Performance boost incoming? DLSS on Steam Deck makes progress

A few days ago, we reported on HelixSR – a free software solution that makes Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technology available on AMD hardware, including the Steam Deck (OLED model reviewed by Notebookcheck). The potential benefits of DLSS go beyond higher frame rates. Depending on the game, HelixSR could deliver better image quality at similar performance levels – or squeeze out a few extra FPS while maintaining comparable visuals. However, comparative testing would be needed to determine whether it actually delivers a significant improvement over AMD's FSR.

Development of the project appears to be progressing rapidly. Several updates have been released since our previous coverage, and HelixSR 2.0 is now available to download on GitHub. The new version doesn't just introduce minor bug fixes. It also addresses some of the issues that previously raised questions about the software's usefulness – particularly Frame Generation. This technology artificially generates additional frames between two traditionally rendered frames to make motion appear smoother. However, generating these extra frames also requires processing power – something the Steam Deck often has very little to spare.

HelixSR 2.0 aims to make frame generation significantly more efficient 

HelixSR 2.0 is designed to substantially reduce this additional overhead. According to the developer, the new default "Light Mode" requires around 20% less GPU time per generated frame at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the improvement is reportedly around 11%. However, the developer also points out a limitation: Moving HUD elements may appear duplicated in artificially generated frames.

That doesn't necessarily mean the previous challenges have been fully resolved. The fundamental problem is that Frame Generation can introduce noticeable input latency when the base frame rate is low. While the update reduces the additional processing overhead, it is unlikely to eliminate the underlying latency issues associated with low frame rates.

There are no hands-on reports for version 2.0 yet. Nevertheless, HelixSR appears to be making significant progress on the Steam Deck – and it will be interesting to see how much further the software can be optimized. The update also introduces several other improvements, including faster upscaling at high rendering resolutions and optimized memory management. DirectX 11 and Vulkan games are now supported as well. The complete patch notes have been published on GitHub.