At Computex 2025, AMD stirred excitement in the gaming and graphics sector with a series of pivotal announcements. The company not only revealed its latest mid-range graphics card, the Radeon RX 9060 XT, but also presented a substantial enhancement to its FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technology. Named “Redstone,” this update signifies the next phase for FSR 4, introducing a range of sophisticated features designed to elevate visual fidelity and performance in contemporary games.
FSR 4 “Redstone”: A New Era of Upscaling
FSR 4, AMD’s most recent version of its upscaling technology, is crafted to improve gaming visuals by rendering at reduced resolutions and subsequently upscaling the image to higher resolutions with minimal quality degradation. With Redstone, AMD advances this idea further by incorporating machine learning and AI-driven approaches to enhance image quality, ray tracing efficiency, and frame generation.
Jack Huynh, AMD’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Computing and Graphics Group, stated that FSR 4 with Redstone will be supported in 60 games by the time the Radeon RX 9060 XT launches later this year. This extensive support demonstrates a solid commitment from developers and AMD alike to integrate Redstone as a fundamental element of the gaming experience on RDNA 4-based GPUs.
Neural Radiance Caching: Smarter Ray Tracing
One of the prominent features of the Redstone update is Neural Radiance Caching. This technology harnesses AI-driven neural networks to optimize light rendering in intricate 3D scenes. By utilizing a grid of neural shaders, AMD aims to lessen the computational load of ray tracing while preserving — or even enhancing — visual realism.
Here’s a simplified explanation of its operation:
– Rather than tracing every single light ray through a scene, the system only follows a limited number of rays.
– At the endpoints of these rays, the system gathers information on the scene’s geometry, materials, and lighting.
– This information is then processed by a neural network, which predicts light behavior in the remainder of the scene.
– Because the neural network adapts, it can respond to alterations in lighting and scene composition in real-time.
This method bears resemblance to Nvidia’s RTX Neural Radiance Cache, which has already been shown in the RTX 50 series. AMD’s version will be incorporated into the DirectX interface, indicating wide compatibility with upcoming PC games.
Ray Regeneration: A New Approach to Denoising
Another significant breakthrough in Redstone is Ray Regeneration, AMD’s counter to Nvidia’s Ray Reconstruction. Conventional ray tracing methods frequently encounter noise when too few rays are utilized, particularly in scenes with complex lighting. Traditionally, this challenge has been tackled using denoisers — post-processing algorithms aimed at refining the image.
Ray Regeneration replaces these denoisers with an AI-centric system that regenerates ray data with greater accuracy. This results in cleaner, more realistic lighting effects even when fewer rays are employed, enhancing performance without compromising image quality.
Machine Learning-Based Frame Generation
The final component of the Redstone initiative is a complete redesign of FSR’s frame generation capabilities. Up until this point, FSR 3.1 and earlier iterations of FSR 4 relied on vector-based algorithms for frame interpolation. With Redstone, AMD transitions to a machine learning (ML) foundation for frame generation.
This transition to ML-based frame generation is anticipated to yield smoother gameplay and more precise motion interpolation, particularly in fast-paced gaming scenarios. According to Huynh, this update is a “real game changer for RDNA 4 owners,” promising noteworthy performance improvements and enhanced responsiveness.
Radeon RX 9060 XT: A Mid-Range Powerhouse
Alongside the Redstone enhancement, AMD also introduced the Radeon RX 9060 XT, a new mid-range graphics card built upon the RDNA 4 architecture. With a price range between $300 and $350 depending on the memory setup, the RX 9060 XT is positioned to deliver robust performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming.
While AMD has yet to provide complete technical specifications, the RX 9060 XT is expected to showcase improved ray tracing abilities, enhanced power efficiency, and full compatibility with FSR 4 featuring Redstone. This positions it as an appealing choice for gamers eager to upgrade without a hefty investment.
Conclusion: AMD Doubles Down on AI and Upscaling
With the Redstone update to FSR 4, AMD is unmistakably expressing its desire to go toe-to-toe with Nvidia in the AI-enhanced graphics segment. By integrating neural networks into ray tracing, denoising, and frame generation, AMD is not only advancing visual quality but also enhancing performance — a win-win for gamers.
As the Radeon RX 9060 XT gears up for launch and more games embrace FSR 4, it’s clear that AMD is heavily investing in AI to shape the future of gaming graphics.