Intel has finally released Software Development Kits (SDK) for its highly-anticipated XeSS 2 upscaling technology, now allowing faster enablement across titles.
Intel's XeSS 2 SDKs Will Now Allow Developers To Speed Up The Integration Of The Technology Into Their Titles
Well, one of Team Blue's major GPU-focused announcements, apart from the Battlemage lineup, was the firm's XeSS 2 upscaling stack, which was said to bring in significant improvements from the previous-gen XeSS standard. Now, it seems like we are finally coming closer to the time when XeSS 2 gets into action across multiple gaming titles, since Team Blue has officially released the XeSS 2 SDK, allowing a much easier implementation for developers of their respective gaming titles.
The XeSS 2 SDK is divided into three sub-categories: XeSS-SR, XeSS-FG and XeLL. Here's how Intel themselves describe this division, based on the information available on GitHub.
- XeSS Super Resolution (XeSS-SR) - boosts frame rates on all GPUs supporting SM6.4 (DP4A).
- XeSS Frame Generation (XeSS-FG) - achieves fluid motion and higher frame rates, available on Intel Arc GPUs with Intel® Xe Matrix eXtensions (XMX).
- Xe Low Latency (XeLL) - minimizes input lag for a more responsive gaming experience, available on discrete and integrated Intel® Arc GPUs.
Diving a bit into what to expect with XeSS 2, it now includes support for DirectX 11 and Vulkan APIs, further extending XeSS support for a range of games and older titles. The major difference with XeSS 2 is the way Team Blue has managed to integrate Frame-Gen, similar to NVIDIA's DLSS, although we still have to conclude on which one is superior. Interestingly, Intel's XeSS 2 SDKs come with plugins for Unreal Engine and Unity, which will allow for a very seamless integration and ultimately a higher adoption rate among developers.
There's also the updated version of the XeSS Inspector tool, which now works for the newer version and will debug and optimize XeSS 2 SDK integrations. While this certainly sounds great, a huge downside with XeSS 2.0 is Intel's closed-source approach, since, despite assurances, the firm is unable to deliver an open-sourced XeSS, which means that it cannot have a cross-platform implementation, or either a simplified dev integration like AMD's FSR.
Intel's XeSS 2 still has a long way to go, given that it is only supported in a handful of titles, however, with the release of SDKs, we do expect enablement to improve.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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