Lossless Scaling: what it is, how it works, and how to get the most out of it

Lossless Scaling has become one of the most curious and useful tools For those who want to squeeze out extra FPS on PC without upgrading their graphics card. At a time when many games are poorly optimized or demand excessive hardware, this application promises image upscaling and frame generation in virtually any title and with almost any GPU.

Although it is sometimes sold as if it were black magic, It's important to understand what Lossless Scaling does, what its limitations are, and how to configure it. To avoid disappointment. It's not a direct replacement for DLSS, FSR, or NVIDIA's native frame generation, but it is a very powerful alternative for people with older graphics cards or games that don't include these technologies by default.

What exactly is Lossless Scaling?

Lossless Scaling is a paid application available on Steam. (costing around €7) adds two great features to your PC games: resolution upscaling and frame generation technologies. The interesting thing is that it works at the system level, so the game doesn't need to implement anything specific.

Its objective is clear: Improve game performance and smoothness without relying solely on the raw power of the GPUOn one hand, it allows you to render the game at a lower resolution and scale the image to your monitor's native resolution; on the other hand, it generates "fake" FPS between the real frames to offer a much smoother feel.

Unlike DLSS or FSR, which are integrated into the games themselves, Lossless Scaling works on any game you can run in windowed or borderless windowed modeThis makes it a very attractive option for older games, indie games, or releases that don't support modern technologies.

Furthermore, its developers update it quite frequently, and Version 3.0 has represented a huge leap forward in frame generation., getting dangerously close to what NVIDIA promises with DLSS 4, but without the need for a latest-generation GPU.

How image rescaling works in Lossless Scaling

The first major aspect of the application is resolution upscaling.The idea is simple: the game is rendered internally at a lower resolution, consuming fewer resources, and then Lossless Scaling takes care of "inflating" that image to the resolution of your monitor using different algorithms.

One of the key functions is “Resolution Scale”With it, you can define what percentage of the original resolution you'll use as input. For example, if you play at 2560 x 1440 (1440p) and set Resolution Scale to 50%, the game will actually render at something close to 1280 x 720 (720p), while Lossless Scaling generates output frames at 1440p.

This approach allows Very noticeable performance gains at the cost of a slight decrease in sharpness and image qualityIt's the same principle used by technologies like DLSS or FSR, although here without the need for the game to support it natively.

To control how this rescaling is applied, the app offers a parameter called scaling modewith two main options: automatic and custom. Each is better suited to a particular type of screen configuration.

In parallel, you must also select the Scaling typeThis defines the algorithm that will be used to enlarge the image. This is where options like LS1, FSR, NIS, Anime4K, and others come into play, each with its advantages and disadvantages depending on the game and your hardware.

Scaling mode: automatic vs custom

Scaling Mode determines how the game image adapts to your monitor and in what context each option is most convenient to use. It's not just an aesthetic detail; it affects both compatibility and final quality.

If you choose the mode AutomaticThe application takes care of Adjust the game image to full screen or to your monitor's aspect ratio without having to struggle too much with resolutions and window sizes. It's the recommended option for games that run in standard windowed mode.

In this case, the normal thing is Lower the game resolution in its own menu. (for example, 1600 x 900 on a 1080p monitor) and let Lossless Scaling handle the scaling to full screen. This greatly simplifies the setup, especially if you don't want to delve into the details of each parameter.

Mode Personalized It is designed for games that run on “Borderless”Here you can directly choose a specific scaling factor, giving you more control over the balance between performance and visual quality.

Scaling factors are usually interpreted as follows: Factor 1 is native resolution, 1,3 would be "ultra quality", 1,5 quality, 1,7 balanced and 2 performanceThe higher the factor, the more aggressive the scaling from a lower internal resolution, and therefore the more FPS you can gain, although it also increases the risk of seeing artifacts or loss of detail.

Scaling types: LS1, FSR, Anime4K and others

Choosing the scaling type is one of the most important decisions when using lossless scaling.Because each algorithm behaves differently depending on the game and hardware. There's no single answer; often you have to try several options.

Within the available list, you will find technologies known as AMD's FSR or NVIDIA's NISIn addition to proprietary algorithms like LS1 or more specific solutions like Anime4K, each has its own additional parameters, such as sharpness controls or modes for less powerful graphics cards.

The algorithm LS1 It is the one created by the developer of Lossless Scaling himself. It is highly rated by the community Because it combines good image quality with acceptable performance, although it consumes slightly more resources than FSR. It tends to work particularly well with titles that don't suffer from oversharpening (excessive sharpness).

FSR, for its part, He's a true veteran in the world of re-climbing.It offers very decent quality and is also quite robust in games where the graphics engine's own sharpening is already overkill. It tends to avoid annoying artifacts and is very useful for mitigating the blur caused by TAA when using native resolution.

Then we have Anime4kwhich is not exactly designed for video games. It's an ideal algorithm for improving 2D videos, anime, or compressed content.Whether online or downloaded, it smooths compression artifacts and scales low resolutions, but its resource consumption is high, so it's not the best option for gaming.

In general terms, LS1 is usually the preferred option if you're looking for the best possible quality.Provided your graphics card can handle it. If your GPU is a bit underpowered, the lighter option is usually SGSR, designed to consume less power at the expense of slightly lower quality than FSR.

Frame generation: “Fake” FPS for smoother gameplay

The other great feature of Lossless Scaling is the frame generationThis function attempts to fill the gaps between real frames by adding intermediate images calculated by the application, achieving a much smoother feel.

grace is that This generation of frames is not limited to the most modern GPUsUnlike NVIDIA or AMD implementations, with Lossless Scaling, any compatible graphics card can benefit to a greater or lesser extent from this trick, provided you accept its drawbacks.

Currently, the application offers several versions of its generation system: LSFG 1.1, LSFG 2.3 and LSFG 3.0Each iteration has ironed out bugs, improved stability, and added new features, so it's recommended to always use the latest version unless you have a specific problem.

One of the strengths of LSFG 3.0 is that allows you to choose different FPS multipliersx2, x3, x4 and even a Custom mode where you can go up to x20. In practice, this means that, starting from a base of 60 real FPS, you could see 120, 180, 240 FPS or more on screen.

Frame generation also includes Options to limit FPS to monitor refresh rateFor example, if your screen is 120 Hz, you can keep the game stable at a scaled 120 FPS, even though internally the title is only rendering at a real 48-60 FPS.

x2, x3, x4 and Custom modes: when each one is worthwhile

Within the LSFG 3.0 system, The x2 and x3 multipliers are the most balanced In terms of the relationship between quality, artifacts, and the feeling of fluidity, these are, in practice, the most recommended modes for most users and games.

For example, in tests with The Witcher 3A system that rendered at around 70 native FPS would drop to approximately 45 real-world FPS when Lossless Scaling was enabled due to the extra processing cost. However, with x2 mode, the experience felt equivalent to playing at around 90 scaled FPS, and with x3, frame rates reached around 130-135 FPS, with relatively low visual artifacts (especially in details like Geralt's hair).

In more demanding games like Alan wake 2where it's easy to see 40 FPS on powerful machines, the x2 generation can take you to a Visual experience close to 80 FPSThis represents a very noticeable improvement in such a demanding title. With x3, values ​​close to 180 FPS (scaled) have been recorded, although visual glitches also increase.

The modes x4 and above, especially when you enter x6, x10 or x20 terrainThey are much more delicate. Although on paper you could, for example, go from 48 real FPS to 240 FPS (x5) or from 60 to 360-480 FPS (x6, x8) synchronized with very high refresh rate monitors, in practice The appearance of artifacts and distortions increases significantly..

The community itself and the app developer acknowledge that, currently, Using very high multipliers only makes sense in very specific casesAnd that it is recommended not to exceed x8 on screens with many Hz and, practically speaking, to stay at x2 or x3 for a playable experience without going crazy with visual errors.

Fixed Mode, Adaptive Mode, and other key settings

Lossless Scaling offers two distinct approaches to frame generation: Fixed mode and Adaptive modeChoosing one or the other changes how target FPS is managed.

On Fixed modeYou decide the multiplier (x2, x3, x4, Custom, etc.) and the application is limited to generate the number of additional frames indicated by that factorIt's a straightforward method, perfect if you already know which settings work well for you with your monitor and GPU.

El Adaptive modeHowever, it allows you to specify How many FPS do you want to see in total in the game?Lossless Scaling automatically adjusts the multiplier needed to approach that goal, taking into account the actual FPS the game is producing at any given time.

Another important option is the box for Unlimited, available in some LSFG modes. This option reduces the algorithm's quality in exchange for decreasing its impact on the GPU.This can be very useful in less powerful graphics cards or in demanding games.

You'll also find controls like the cursor clipping and mouse speed adjustmentIn some games, the cursor may feel strange when frame generation is enabled; enabling these options helps the pointer move more naturally and not appear out of sync with the image.

Limitations, artifacts, and common problems

It's important to be very clear about one thing: Lossless Scaling is not magic and it has a costAlthough the results can be spectacular, there are also side effects that you should be aware of before you start using high multipliers.

Firstly, You may see distortions at the edges, ghosting, or blurry areas.This is especially true in more aggressive frame generation modes. This is because the extra frames are generated after the game has rendered its image, and the algorithm has to "guess" what to display in between.

Secondly, it may appear stuttering or small jerksThis is especially true if the base game already has FPS stability issues or if the system is running on low-end hardware. The application adds an extra load that, under extreme conditions, can make any micro-stuttering more noticeable.

It is also important Don't trust some third-party FPS countersFor example, on devices like the Legion Go, the built-in performance monitor can give misleading readings when using Lossless Scaling. It's preferable to rely on the application's own counter, which shows the actual scaled FPS you're seeing.

Lastly, Not all games or configurations behave the same.There are titles where the artifacts are minimal and the improvement is dramatic, and others where the distortions are far too bothersome. Ultimately, it's an external layer that works on top of what the game has already done.

Basic steps to start using Lossless Scaling

The typical workflow is quite simple: First you configure the app, then you launch the game, and finally you activate scaling.It may sound obvious, but following this order avoids problems and detection failures.

The first step is buy and install Lossless Scaling from SteamThe advantage of being on this platform is that, if you're not convinced or it doesn't work well on your computer, you have Steam's refund policy as a safety net.

Next, open the application and Adjust the basic optionsScaling mode (automatic or custom), scaling type (LS1, FSR, etc.), and frame generation (LSFG version and multiplier). To start, it's usually a good idea to try LSFG 2.3 or 3.0 in x2 mode, with the Performance box disabled, and see how your hardware performs.

Once you have the parameters ready, Start the game in the recommended settings (Window or borderless full screen, as applicable). Once the game is running, return to Lossless Scaling and press the "Scaling" button in the top right corner of the application.

You will see a timer appear for about 5 seconds; During that interval, he quickly returns to the game.When the counter reaches zero, the screen usually flickers briefly, indicating that scaling and/or frame generation have been successfully activated.

Other useful parameters: V-Sync, tearing, HDR, and stability

In addition to scaling and frame generation options, Lossless Scaling offers a set of Additional parameters to fine-tune the experienceespecially related to image synchronization and color management.

In the menu of Render Options You can enable vertical sync with support for technologies like G-Sync. This helps to avoid tearing or horizontal “cuts” in the image that appear when the FPS and the monitor's refresh rate are out of sync.

You also have the option of to allow or block tearingIf you prioritize a screen free of screen tearing and don't mind a little more input lag, disable screen tearing and use V-Sync or G-Sync. However, if you're primarily concerned with controller or mouse responsiveness, you can experiment with these options until you find the balance you prefer.

If you use monitors with HDRIt is important to select the option to HDR support within Lossless Scaling when you enable upscaling. Otherwise, the colors may appear washed out, dull, or simply misrepresented compared to how the game should look in native HDR.

Beware of devices whose screen does not support HDR (such as some laptops or the Legion Go itself): if you force HDR from Windows or the app when the panel does not support it.The colors will look terrible. In those cases, it's best to keep everything in SDR and disable any related HDR options.

Practical examples of improvement in real games

To get a realistic idea of ​​what Lossless Scaling can offer, It is helpful to look at specific cases with well-known gamesThe Witcher 3 and Alan Wake 2 are examples that help to clearly visualize the potential and the limitations.

En The Witcher 3A typical scenario would be a PC achieving around 70 FPS at high resolution with settings almost maxed out. Enabling Lossless Scaling with frame generation can drop the actual FPS rendered by the game to around 45 due to the additional processing overhead.

Despite that apparent drop, when activating x2 generation mode, The final impression is that of playing at around 90 FPS upscaledwith noticeably improved fluidity. In x3 mode, the frame rate reaches up to 130-135 FPS scaled; the experience is very smooth, and although some artifacts appear (for example in hair or small elements), many people consider it perfectly playable.

En Alan wake 2In a much more modern and demanding game, the visual impact is even more noticeable. A system that typically runs around 40 real-world FPS can be upgraded to Enjoy something very close to 80 FPS scaled with x2 modeThis makes a huge difference in such a demanding title. Increasing to x3 can reach close to 180 FPS, but artifacts become more noticeable.

When attempting to use extreme multipliers such as x10 or x20The results cease to be reasonable: performance barely improves compared to what was achieved with x3 or x4, and yet The visual glitches multiply to the point that the experience can become unplayable.Therefore, the general recommendation is to stay in moderate modes.

In summary, Lossless Scaling shines especially in the x2 to x3 range: allows you to double or triple the perceived FPS on screen compared to what the game actually performs, while keeping artifacts within tolerable limits for most users.

Looking at everything it offers, Lossless Scaling is positioned as a very interesting tool for anyone who wants to get more out of their PC without spending money on a new GPU.It doesn't replace engine-level technologies like DLSS 4, nor does it work miracles with poorly optimized games, but its combination of flexible upscaling, multiple algorithms, configurable frame rate generation, and widespread support for almost any title makes it a very powerful option. Used wisely—especially by opting for moderate scaling and x2/x3 modes—it can provide a much smoother and more stable gaming experience, with surprisingly minimal loss of visual quality considering everything it's doing behind the scenes.