Skip to main content

This might be why AMD’s FSR 3 isn’t picking up momentum

Combat in the game Nightingale.
Inflexion Games

AMD’s platform-agnostic FSR 3 is a great feature, but months after releasing, it’s only available in a small list of titles. Now, we might finally have a clue as to why.

Developers of the upcoming open world survival game Nightingale posted a development update stating that it was removing FSR 3 due to crashes. “After reviewing crash data from the Server Stress Test, a significant number of them seemed to point to FSR3 integrations, whether or not users had the setting turned on,” a prelaunch update post reads.

The developer says it’s looking at ways to implement FSR 3 in the future, but it won’t be available in the launch build. The game is set to launch on February 20, a day after this news broke. The update suggests players use XeSS or DLSS as an alternative for now as they wait for the developer to “see if we can implement [FSR 3], or an older FSR version, in future updates.”

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

FSR 3 adoption hasn’t picked up nearly as much momentum as we expected. Since the feature released in September of last year, it’s only shown up in 13 games. Nvidia’s DLSS 3 made its way into 25 games in the same time frame. Many titles that have promised support, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Warhammer 40K: Darktide, have yet to receive the feature as well.

Perhaps the biggest fumble for FSR 3, though, was Starfield. AMD signed on as the “PC exclusive partner” for the game, but despite that, FSR 3 only made its way into Starfield about a week ago. On top of that, developer Bethesda added support for Nvidia’s rival DLSS 3 before FSR 3 was added to the game.

The update for Nightingale provides some interesting insight into the slowed FSR 3 adoption. The developer says crash data points to FSR 3, regardless of if it’s turned on or not, suggesting there may be issues getting the feature running. The online component of Nightingale may be playing a role, too — of the list of FSR 3 games, the majority are offline, single-player titles, with the exception of Mortal Online 2 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. 

This wouldn’t be the first time AMD has run into issues with online titles. Last year, AMD’s Anti-Lag+ was flagged by anti-cheat software in Counter-Strike 2, leading some users to receive a ban in the game for turning on the feature.

Editors' Recommendations

Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
4 CPUs you should buy instead of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Someone holding the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in a red light.

AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the crown jewel of gaming CPUs. It's the processor to buy in 2024 if you want a peak gaming experience, and with the processor still readily available for around $300, it's a great buy. However, it's not the gaming CPU for everyone. Despite the Ryzen 7 5800X3D's mythic status, there are several great alternatives.

We review the latest CPUs from Intel and AMD, testing their gaming prowess in the latest games, and there are some Ryzen 7 5800X3D alternatives that are cheaper, offer higher performance, or set you up better for future upgrades. Here are a few other CPUs to keep on your shortlist when you go to upgrade your PC.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Read more
I’ve reviewed every AMD and Nvidia GPU this generation — here’s how the two companies stack up
Three graphics cards on a gray background.

Nvidia and AMD make the best graphics cards you can buy, but choosing between them isn't easy. Unlike previous generations, AMD and Nvidia trade blows point-for-point in 2024, and picking a brand to go with isn't as easy as counting the dollars in your wallet.

I've reviewed every graphics card AMD and Nvidia have released this generation, comparing not only raw performance, but also features like DLSS and FSR, ray tracing performance, and how VRAM works in modern games. After dozens of graphics card reviews, here's how AMD and Nvidia stack up against each other in 2024.
Nvidia vs. AMD in 2024

Read more
Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t getting DLC or a sequel from Larian, and that’s OK
Shadowheart post-launch outfit in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 game director Swen Vincke shocked fans of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG when he revealed that the critically acclaimed game would not get any expansions and that Larian Studios would not go right into making Baldur's Gate 4. Considering how much of a runaway success Baldur's Gate 3 has been, it seemed like that would be the most logical continuation of things. Larian isn't the only studio to leave behind a wildly successful game either; Nintendo has confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also won't get any expansions.

Those might seem like baffling decisions, both from a business perspective and from the point of view of an eager player who just wants more of a thing they love. But they become a lot more understandable when you learn to view these games as complete works, appreciate the post-launch support that has happened for a game like Baldur's Gate 3, and turn that excitement toward whatever is coming next from these developers.
A complete work
Vincke explained to IGN that Larian had actually started to do some preliminary work on Baldur's Gate 3 DLC but that the constraints of working within D&D 5th edition meant that work "wasn't really coming from the heart" and that the team's passion lied with two other projects Larian wanted to make. As a result, leadership at Larian made the decision not to work on a massive expansion or sequel to Baldur's Gate 3 for the time being, and Vincke claims the studio was "elated" by that decision. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma offered a similar sentiment when he revealed Tears of the Kingdom wasn't getting DLC, explaining that "we feel like we have already fully explored and exhausted the gameplay possibilities in this world" and that "the next [Zelda] game will offer a completely new experience."

Read more