How to update your DLSS for a better image

[Pendah]

Hello stalkers

I just tried after a while because I didn't think the difference would be worth it but guess what? It's very fast and easy to do, and the image is significantly better.
Sharper edges and textures, less blurry foliage when standing or in movement, feels like increased view distance i'm telling you there is no going back.
I'm using DLAA, I don't know about performance but some said they gained a few fps with 3.8.1 so it can only be better.

Here's two quick guide about how to make the game use the latest DLSS 3.8.1, takes 5 minutes to do!

Manually : https://clawsomegamer.com/how-to-update-the-stalker-2-dlss-version-on-pc-quickly/
or you can use "DLSS Swapper" (haven't tried) : https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/1gxukiy/update_your_dlss_to_the_newest_version_to_get/

Remember to keep the DLSS 3.8.1 file somewhere on your PC if you do it manually because it can be overwritten when the games update and when checking files so you'll need to copy it again.

[aprilmoon]

UE5 games are really DLSS dependent because this trash engine creates so much visual noise with trash lumen and so much pixel jitter with nanite that everything looks like sh*t with no denoiser. I dare you to check how this game looks in native resolution with no DLAA or DLSS/FSR/XeSS. Complete trash. Only UE5 games look worse in native than denoiser.

[Pendah]

Originally posted by aprilmoon:

UE5 games are really DLSS dependent because this trash engine creates so much visual noise with trash lumen and so much pixel jitter with nanite that everything looks like sh*t with no denoiser. I dare you to check how this game looks in native resolution with no DLAA or DLSS/FSR/XeSS. Complete trash. Only UE5 games look worse in native than denoiser.

I know brother, I know.. I was already calling TAA utter crap the first time it appeared like 10 years ago. "Anti-aliasing" lost all it's meaning. I miss good old msaa 8x on source engine but engine are always evolving and now that everyone is starting to complain, I guess we will see a change in the other way. Back to more sharper rendering.

I indeed tried in native and I went to a forest just to laugh my ass off how bad it looked..

[aprilmoon]

Doubt it. Epic ignores problem and their only answer so far was that AAA studios should modify UE5 tools to fit their needs and get best visual quality. But studio that uses UE5 already shows they don't want to invest time and effort into developing tools.

[DarkFire]

Originally posted by Pendah:

Hello stalkers, :TABSoldier:

Just did it after a while because I didn't think the difference would be worth it but guess what? It's very fast and easy to do, and the image is significantly better.
Sharper edges and textures, less blurry foliage when standing or in movement, feels like increased view distance i'm telling you there is no going back.
I'm using DLAA, I don't know about performance but some said they gained a few fps with DLSS so it can only be better.

Here's two quick guide about how to make the game use the latest DLSS 3.8.1, takes 5 minutes to do!

Manually : https://clawsomegamer.com/how-to-update-the-stalker-2-dlss-version-on-pc-quickly/
or you can use "DLSS Swapper" (haven't tried) : https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/1gxukiy/update_your_dlss_to_the_newest_version_to_get/

Remember to keep the DLSS 3.8.1 file somewhere on your PC if you do it manually because it can be overwritten when the games update and when checking files so you'll need to copy it again.

Thanks very much for this tip, worked a treat for me and very simple to do. Graphics are now noticeably less noisy with no appreciable drop in performance.

[Pendah]

Originally posted by DarkFire:

Thanks very much for this tip, worked a treat for me and very simple to do. Graphics are now noticeably less noisy with no appreciable drop in performance.

Glad it helped

See i'm not crazy! Any folks with an nVidia should do it asap!

[Sholomar]

I noticed that also with UE5... the deficiencies in this engine are quite apparent. They really are DLSS dependent. Clearly an engine designed with 4080's and 4090's in mind. In any case, thanks for the post. i will try this later.

[Pendah]

After restarting the PC and launching the game, the shader compilation get stuck so I ALT+F4, clean the shader cache, restart the game, ignore the box saying shader warmup is disabled, finally close the game and restart it to warm up the shaders and it will works until a pc restart.

It appeared after this change so i'm guessing it's related but anyone can confirm? It's maybe just me. For now I'm keeping the 3.8.1, the fix is easy to do.

[MrBlack]

Can confirm this works a treat. Had to restart recently after the game trashed my saved files, and upgraded to DLSS 3.10.1 with this hack. All the mad flickering has gone, the shadows look like actual shadows and if anything the frame rate has improved.

This plus the mantling mod have saved the game for me. Have an award. :D

[Vi'ir Jul K'hane]

Using the DLSS Swapper still works and can update S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to DLSS 4. I have an RTX 3060 and DLSS 4 does not provide me a performance increase at this time. The RTX 30 series does not support FrameGen or MultiFrameGen.

[Newb]

Tried dls swapper. but newer version will not download. Very small file, app sits there doing nothing?

[Newb]

Originally posted by Vi'ir Jul K'hane:

Using the DLSS Swapper still works and can update S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to DLSS 4. I have an RTX 3060 and DLSS 4 does not provide me a performance increase at this time. The RTX 30 series does not support FrameGen or MultiFrameGen.

I thought DLSS v4 is only supported by 50 series only?

[Nite69]

Originally posted by Vi'ir Jul K'hane:

Using the DLSS Swapper still works and can update S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to DLSS 4. I have an RTX 3060 and DLSS 4 does not provide me a performance increase at this time. The RTX 30 series does not support FrameGen or MultiFrameGen.

You can use FSR3 Framegen though, I have it enabled on my 3070

[Ampee]

With DLSS4, only DLAA is what ok. DLSS quality already introduces some artifacting to foliage, and when looking down. Performance is unplayable due to the amount of artifact it generates on grass/trees etc.
Unless you use DLAA I think DLSS4 in this state is a skip for STALKER 2. (Unless devs do something about it of course)

[asterisks]

DLSS Updater does all the work for me, updates all dlls for all games in one click.

[Vi'ir Jul K'hane]

Originally posted by Newb:

I thought DLSS v4 is only supported by 50 series only?

DLSS 4 has numerous features for RTX 30 series; however, only the RTX 40 & 50 series can utilize FrameGen. Only the RTX 50 series can utilize MultiFrameGen.

Originally posted by Nite69:

You can use FSR3 Framegen though, I have it enabled on my 3070

FSR is an AMD technology; it is not native to NVidia GPUs and is being simulated. It does not give the bump FrameGen or MultiFrameGen will. FSR would be more effective if you were using an AMD setup. I have FSR on because the game produces 4-5 more frames with it on. This is really the game optimization and not FSR technology.

Originally posted by Ampee:

With DLSS4, only DLAA is what ok. DLSS quality already introduces some artifacting to foliage, and when looking down. Performance is unplayable due to the amount of artifact it generates on grass/trees etc.
Unless you use DLAA I think DLSS4 in this state is a skip for STALKER 2. (Unless devs do something about it of course)

DLAA is the highest anti-aliasing DLSS mode for GeForce GPUs without FrameGen or MultiFrameGen. I lowered my setting to Quality and have my sharpness up 100%. There is occasional ghosting but that goes away the longer the game is played.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/dlss4-multi-frame-generation-ai-innovations/