How to use Lossless Scaling

Manufacturers are actively promoting their own frame generation and upscaling technologies, such as DLSS, FSR, and XeSS. At the same time, Lossless Scaling offers a universal solution that works regardless of the GPU or game. My laptop only supports DLSS 2, while the games I’m interested in generally don’t support it.

This article will explain how to use Lossless Scaling. The main purpose of the program is to improve image quality and increase performance. The results will depend on your specific hardware and use cases. What’s most interesting is that Lossless Scaling can be used with any game.

What is Lossless Scaling?

Lossless Scaling is positioned as an alternative to proprietary upscaling and frame generation technologies. The program can work with games that do not have built-in support for such technologies, as well as with emulators. It is not tied to a specific GPU manufacturer.

• Upscaling can improve performance by lowering the native resolution and then scaling the image up to partially restore image quality. It is also well suited for games that do not support modern resolutions or fullscreen mode.
• Frame generation creates additional frames to make games look smoother. It is especially useful in games that do not support built-in frame generation or need higher performance. It can also be used with emulators that have a limited frame rate.

Use cases:

1. Improving FPS in Demanding Games.
   Run the game at a lower resolution and use Lossless Scaling to upscale the image. Use LSFG to increase the frame rate in games that do not support Multi Frame Generation.
2. Games with a Limited Frame Rate/Emulators.
   This is a common issue for users who run games through console emulators. LittleBigPlanet 3 runs at only 30 FPS in the RPCS3 emulator, and this limit cannot be removed. Lossless Scaling can generate additional frames, increasing the frame rate to 60 FPS.
3. Lower-End GPUs and Modern Technologies.
   You can lower the game’s resolution to reduce the load on the GPU and then upscale the rendered image to match the screen resolution. Alternatively, you can enable frame generation even in games where the developers did not implement it.
4. Older Games with Low Resolution.
   Allows games to be upscaled from 720p to 1080p, 1440p, or 4K. It can also scale a windowed game to fit the entire screen if the game itself does not support the required resolution. The program can also be used without frame generation.

How to install Lossless Scaling

You need to purchase it from the official Steam page. With a discount, the program costs around $2. After purchasing it, click Install and then Launch. The first time you run it, Windows will ask you to allow the program to run with administrator privileges.

How to configure Lossless Scaling

Run the game in windowed mode or borderless fullscreen mode. Set the source resolution that Lossless Scaling will use to upscale the image to your screen resolution. It is also recommended to disable vertical sync in the game itself.

Open Lossless Scaling and click the Scaling button. After 5 seconds, the program will start scaling the active window. Alternatively, activate the game window and press Ctrl+Alt+S. Pressing the same key combination again will stop the scaling.

Press Alt+Tab if the window loses focus. The hotkeys temporarily disable scaling until the game window becomes active again. During this time, you can adjust the available Lossless Scaling settings and then switch back to the game.

Upscaling

First, choose your preferred upscaling method. xBR, Integer Scaling, and Nearest Neighbor are recommended for pixel-art-style 2D games. For modern 3D games, LS1, FSR, NIS, or SGSR are suitable. For anime and cartoons, use Anime4K.

Select Automatic mode if you want the scaling factor to be determined automatically. Custom mode allows you to choose the scaling factor manually. The Resize before scaling option resizes the window so that the game fills the entire screen using the specified scaling factor.

Frame Generation

LSFG 3.1 is recommended for most modern games. Compared to previous versions, it offers better image quality and performance. Fixed mode provides better image quality and performance by displaying real frames more frequently. The x1.5, x2, x2.5, and x3 multipliers are ideal for testing the technology.

Adaptive maintains a constant output frame rate regardless of the game’s base FPS. It targets the specified frame rate and automatically adjusts frame generation based on the current FPS. However, image quality and performance may be lower than in Fixed mode because, in some cases, a larger proportion of the frames may be generated.

Final thoughts

I briefly mentioned my use case earlier. The RPCS3 emulator allows me to play LittleBigPlanet 3, but only at 30 FPS. I launch Lossless Scaling, select Fixed frame generation mode, and choose the x2 multiplier. As a result, the game runs at a stable 60 FPS, making it much more comfortable to play.

Once you have chosen the settings for the game, you can create a game profile for it. The program will automatically apply the saved settings when the active window matches a game profile. It is recommended to disable NVIDIA Low Latency Mode.