Writing in his bog Volish programme manager Joshua Tucker describes Microsoft’s new DirectSR API as the “missing link” between games and super-resolution technologies, promising a “smoother, more efficient experience that scales across hardware.”

The API enables multi-vendor SR [super resolution] through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate various solutions, including Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS.

The idea is that developers will be able to support this DirectSR API rather than have to write code for every upscaling technology.

The blog post follows the recent spotting of an “Automatic Super Resolution” feature in a test version of Windows 11, which pledged to “use AI to make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced details.” The feature now appears to plug into existing super-resolution technologies like DLSS, FSR, and XeSS rather than offering a Windows-level alternative.

Microsoft has announced that the new API will be available soon via a preview version of its Agility SDK.

It plans to offer a “sneak peek” of how DirectSR can be used during a developer session at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC). The session, scheduled for 21 March, will include representatives from Microsoft, Nvidia, and AMD.