaler

The upscaler reduces the GPU’s per-pixel work. That is why it works when the limit is the GPU and not when it is the CPU. The test is CPU-bound versus GPU-bound: if lowering the resolution raises the frame rate, an upscaler works for you.

• Use it at high resolutions (1440p, 4K), with heavy shadows, lighting and volumetrics.
• Start with Quality mode. It is the one that best preserves the image. Drop to Balanced or Performance only if you are still tight.
• Prefer upscaling to lowering the output resolution: a blurry native output looks worse than a reconstruction from fewer pixels.
• Watch the sharpness: some games add a sharpening filter; if you see a halo, lower it.
• DLAA (the same DLSS model at native resolution) improves the image without gaining performance; it only makes sense if you have frames to spare.

And compatibility: DLSS requires a GeForce RTX; FSR and XeSS have compatibility that depends on the version and the card, so check what your hardware supports in the specific game. Unreal Engine 5 engines also include their own temporal upscaler, TSR, which works on any card.

When the upscaler does not help

If the limit is the CPU, lowering the internal resolution does not change the CPU’s work. In an MMO, in a crowded zone, an upscaler can leave the frame rate almost unchanged and the GPU even more idle. In that case, better to invest in lowering population and draw distance or in a CPU with more cache.

When to use frame generation

Frame generation creates frames from the ones the game has already painted. They do not respond to your controls. So:

• It raises visual smoothness, not response. With a 60-frame base, you see 120 (or more with multi-generation), but the response is still that of 60, slightly worse.
• It asks for a stable base. Manufacturers usually recommend starting from a stable base of around 60 frames per second; with a low base, the added latency is more noticeable and so are the artifacts.
• It adds latency. A low-latency technology such as NVIDIA Reflex trims it, and it is mandatory where DLSS Frame Generation is used.
• It can help with a CPU limit. Since generated frames need no simulation or draw commands, the displayed rate rises even if the CPU is the ceiling. It is a legitimate use, but it still does not improve response.

Availability also varies: NVIDIA’s Frame Generation works on GeForce RTX 40 and 50, and Multi Frame Generation is exclusive to the 50 series, as the DLSS guide explains.

What to use for your case

Your case	What to enable	What to avoid
GPU-limited, 1440p or 4K	Upscaler on Quality	Lowering the output resolution
CPU-limited in crowded zones	Lower population and distance; optionally frame generation	Expecting the upscaler to fix it
Steady 60 base and a 144 Hz display	Frame generation for visual smoothness	Using it in competitive combat
Low frame rate (under 40)	Upscaler and settings before generation	Frame generation as a patch
Competitive or reflex-heavy game	Upscaler + low latency; no generation	Frame generation

Latency in an MMO

The latency you feel is the sum of several things: ping to the server, frame time and the render and display chain. Frame generation touches the third; ping, no. For the breakdown, ping, latency and servers in an MMO. And syncing with the display, in V-Sync, G-Sync, FreeSync and frame limits.

Upscaler modes: what internal resolution they use

Upscalers such as DLSS define their modes by a scale factor on each axis of the image. These are the technology’s standard factors; each game may vary them.

Mode	Factor per axis	At 1440p it paints at…	At 4K it paints at…
Quality	about 67 %	1707×960	2560×1440
Balanced	about 58 %	1485×835	2227×1253
Performance	50 %	1280×720	1920×1080
Ultra Performance	about 33 %	853×480	1280×720

Two practical conclusions. First: at 4K, Quality mode paints at 1440p, a very affordable resolution, which is why 4K with an upscaler is viable on a high-to-mid-range graphics card. Second: at 1080p the low modes reconstruct from very few pixels, and the result worsens quickly; on a 1080p display it is better to stay on Quality or turn it off if the GPU allows.

Artifacts worth watching for

Upscaling and generating frames have a visual cost that depends on the game: trails behind moving objects (ghosting), text or crosshairs that shimmer, flickering vegetation and, with frame generation, edges that warp during fast mouse movement. If you see them, try another mode, another upscaler version (many games and drivers let you update it) or turn the feature off in that scene. What bothers you is the criterion that rules.

How COLONIZED uses it

The development build of COLONIZED, a space survival MMO built with Unreal Engine 5 (closed alpha applications open, first waves planned for winter 2026-2027, not yet playable), integrates NVIDIA’s DLSS package for Unreal with a quality-first rule, and uses the engine’s TSR on other cards. The final game’s options have not been announced, and we have not published system requirements. Details and sources are in the DLSS guide and development measurements in the optimization guide.