FSR 4 May Not Be Exclusive To RDNA 4 After All

AMD is gearing up to unveil new graphics cards, despite their noticeable absence from the CES 2025 keynote. However, an informative interview with Frank Azor, AMD’s chief architect for gaming solutions and marketing, sheds some light on what’s ahead. Notably, FSR 4, which is currently exclusive to the RDNA 4 architecture, may eventually be available for older AMD GPUs.

Azor spoke with Michael Quesada in an interview highlighted by El Chapuzas Informatico and VideoCardz. The discussion covered FSR 4, pricing strategies, and the anticipated performance of the RX 9070 XT. It’s evident throughout the conversation that AMD is focusing on delivering value with this new lineup.

FSR 4, as discussed in the interview, marks a shift for AMD, as it has chosen to make this technology exclusive to the RX 9000 series. Historically, AMD’s upscaling solutions were not confined to a single generation of hardware.

There is hope that FSR 4 might be accessible to users without RDNA 4 GPUs in the future. Azor confirmed that AMD is heavily investing in ray tracing improvements and aims to continue enhancing FSR 3 technology alongside FSR 4, given its broader compatibility and absence of machine learning requirements.

“Utilizing Machine Learning allows for enhanced quality, but it requires considerable computational power. This is why FSR 4 technology is currently limited to RDNA 4 graphics cards,” Azor told Quesada (translated). “We are looking into the possibility of optimizing it for RDNA 3 architecture. We want to do this, but there’s still work to be done.”

This news is promising but lacks specificity. Nevertheless, it surpasses the commitments made by Nvidia, with DLSS 3 currently restricted to RTX 40-series cards, and the next iteration expected to be limited to the RTX 50-series.

Azor indicated that the GPUs would fall within a price range of $300 to $1,000. While this is quite broad, recent leaks suggest a retail price closer to $500, with the reference card estimated at $480. He also asserted that the new products would strike a balance between performance and cost, akin to AMD’s successful releases like the RX 7800 XT.

“We aim to deliver a highly competitive product. This upcoming launch will benefit everyone, and it will be worth the wait,” Azor stated. He also highlighted the challenges AMD faces in developing GPUs priced at $1,000, citing the need for multiple chips and significant resources, including manpower, time, and finances.

Bringing up the RX 7900 GRE and RX 7800 XT, Azor expressed satisfaction with these product launches, stating, “The Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7900 GRE provided aggressive pricing for their performance, which resonated well in a market where costs are persistently increasing.” He reiterated AMD’s commitment to being a value-focused company.

During the CES 2025 presentation, AMD chose not to unveil the next-generation graphics cards, nor did their Ryzen Z2 chips get any mention. However, Azor assured that the company plans to reveal more information about the RX 9000 series soon. He acknowledged that AMD opted to wait and see Nvidia’s strategy before moving forward and intends to host a separate event specifically for RDNA 4 announcements.

Recent leaks indicate that preorders for the GPUs are expected to start on January 23.