FPS fly to the sky, or replacing the upgrade with a frame generator

Every PC gamer asks himself the same question at certain intervals: how to increase FPS in games? The easiest but most expensive way is to buy a new video card or replace the hardware. However, free money is not always available, and you still want to play. Meanwhile, video card developers are gradually introducing so-called Frame Generators that increase FPS on modern and previous generations of video cards. However, enthusiasts have started to create their own “FrameGen”. Today, using Steam Deck OLED as an example, let’s try to understand some of them and find out whether there is a positive effect or just a placebo.

What is a Frame Generator?

Frame Generator is a technology that creates additional frames between existing ones. It is necessary to ensure a smooth image in a video game or movie where there is at least a minimal load on the GPU. 

A classic example of this technology is interpolation TVs. While watching a movie, you may have noticed that sometimes people’s movements look a bit unnaturally fast. For example, a character’s hand is partially blurred and becomes fuzzy when they move. Or he himself while running. The reason for such “visual oddities” is that movies are displayed at 25-30 FPS, and TV tries to increase this value to 60-120. Of course, depending on the display frequency and the Motion Interpolation inside the TV settings.

Games are a little more complicated. In addition to the image itself, you need to take into account the player’s actions. Namely, aiming with the mouse or sticks, pressing keys on the keyboard or gamepad. To put it in simple terms: the monitor shows the first frames of the enemy, the user clicks the LMB to fire, the CPU receives data from the mouse and sends requests to the GPU to activate the shooting, the CPU/GPU perform their operations together and send a new image to the monitor. 

There are two implementations from two major video card developers: AMD FSR Frame Gen and Fluid Motion Frames, NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation and Intel XeSS2 Frame Generation. And they already have their own separate versions with the addition of one or more frames using AI technologies. This is not the first time we have mentioned them, so we will not dwell on them. We’ll test it some other time.

This time, let’s look at the software implementations of two other well-known frame generators: Decky Framegen (OptiScaler) and Lossless Scaling. The testing will take place on a “weak” portable console Steam Deck OLED.

Why Steam Deck OLED and Cyberpunk 2077?

Steam Deck OLED hardware platform is based on AMD Van Gogh architecture: AMD Zen 2 processor has 4 cores/8 threads at 2.4-3.5 GHz, AMD RDNA 2 video card with 8 CUs at 1-1.6 GHz. APU consumption ranges from 4 to 15 watts. The 16 GB of LPDDR5 6400 MHz RAM is soldered on the motherboard. The display has a resolution of 1280×800 pixels with a diagonal of 7.4 inches. 

As you can see, the Deck doesn’t have the strongest technical parameters compared to modern laptops with discrete graphics cards or home computers. However, this is a portable console, so the requirements for this class of devices are different: the longer you play with suitable graphics, the better the console is. We also use it to modify weaker laptops or PCs. And if the user knows the capabilities of their “machine” and Deck, then I hope they will be able to compare and contrast the results with each other.

Cyberpunk 2077 will soon be 5 years old, but most portable hardware is still difficult to deal with. Even with Ray Tracing turned off. The good thing is that thanks to the small displays in them, you can turn off most graphics settings — they are not visible, and FPS and smoothness drop. So we set the following settings:

• Resolution: 1280×800 px;
• The maximum number of FPS: Off. We will adjust it ourselves using the SteamOS side menu;
• Upscaler: FSR 3.0, “DLSS”, or OFF (disabled, native);
• Texture Quality: High;
• Anisotropic filtration: 16х;
• Level of Detail (LoD): Middle;
• All other settings: Disabled or enabled to the minimum allowable value;

How to choose graphic settings “Steam Deck” in the game itself. Leaving FSR 2.0 when FSR 3.1 is available with a better image looks stupid. Plus, other characteristics reduce FPS.

• Download and install Decky Loader. You may already have it as a Steam Deck owner;
• Go to the Decky Loader settings, search for Decky FrameGen in the store, and download it.

After that, find the application in Decky Loader and click the Install FG Mod button, which will download everything you need. After that, select the game where you need to enable fake DLSS and install the patch. We are warned about possible problems, but it’s too late to stop.

After launching Cyberpunk2077, we do indeed see support for “DLSS” in the settings. Let’s leave it and change all the settings to the necessary ones. We see a nice average of 60 FPS in the built-in benchmark. Only after several attempts do we start to see some non-critical graphical artifacts — Ghosting on certain objects in the game. We go to the campaign, get in the car, accelerate, and get a doubling of the car image. To be honest, this is not very pleasant.

The reason for this “double bumper” effect is the frame generator. Changing the upscaler or disabling it can improve the overall graphics quality, but Ghosting remains.

How do I find out which model (FSR/XeSS) is currently used instead of DLSS? To do this, you need to set the Insert key to one of the Steam Deck keys. Preferably, on the back. Of course, you can also connect an external keyboard. After launching the game and pressing Insert, the OptiScaler settings menu opens. There are quite a few settings, but this is where we can choose an upscaler, configure the following parameters (Quality, Balance, Performance), and other actions. And in the lower left corner, we’ll see the resolution value from which the models are converted to native.

	XeSS / FSR 3.0 (up to 1280 x 800)
Ultra Performance	426 x 266
Performance	640 x 400
Balance	752 х 470
Quality	853 x 533
“NVIDIA DLAA”	1280 x 800

Let’s do a little testing at the initial location. We will use XeSS. Screenshots and videos are provided for your own reference. Interestingly, Cyberpunk2077 does not always load all objects in our field of view. Therefore, there are funny moments with identical models in each other.

Conclusions after testing different settings:

• The generator is enabled with the DLSS Generator parameter. You can choose the upscaler you like best;
• Decky FrameGen doesn’t try to jump in over its head and create more than two times (x2) the number of frames.
• You can set the Maximum frame rate in the game. Both generator limitations are set in the SteamOS right side menu: by display frequency or without restrictions;
• Cyberpunk 2077’s built-in FSR 3.1 upscaler has better settings than Decky FrameGen’s FSR 3.1. At least on the basic OptiScaler values;

Lossless Scaling has come to SteamOS

Application Lossless Scaling (LS) has long been known on the Windows PC upscaler market. But at the beginning of last year, a frame generator was added to it, which greatly increased the popularity of the application. For a small price of $7 or 129 UAH for players from Ukraine, you can get a fairly functional application for generating x4 or x5 frames. Especially if you have a high-frequency monitor (140, 240 Hz). However, it was only recently added as an unofficial plugin for Decky Loader with limited functionality. 

Since we will be testing on SteamOS, you need to do some steps to install LS. It’s a little harder than with Decky FrameGen, but nothing complicated:

• Buy and install Lossless Scaling to the internal SSD. There may be problems with microSD;
• Go to Github and download the latest version of the plugin. Without unpacking the zip archive;
• Go to Decky Loader, turn on the Developer mode, install LS by specifying the file path;
• Find the installed LS in Decky Loader and download LSFG-VK;
• For each game, copy ~/lsfg %command% and paste it into the launch parameters. 

You will see everything you need in this video

The plugin management is very simple: select the generation levels (Off-x2-x3-x4), upscale (Flow Scale) and Performance Mode (preferably left on). We set it up once after a few tests in different games and left it there once and for all.

Let’s start with the built-in benchmark with FSR 3.0 enabled. Although it shows the native value, the monitoring sees an improved FPS. Let’s move on to the game, and here the picture is quite sad: the counter shows just fabulous numbers, but you just don’t feel those 90+ frames per second. It’s as if there’s really 30, 40 FPS at most. The game’s microfreezes when loading locations or characters are especially noticeable when you see a drop from 100-120 to 40.

Steam Deck cannot record video at more than 60 frames per second

It was immediately decided to get rid of the frankly strange numbers and get a maximum of 60 FPS, given the low power of the device. To do this, open the right side menu, the Performance tab, and turn on Disable Frame Rate Limit. With Lossless Scaling enabled to x2 or higher, this function works the other way around: the maximum display frequency becomes the frame generator limit. 

At some points in the video, there are white spots almost covering the entire screen. There were no such spots during the game

Here are some conclusions about the use of Lossless Scaling:

• The use of x3 and x4 modes will be considered questionable on Steam Deck. Control delays are really noticeable;
• There are fewer problems with the x2: there are no delays and almost no artifacts. The quality of graphics and how much the FPS drop is noticeable depends on the choice of an upscaler;
• Like Decky FrameGen, it works well when you don’t need to generate even these x2 frames. Freezes can be felt, but through the game itself (loading locations).

Battery Life. Improvements where you didn’t expect them. 

During the tests, we noticed the Steam Deck fan turning on and off. It’s not unusual, but it’s strange to have the same FPS values with a reduced TDP value. This is best seen in the benchmark in the game settings, when we usually have 22-23 watts (full console power), while with frame generators we get up to 17 watts. Here are the results of the test from 95% to 0% battery in one scene in the table below. 

	Consumption	FPS	Working hours
Without frame generators (FSR 3.0)	22-23 W	40-45	2 h 9 min
Decky FrameGen (without upscale)	15-18 W	40-45	3 h 14 min
Lossless Scaling (FSR 3.0)	up to 18 W	55-60	3 h 13 min

As you can see, the Steam Deck OLED (WiFi on and connected, Bluetooth on, 50% display brightness) survived for a full hour or 50% longer(!) The result is fantastic, to put it mildly. The reason for such a large increase in battery life is a reduction in CPU load. Decky Framegen and Lossless Scaling use different models to generate frames, but the result of energy efficiency is visible to the naked eye.

Consumption from a power outlet in another scene. First photo: native resolution and Decky FrameGen. The second: only the FSR 3.0 upscaler.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world game that loads objects, textures, and effects depending on the player’s actions. For example, if you constantly drive a car at high speed, the game will consume all hardware resources and increase consumption. And the level-world game Ready or Not immediately loads resources, so the battery life will be kept at a high level.

Experience of use 

Let’s talk about vision. It is different for each person, so we will have a problem with the dependence of smoothness (eyes see) and number of visible frames/s. About 20 years ago, 25 FPS was considered a smooth image on old monitors. Now, with a 240 Hz monitor, 60 FPS may seem like a bit too little. In general, smoothness is different for each person and monitor, so I’ll tell you my impressions.

Personally, I can see the difference between 30 and 60 FPS. For me, a smooth image already starts at 50 FPS. When you see 100+ FPS in the monitor, but visually with your eyes at best about 40, a dilemma arises: either you don’t understand something, or your brain doesn’t process information from your eyes in the right way. That’s why a test was made with a set FPS limit for Lossless Scaling so that the numbers in the monitoring did not seem too unrealistic. 

Don’t trust all the YouTube videos about smooth 100+ FPS in heavy AAA games: Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, or Silent Hill 2 Remake. This applies to all portable consoles or office laptops. You can only trust reviews of high-performance laptops or PCs with high-frequency monitors that can render 60+ FPS and generate additional frames on their own. Then it will really make sense: there will be almost no additional delays, and the smoothness of the picture will correspond to the display frequency.

Despite the wave of dissatisfaction, frame generators continue to appear and be modernized. Of course, such solutions are needed primarily to support high-frequency monitors. Users of weaker systems will gradually use them to run modern AA and AAA games. Portable consoles fall into this category. Even those that cost more than similar laptops.

Bonus. Silent Hill 2 Remake — there are no miracles. 

Provided that certain games have a low level of optimization and the hardware is not strong enough, frame generators will not help you. A perfect example of such a game is Silent Hill 2 Remake. After many attempts at at least some optimization (without using mods), the frame rate was kept at 20-25 with an absolutely terrible image. When FrameGen was added, the image “floated” with normal camera rotation. In Cyberpunk 2077, you can also achieve this effect by enabling LS on x4. 

The main task of a frame generator is to produce a smooth image on the user’s display. But to create new intermediate ones, you need to have a good number of regular frames. Wanting to get 60+ FPS when you have about 20 of your own doesn’t seem very reasonable. With 50+ FPS, FSR/DLSS/XeSS allow you to create almost stable and smooth 60-90 frames per second. But you’ll have to sacrifice image quality.

So why not give it a try when one solution is free (Decky Loader + OptiScaler) and the other costs like three cups of coffee and works seamlessly in Windows (Lossless Scaling)?