Image upscaling has long been a topic of interest in the tech world, with varying degrees of success in enhancing both videos and still images. However, the landscape is shifting as artificial intelligence continues to evolve. Microsoft has recently unveiled a preview of its super resolution feature for Copilot+ PCs within its Photos app, marking a significant advancement in this arena.
New Features in Microsoft Photos
This update introduces a range of enhancements for users of Microsoft Photos on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Notably, the image upscaling feature is currently exclusive to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2 or higher, and is available in the Canary, Dev, and Release Preview Channels. Meanwhile, a robust optical character recognition (OCR) feature is accessible to all users, broadening the app’s utility.
The OCR capability allows for the swift extraction of text from images, facilitating its use in other documents. Supporting over 160 languages, this feature is poised for further expansion, catering to a diverse global audience.
Despite the broader availability of the OCR feature, the spotlight is undoubtedly on the image upscaling functionality. Microsoft describes this innovation as:
“This update brings a preview of super resolution to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. Super resolution uses AI to enhance and enlarge images up to 8x the original image size. It is ideal for improving low-quality photos, preparing images for large prints or displays, and enabling tight cropping without sacrificing resolution.”
Utilizing the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) found in Copilot+ PCs, super resolution processes enhancements swiftly and efficiently, all performed locally on the device. Users can easily access this feature through the Photos Editor, allowing for rapid improvements to their images.
While these highlights showcase the latest advancements in the Photos app, they are just a glimpse of what’s included in this update. For those interested in exploring further details, additional information can be found on the Windows blog.
