Microsoft’s Edge browser is introducing its version of Video Super Resolution (VSR), a technology that improves the quality of low-resolution videos. The feature is currently available to 50% of Edge insiders and will be enabled for the rest, later. Users can also enable this feature manually by changing the browser’s flag.
The AI-powered VSR technology removes compression artifacts and enhances text clarity in videos, improving the viewing experience. The technology is limited to low-resolution videos, specifically videos with resolutions lower than 720p, and videos that are not protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), which means it may not work on premium streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video.
The technology requires significant computational power, and as such, Microsoft has limited its use to devices with NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (GeForce RTX 20, 30, and 40 Series with Tensor Cores) and AMD Radeon RX GPUs (Radeon RX 5700 up to Radeon RX 7800). The technology is only available when the device is connected to AC power and the video being played has a height and width greater than 192 pixels.
While the technology is limited to discrete GPUs, Microsoft is working on automatic hybrid GPU support for laptops with multiple GPUs. This means that future versions of the technology may utilize both the integrated and discrete GPUs on laptops.
Due to the computation power required to cleanup and upscale videos, video super resolution (VSR) is currently offered only when the following conditions are met:
The device has one of the following GPUs:
NVIDIA RTX 20/30/40 series OR AMD RX5700-RX7800 series GPUs.
The video is played at less than 720p resolution.
The device is connected to AC power.
Both the height and width of the video are greater than 192 pixels.
The video is not protected with Digital Rights Management technologies like 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. Meanwhile, you can try VSR by changing Windows settings to force Edge to run on your discrete GPU.
When the feature is enabled, you will see an HD icon in the address bar. Clicking the icon will allow you to enable or disable the feature.
If you would like the try the feature out manually, you can enable the feature in edge://flags/#edge-video-super-resolution.
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