Ex-AMD FSR Lead Reveals Many GPUOpen & FidelityFX Team Members Have Joined NVIDIA or Intel

Recent developments have sparked discussions about the current state of AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), particularly concerning the departure of significant team members to competitors like NVIDIA and Intel. According to Colin Riley, known on Discord as Domipheus, many key personnel from the FSR and GPUOpen teams have transitioned to these rival companies.

Challenges Facing AMD’s FSR Likely Linked to Team Member Exits

The conversation around AMD’s support for older GPUs has intensified lately. Although the recent updates, including the FSR Redstone release and the FSR 4.1 version, were generally well-received, there exists a notable dissatisfaction among users regarding the absence of FSR 4 compatibility for older hardware. This functionality gap has disappointed a segment of AMD’s user base.

A significant turning point in this narrative arose from a leak of FSR 4.1, which contained DLL files purportedly enabling FSR 4 functionality on older GPUs equipped with INT8 support. While AMD was quick to address this leak, expectations were high that they would seize the opportunity to roll out comprehensive FSR 4 support. However, this did not materialize, leaving many users wanting.

The rollout of FSR 4 has been gradual, limited to only a few select titles. Currently, features such as Ray Regeneration have only been integrated into games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Crimson Desert. It is important to note that not all of the over 100 games supporting FSR 4 include the necessary technology natively, requiring users to utilize AMD’s Adrenalin Software for access—an issue particularly common among RDNA 4 GPUs, such as the Radeon RX 9000 series.

Collage showcasing various game titles, with a note about machine learning support.

Colin Riley, an ex-lead at AMD who spent almost nine years with the company, attributed the challenges facing FSR 4 to the migration of talent to NVIDIA and Intel. While Colin did not directly oversee the development of Ray Regeneration, he is aware of the lead engineer’s departure to NVIDIA.

What makes this situation more striking is Colin’s revelation that the original director who initiated the GPUOpen project also left AMD for Intel, along with another director who managed Colin during the FSR 4 launch. The ongoing exodus of skilled engineers has raised concerns about the future capabilities of the FSR team, which previously enjoyed high morale and low turnover.

Screenshot of a Discord conversation regarding team movements to rival companies. — Image Source: Reddit

The ripple effects of these departures are felt beyond the FSR team, as reports suggest staff from the FidelityFX team are now also working with NVIDIA and Intel. This raises questions about AMD’s support for its engineers and the future development of FSR technology.

Despite the competitive landscape, where NVIDIA still receives criticism for locking older GPUs out of modern features like Multi-Frame Generation, they have shown a commitment to making new upscaling technologies accessible even on older RTX 20 series cards. Similarly, Intel has made strides to improve driver support since their Alchemist days, demonstrating responsiveness to developer feedback and user needs.

With millions of Radeon GPU users relying on AMD products, the company must address its communication and support strategies. Currently, the FSR team is focused on advancements such as FSR Diamond. As AMD solidifies its strategy with new GPU architectures, prioritizing open communication and addressing user concerns could significantly enhance community trust and satisfaction.

For further reading, check the source here: Reddit

Source & Images