This evening Intel released XeSS 2.1 as the newest version of their Xe Super Sampling library with upscaling, frame generation, and low latency optimizations for gamers. Notable with XeSS 2.1 is that it introduces XeSS Frame Generation with Xe Low Latency support now for non-Intel GPUs.
The XeSS Frame Generation with Xe Low Latency support now works for non-Intel GPUs by relying on common Shader Model 6.4+ code but the standalone Intel Xe Low Latency “XeLL” is not supported for non-Intel GPUs.
XeSS 2.1 also has Vulkan API enhancements around better error reporting, improved Vulkan validation layer handling, and various stability improvements.
While these XeSS improvements are exciting, XeSS remains a closed-source mess under the Intel Simplified Software License.
Though I have a lot of respect for all the Intel Linux graphics driver enhancements done by them as covered almost daily on Phoronix as well as their open-source user-space projects like oneAPI components and more, XeSS sadly still does not fall into that happy open-source umbrella. Even though Intel has promoted it as open-source, XeSS publicly ships as Windows binaries. Beyond that, XeSS has introduced issues for Intel graphics on Linux where some XeSS games need to be concealed from the fact that Intel graphics are in use on Linux in order to then work correctly. Sadly several years since the start of XeSS, no major improvement in making it really open like AMD FSR.
Those interested in the assets for the XeSS SDK 2.1 release can find them on GitHub.
