How can I stop DLSS/FSR from making 1440p look soft on my new GPU?

[Richard46]

So I finally upgraded to a 1440p monitor and grabbed a new GPU to match, but I’m honestly a bit lost on the whole upscaling thing. I’ve been messing with DLSS and FSR in a few games, and sometimes the image just looks… soft? Or weirdly shimmery on certain edges. I’m not sure if I’m expecting too much or if I’m just configuring it wrong for each title.

[WilliamKJ]

Man I am excited about the 1440p jump but the upscaling vibe is off in a few games. DLSS or FSR sometimes makes edges look soft and you get a weird shimmer on thin lines. Am I chasing a unicorn or is this just how it looks?

[Paul.G]

From a numbers point of view upscaling trades crispness for frame time a common pattern. The render scale and the sharpening slider decide how near to native the image feels. Some titles hold up with DLSS quality while others blur under heavy motion. If edge shimmer shows up try a different mode and compare

[JerryC]

Not sure upscaling is the cure you want. The shimmer and soft edges show up in some games no matter what you pick. Maybe the engine itself is resisting scale and you are chasing a moving target. Perhaps a native 1440p test will tell more

[ScottA]

Instead of chasing crisper edges consider how you want the image to feel at your desk. The idea of upscaling is to watch for consistency over time not to erase every texture. There is also the rhythm of motion to consider

[William_M]

I set up DLSS on a casual run and the result looked fine then a shimmer caught my eye on rails. Maybe the render scale was off or the game uses a tough shader. Tinkering with mode and sharpening per title helps a lot

[LarryJR]

Edge behavior in upscaling scenes is a kind of texture language. The way light holds on edges changes with the mode you pick. It may be worth a slow pass through options and driver settings to find a comfortable balance