AMD’s gaming chief says he’s not banning DLSS from Nvidia, but the money is still flowing

Frank Azure, head of games at AMD, is trying to retain the upper hand over an uncomfortable subject for the company. AMD is suspected of blocking the implementation of Nvidia’s AI upscaling DLSS technology in the long-awaited space role-playing game Starfield through its exclusive technology partnership with Bethesda. AMD’s Chief Game Solutions and Game Marketing Engineer now strongly opposes this the edge mentioned.

Full support for Nvidia’s DLSS from AMD

“If they want to use DLSS, they have AMD’s full support,” the former Alienware president confirmed. He seems to be saying that Starfield, which is quite possibly the most relevant video game of the year alongside Baldur’s Gate 3, doesn’t exclusively support AMD’s FSR upscaling at the expense of competitors like Nvidia’s DLSS. It is also reported that AMD does not block Nvidia’s DLSS. However, it can be heard between the lines that AMD would like its “technology partner” to prioritize its technologies.

“Money is absolutely hands-on. When we deal with packages, we ask them, ‘Are you willing to prioritize financial stability?'”

Frank Azure
Senior Engineer for Game Solutions and Game Marketing (AMD)

So, if Starfield is released on September 1st without Nvidia DLSS support, as expected, AMD will not be held responsible. If you follow Frank Azure’s logic, the developers simply didn’t ask for it.

AMD wants to prioritize its technologies

Frank Azor admitted to The Verge that – “generally speaking” – when AMD pays publishers to bundle their games with a new graphics card, AMD expects them to favor AMD features in return. “Money totally switches hands,” he says. “When we create packages, we ask them, ‘Are you willing to prioritize FSR?

“If they ask us to support DLSS, we always say yes. And if they want to offer DLSS, they have AMD’s full support.”

Frank Azure
Senior Engineer for Game Solutions and Game Marketing (AMD)

When AMD provides “DLSS support”, it usually means that it does not block DLSS in the corresponding “exclusive title”. If a developer really wants to implement Nvidia DLSS, it is up to the developer studio and Nvidia to implement it. In the case of Starfield, Bethesda has apparently not asked AMD to support DLSS yet.

A sensitive issue for AMD and its partners

The issue of “exclusivity” is a sensitive issue for AMD and its partners, reinforced by the fact that Frank Azure told The Verge that the company “prepared specifically for these issues.” He said the overall situation was “a bit difficult”. AMD does not want to burden its partner companies with the answer to this question.

“We want to be very careful not to pass this answer on to our partners.”

Frank Azure
Senior Engineer for Game Solutions and Game Marketing (AMD)

However, AMD’s gaming chief has a good explanation for why Bethesda prefers FSR. FSR 2 is the first choice for developers because it is a “crane for game consoles”, which is powered by AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 technologies and supports internal upgrade as best as possible.

Bethesda’s decision to use FSR is console leverage

Frank Azure
Senior Engineer for Game Solutions and Game Marketing (AMD)

Understandably, Frank Azure wasn’t able to provide specific information from the contractual contents of the exclusive technology partnership between AMD and Bethesda or potential future support of DLSS, but his point is clear: “If they want to do DLSS, they have AMD’s right to use DLSS.” Full support.”