In a notable development within the graphics technology landscape, AMD has unveiled a new version of Fluid Motion Frames within its latest driver release. This advancement has sparked discussions around the company’s intentions to not only enhance frame generation capabilities with the upcoming FSR Redstone technology but also to potentially enable this AI-driven frame generation across a broader range of games through driver support.
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This move comes on the heels of Nvidia’s introduction of Smooth Motion, which allows users of GeForce GPUs to activate frame generation at a fundamental level via driver settings. Currently, AMD’s frame generation technology lags behind Nvidia’s latest DLSS 4 suite, lacking multi-frame generation support and the utilization of machine learning hardware. However, the anticipated FSR Redstone, expected to debut in late 2025, promises to leverage machine learning while being compatible with standard GPU shaders, eliminating the need for specialized AI cores. This could potentially allow it to function across a variety of GPUs.
What adds intrigue to this announcement is the prospect of enhancements to AMD Fluid Motion Frames. This driver-level integration of frame generation does not necessitate specific game support for FSR frame generation, allowing users to toggle it on or off directly within their driver profiles. My personal experiences with this technology have yielded mixed results; while it performed admirably in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it struggled with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, exhibiting erratic frame rates prior to the game’s native support for FSR frame generation.
The potential for a new iteration of Fluid Motion Frames was first identified by a user on the Guru3D forum, who discovered code references to this technology in the 25.20 branch of the Adrenalin drivers. The code includes mentions of “AFMF3,” which likely denotes AMD Fluid Motion Frames 3.
As we look ahead, there is hope that this new technology will be integrated into the forthcoming FSR Redstone. The impressive image quality demonstrated by the AI-based upscaling in FSR 4, as highlighted in our review of the Radeon RX 9070 XT, has positioned AMD to compete more effectively with Nvidia in this arena. Achieving similar advancements in frame generation, particularly with the capability to operate on any GPU and potentially in any game, would mark a significant milestone for AMD.
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