DLSS 4 is a setting you turn on in individual games, not something you enable once for your whole computer

DLSS 4 (Deep Learning Super Sampling 4) is Nvidia's technology that makes games run faster by using artificial intelligence to upscale lower-resolution images to higher resolution. You don't enable it globally — instead, you turn it on inside each game that supports it, usually in the graphics settings menu. The feature only works on Nvidia graphics cards from the RTX 40 series and newer, like the RTX 4060, 4070, or 4090.

Before you look for the setting, check whether your graphics card supports DLSS 4 and whether the specific game you want to play has it built in. Not every game has DLSS 4 yet, even though the list is growing. Games that do support it include Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Black Myth: Wukong, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

Key Takeaways

  • DLSS 4 only works on RTX 40 series Nvidia cards and newer; if you have an RTX 30 series or older, or an AMD or Intel card, the setting will not appear in your games.
  • You enable DLSS 4 separately in each game's graphics settings menu, not in your graphics driver or Windows settings.
  • When you turn on DLSS 4, you choose a quality level (Performance, Balanced, Quality, or Ultra Quality) that determines how much speed you gain versus image sharpness.
  • Some games with DLSS 4 also include Frame Generation, a separate feature that creates extra frames to boost frame rates even further.

Check your graphics card first

Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app on your computer, or right-click on your desktop and select "Nvidia Control Panel." Look for your graphics card name — it should say something like "RTX 4070" or "RTX 4090." If it says RTX 30 series (like 3070 or 3090), RTX 20 series, or anything older, your card does not support DLSS 4. Cards from other manufacturers like AMD (Radeon RX 7000 series) or Intel (Arc) also do not support DLSS 4.

If you are unsure what card you have, right-click on your desktop, look for an Nvidia or AMD option, and open the control panel. The card name appears near the top. On Windows, you can also go to Settings > System > About and scroll down to "Device specifications" — though this method sometimes shows less detail.

Find the graphics settings in your game

Launch the game and look for a Settings or Options menu, usually found in the main menu before you start playing. Inside Settings, find the Graphics, Video, or Display section — the exact name varies by game. Look for a line that says "DLSS" or "DLSS 4" with a dropdown menu or toggle switch next to it.

If you do not see a DLSS option, the game either does not support DLSS 4 yet, or your graphics card is not compatible. Some games have DLSS 3 instead, which works on RTX 40 series cards but is an older version. Do not confuse DLSS with other upscaling technologies like FSR (AMD's technology) or XeSS (Intel's technology) — those are different systems that work on different cards.

Turn on DLSS 4 and choose your quality level

Click on the DLSS dropdown menu and select "On" or "Enabled." The menu will then show you quality options: Performance, Balanced, Quality, and Ultra Quality. Each option trades speed for image sharpness in different ways.

Performance mode makes the game run fastest but uses the lowest resolution before upscaling, so the image may look slightly softer. Balanced splits the difference between speed and sharpness. Quality mode upscales from a higher resolution, so the image looks sharper but the speed boost is smaller. Ultra Quality provides the smallest speed improvement but the sharpest image. Start with Balanced if you are unsure, then adjust based on whether you want more frame rate or sharper visuals.

Enable Frame Generation if the game offers it

Some games with DLSS 4 also include a separate feature called Frame Generation, which creates entirely new frames using AI instead of just upscaling existing ones. This can double your frame rate in some cases. Look for a "Frame Generation" toggle in the same graphics menu where you found DLSS 4.

Frame Generation works alongside DLSS 4 — you can turn on DLSS 4 alone, or turn on both together. Turning on Frame Generation does use more power and can introduce slight input lag in fast-paced games, so some players prefer to leave it off. Test it in your specific game to see if the frame rate boost is worth the trade-off for you.

explore your settings and test the difference

After you select your DLSS 4 quality level, look for an "explore" or "Save" button and click it. The game will restart or reload the graphics when ready. Start playing and pay attention to your frame rate — you should see a higher number of frames per second (fps) than you did before, especially if you chose Performance or Balanced mode.

If the image looks too blurry or you are not seeing a frame rate improvement, try switching to a different quality level. If DLSS 4 makes the game unstable or causes crashes, turn it off and check whether the game developer has released a patch — DLSS 4 support is still new in many games and occasional bugs do happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if DLSS 4 is not showing up in my game's settings?

Your graphics card may not be compatible — DLSS 4 requires RTX 40 series or newer. Alternatively, the game may not support DLSS 4 yet, or you may be looking in the wrong menu. Check the game's official website or patch notes to confirm DLSS 4 is available for that title.

Does turning on DLSS 4 make my game look worse?

In Performance mode, the image may look slightly softer because the game renders at a lower resolution before upscaling. In Quality or Ultra Quality mode, most players cannot see a difference from native resolution. The trade-off is intentional — you gain speed by accepting a small loss in sharpness, or you keep sharpness and gain less speed.

Can I use DLSS 4 with other graphics settings like ray tracing?

Yes. DLSS 4 works alongside ray tracing, high texture settings, and other graphics features. In fact, turning on DLSS 4 often lets you run ray tracing at higher settings because the upscaling technology offsets the performance cost.

Will DLSS 4 work on my laptop?

Only if your laptop has an RTX 40 series Nvidia card or newer. Many gaming laptops use RTX 40 series cards, but budget laptops and ultrabooks typically do not. Check your laptop's specifications or open Nvidia GeForce Experience to see which card you have.