AMD says it will extend its machine learning-based FSR4 technology to handheld devices by the end of 2026, a move that could affect owners of handheld gaming PCs such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. The company had previously promised FSR4 only for desktop graphics cards, not for the APUs used in laptops and handhelds.
The commitment came from AMD executive Huynh, who told Korean publication The Elec that AMD will bring FSR4 to its entire product line, including APUs, gaming laptops and handheld devices, by the end of this year. According to The Elec's account, relayed via Google Translate, Huynh said AMD plans to respond in two directions: launching existing APUs and new product lines.
The Elec reports that AMD is preparing both a new APU and a lightweight FSR4 model for APUs by year's end. The publication does not appear to state whether that lightweight FSR4 model will reach handhelds specifically. It may instead depend on AMD's leaked upcoming Ryzen Z3 or "Gainsborough" handheld chips.
Whether existing handhelds will receive FSR4 remains unclear. AMD's David McAfee previously told Tom's Guide that the company wants to make sure the experience and quality are right, and that FSR4 requires a sufficient amount of compute within a product to make sense. That suggests some older laptop chips may qualify while some older handheld chips do not.
FSR4 was first introduced for existing external graphics cards. Valve worked with AMD to bring FSR4 to the Steam Machine's console-grade AMD APU, but it has not yet committed to doing the same for the Steam Deck handhelds.
AMD did not immediately respond to a request to clarify Huynh's statement. For US consumers weighing a handheld purchase, the open question is whether the technology will arrive as a software update on hardware already on shelves or require buying a new device.
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