AMD hyped FSR Redstone exhausting. The fact is underwhelming

Every December, our crew seems to be again on the entire yr. One episode devoted to our prime {hardware} picks. One episode dedicated to the success (and failures) of our early predictions. To prepared myself, I’ve been reviewing the highs and lows of 2025.

FSR Redstone’s launch actually encapsulates the final 11 months.

AMD first teased the arrival of its supercharged, graphics-enhancing tech for Radeon RX 9000 collection playing cards in mid-November through Name of Obligation: Black Ops 7. The sport’s launch contained a brand new machine-learning model of ray regeneration—after which simply days later, the corporate hinted at a full launch on December 10. It didn’t say a lot after that. It didn’t launch a lot, both.

That’s how the scenario feels, at the very least.

The official debut of FSR Redstone includes 4 applied sciences—FSR Upscaling, FSR Body Technology, FSR Ray Regeneration, and FSR Radiance Caching. Machine studying powers the entire set.

AMD touts Upscaling and Body Gen as “new” as a result of improve. Ray Regeneration is actually new, making use of deep studying to the denoising of ray-traced scenes. Radiance Caching will even be new when it drops in 2026, placing a middle-ground method to world illumination through projections, relatively than real-time calculations.

(Is a product launched if it isn’t accessible till the approaching yr? Maybe I’m only a stickler.)

Hit the AMD web site and also you’ll see about 200 video games listed as supporting FSR Redstone—that’s, “a number of” of the applied sciences. That group narrows significantly to only 32 titles for Body Technology. And Ray Regeneration? That solely exists in Name of Obligation: Black Ops 7 proper now.

You wouldn’t be unsuitable to take a look at Redstone as primarily enhanced upscaling, with the promise of additional visible enhancements down the street. However chances are you’ll not need them.

As early benchmarks present, the comparatively restricted group of Radeon GPU homeowners who even have entry to Redstone might not get a lot use out of it—or that a lot of an enchancment over earlier FSR iterations. Tim Scheisser at {Hardware} Unboxed dissects Body Technology’s irregular body pacing, and the way the following judder seemingly will have an effect on these with variable refresh price displays far more adversely. In the meantime, Steve Burke and the Avid gamers Nexus crew dug into latency, exhibiting comparable lag when utilizing Redstone vs. FSR 3.1—so nonetheless a killer for sure video games and recreation modes.

The scenario isn’t all dangerous, after all. The Avid gamers Nexus video has a enjoyable quiz embedded in its protection, asking viewers to establish the FSR 3.1 vs. FSR Redstone in a split-screen comparability. I may instantly spot the Redstone model. It’s prettier. And as {Hardware} Unboxed’s testing confirmed, Redstone is able to outperforming Nvidia’s competing DLSS tech in picture high quality for choose particulars, making the tussle between the 2 corporations nearer to even.

However as a value-add for current Radeon clients (and a choose group at that—bear in mind, Redstone options solely work on present Radeon 9000-series graphics playing cards), this Redstone launch feels underwhelming. Sure, the promise is certainly there. Sure, AMD has proved earlier than that it could and does enhance its applied sciences. Sure, competitors is nice and vital for wholesome shopper selection.

On the identical time, PC players discover themselves staring down the barrel of a {hardware} apocalypse, the place constructing new and even upgrading might turn out to be outright unaffordable. If software program is to be our saving grace—if tech giants’ declare that newer GPU architectures will proceed to indicate smaller rasterized efficiency positive factors—this seems like an ailing omen for the longer term.

“Enshittification” is a time period we’ve used on the present earlier than, coined by Cory Doctorow a number of years in the past. The overwhelming majority of 2025 has felt like a turbulent model of that course of, concurrently accelerated and erratic. Redstone isn’t essentially an end result of enshittification, however boy, does it drive the purpose dwelling. {Hardware}? Too costly. Software program to bridge the hole? Filled with compromises and future guarantees.

In a yr full of massive statements and lackluster supply, I don’t like this launch as a capstone. However perhaps that’s the period we’re in. Shoppers received’t matter to companies till they notice that, really, we do.

On this episode of The Full Nerd 

On this episode of The Full Nerd, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith focus on Essential’s unceremonious finish at Micron’s arms, the return of 32-bit PhysX, and a rumored extension on B650’s lifespan. You all after all caught a few of my ideas already on Essential final week, however each Will and Brad weigh in with very related factors—together with the have an effect on on PC distributors like Dell and HP.

Probably the most sudden (and perhaps undesirable) revelation: Will is keen to the touch poop along with his naked arms and admit it stay on digicam. To cite one YouTube remark, “Unhinged preshow as we speak.” 

Perhaps a bit, sure.

Willis Lai / Foundry

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This week’s offensive nerd information

I exaggerate some, however Kohler’s angle towards its bathroom cam stinks. As does its crappy spin on privateness and encryption. I’m gonna be that occasion pooper that reminds y’all to at all times weigh comfort in opposition to safety…and to dig into the main points of any safety measures.

Fortunately, not all attention-grabbing information this week reeks. Effectively. Form of.

Kohler Well being

• Poo by some other title: Kohler clearly doesn’t perceive what EE2E means for encryption. Or find out about different, sketchier makes use of for lavatory cams.

• Backup, backup, backup: An AI-flavored reminder that you must at all times have good backups available, in case of disaster. Or probably predictable outcomes.

• Talking of bloat: Given our complaints on the present this week about Home windows 11’s useful resource hogging, the one apparent answer to our downside is that this loopy light-weight Linux distro. Or that’s what I think about Will saying to me in some unspecified time in the future.

• A case for getting older gracefully: I suppose all of us should settle for that white plastic received’t keep white, and never intervene with nature taking its course.

Noctua/Prusa

• Talking of poop brown: In case you love Noctua’s dedication to earth tones, now you possibly can replicate its precise shade scheme with a 3D printer.

• Would I’m going again? Eh: Operation Bluebird needs to reclaim Twitter as a trademark, now that use of the title and the emblem have been deserted. I’m unsure if we are able to return to these halcyon days the place we solely ever described our breakfasts in two sentences, although.

• Not a pleasant rivalry: I can’t think about having a finances that might accommodate $50,000 of pc replacements/repairs. A lot much less creating that quantity of injury.

In only a few days, I’ll be making my nominations for the very best of 2025—together with the worst pattern of the yr. I’ve petitioned Adam to allow us to title a couple of pattern, as a result of [waves hands at everything].

Catch you all subsequent week…

~Alaina

This text is devoted to the reminiscence of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and government editor of {hardware} at PCWorld.