Lossless Scaling is a brilliant tool designed to give you a nice performance boost in games across all kinds of hardware. For only a few bucks, you can potentially double your in-game FPS using frame generation and upscaling methods. While there are some drawbacks, overall it’s a massive net positive and something everyone should have a look at.
Table of Contents
The Best Settings for Lossless Scaling: The Complete Guide
Once you have installed Lossless scaling, here’s how to use it.
- Set your game or app to windowed or borderless full-screen mode (Important)
- Launch Lossless Scaling.
- Click "Scale" or press Ctrl + Alt + S. Clicking Scale gives you 5 seconds to jump back into the game window.
- Wait a few seconds. The screen may flicker briefly to indicate scaling has been applied. You'll see a new frame counter appear in the top left corner.
IMPORTANT: Lossless Scaling does not support exclusive full screen. You must use a windowed rendering mode for it to work. This means that any games that do not offer windowed or borderless full-screen mode won't work properly.
Frame Generation
This feature interpolates additional frames between real ones to increase perceived smoothness.
Enable Frame Generation: Turns on interpolation. Your game must run at a consistent frame rate.
Type:
Off
Disables frame generation.
Only the original frames rendered by the game will be displayed.
Recommended if you prefer zero input latency or maximum frame accuracy.
LSFG 1.1 (Legacy)
Oldest version, focused on broad compatibility.
Basic frame interpolation using motion estimation between consecutive frames.
Pros:
- Works with a wide range of games
- Lower latency than later versions
Cons:
- Lower visual quality
- Artifacts may appear, especially with fast motion
Best for: Slower-paced or older games where compatibility is more important than fluidity
LSFG 2.3
Improved over 1.1 with better motion analysis and less artifacting.
More refined interpolation logic.
Pros:
- Better visual smoothness than 1.1
- Still relatively light on resources
Cons:
- Still not artifact-free
- May cause input latency in very fast-paced games
Best for: Games with stable frame pacing and moderate action
LSFG 3.1 (Latest)
Most advanced version of frame generation in Lossless Scaling.
Includes:
- Improved motion vector calculation
- Reduced ghosting and blurring
- Better frame blending
Pros:
- Highest visual smoothness
- Most artifact-free version yet
Cons:
- Highest latency of all LSFG versions
- More demanding on CPU/GPU
Best for: RPGs, simulators, third-person games, or slow camera movement scenarios
Mode:
Fixed: Maintains better quality and performance by displaying real frames more frequently when using integer multipliers. However, the output framerate depends on the base game framerate, and frame pacing may be less consistent than in Adaptive mode if the base framerate is unstable.
Adaptive: Delivers a consistent output framerate, independent of the base game framerate, by always targeting the specified framerate for smoother frame pacing. However, quality and performance may be lower than in Fixed mode, as most frames are generated.
Multiplier:
(X2, X3, etc.): Sets how many frames to generate for each real frame. X2 is most stable. Higher values may add latency or artifacts.
Flow scale
Downscales the input frame to estimate motion flow at a lower resolution, improving performance. Once processed, the frame is warped at its original resolution to generate the final output without any upscaling. This setting impacts motion estimation accuracy, particularly for small moving objects, thin lines, UI elements, and similar details.
Additionally, lowering the flow scale can enhance image smoothness. Reducing the input resolution increases the perceived motion distance (in pixels), improving the estimation of larger motion.
Recommended values:
For 4K output: 50 to 70 percent
For 1080p output: 70 to 85 percent
Performance Mode:
A faster version of LSFG, which is better suited for less powerful GPUs, but has slightly worse quality.
Scaling
Determines how the content is upscaled to fit your screen.
Type:
When you are using Upscaling mode (not integer scaling), you can select the algorithm used:
Off
Description: Disables any custom upscaling. Scaling is still applied (e.g., for integer scaling), but no enhancement filter is used.
Use Case: When you want basic scaling without sharpness or filter modifications.
LS1
Description: The default Lossless Scaling algorithm. It's a lightweight spatial upscaler with adjustable sharpness. Designed for general-purpose use, balancing speed and visual quality.
Pros: Low latency, configurable sharpness, and minimal artifacts.
Best For: Most games, especially fast-paced or 3D titles where responsiveness is key.
FSR
Description: AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 1.0. A well-known spatial upscaling algorithm using Lanczos filtering and sharpness enhancement.
Pros: Good image reconstruction, moderate sharpness.
Cons: May introduce slight shimmering or aliasing in motion.
Best For: Modern 3D games that benefit from upscaling a lower resolution for higher performance.
NIS
Description: NVIDIA Image Scaling. A sharpening and upscaling algorithm similar to FSR, but optimized for NVIDIA GPUs.
Pros: High contrast sharpening, good edge clarity.
Cons: Can be too sharp or cause aliasing on some textures.
Best For: Action or open-world games where clarity is more important than visual softness.
SGSR
Description: A newer or less-documented scaling method that may stand for "Spatial Global Sharpness Reconstructor" or similar. Likely experimental or community-derived.
Pros: Designed to maintain sharpness globally.
Cons: May produce inconsistent results depending on content.
Best For: Testing or visual experimentation.
BCAS
Description: Bicubic + CAS (Contrast Adaptive Sharpening). Combines smooth bicubic upscaling with AMD’s sharpness enhancement.
Pros: Balanced upscaling with smart edge enhancement.
Best For: Games with soft visuals or those that look blurry at lower resolutions.
Anime4K
Description: A neural network-based scaler optimized for clean, flat-colored visuals, like anime or cartoons. Preserves edges and line art very well.
Pros: Excellent for 2D, cel-shaded, or visual novel games.
Cons: Performs poorly on photorealistic textures or noisy 3D visuals.
Best For: Games like Octopath Traveler, Cuphead, or emulators.
xBR
Description: eXtended Bilinear Rotation. A classic pixel-art upscaler used in emulation. Focuses on edge smoothing while preserving the pixel grid.
Pros: Smooths lines without blurring sprites.
Cons: May soften details or round sharp edges.
Best For: Retro pixel-art games like SNES or Genesis titles.
Sharp Bilinear
Description: A variant of bilinear filtering with a sharpness bias. Simple and fast but not as clean as more modern scalers.
Pros: Ultra-low overhead. Quick results.
Cons: May produce visual ringing or halos.
Best For: Lightweight systems or very old games that don’t need sophisticated scaling.
Mode:
Auto: Automatically chooses between integer scaling and upscaling, based on whether a perfect scale factor
Custom: Adds a "Factor" option which lets you manually choose your upscaling level in increments.
Aspect Ratio: Choose either Fullscreen or whatever aspect ratio your monitor is.
Rendering
These affect performance, latency, and image delivery.
Sync Mode:
Off (Allow Tearing): Allow Tearing: Disables V-Sync. Reduces latency but may introduce screen tearing. Best used for competitive games or when latency is a priority.
Default
Vsync
Vsync 1/2
Vsync 1/3
Max Frame Latency: Controls how many frames can be queued by the GPU. Values range from 1 to 3. Lower values can improve responsiveness but may reduce smoothness if the GPU cannot keep up.
HDR Support: Required if your game and monitor output HDR content, as well as when DXGI capture is used alongside the 'Automatically manage color for apps' option in Windows 11. Consumes more VRAM
G-Sync support: This option tricks the driver into activating G-Sync for the LS window. Freesync and Adaptive Sync are enabled by default and do not require this.
Draw FPS: Displays an on-screen FPS counter that shows both original and generated framerate.
Capture Methods
Capture Method determines how the tool grabs the application window for scaling. Located under the main settings.
Capture API:
DXGI (default): Uses DirectX-based capture. Best for compatibility. Supports adaptive sync and handles variable refresh rates well.
WGC (Windows Graphics Capture): Uses newer Windows APIs. Lower CPU overhead and slightly faster input response, but may have more frame pacing issues.
LS output can be recorded by any software when using WGC, whereas DXGI requires using OBS in Game Capture mode.
WGC automatically applies colour correction when the Windows 11 feature "Automatically manage colour for apps" is enabled. For DXGI, the "HDR Support" LS option must be enabled in this case.
WGC may have better performance when LS is used on a secondary GPU.
WGC requires MPO support for VRR to function properly when the hardware cursor is displayed.
WGC is available starting from Windows 11 version 24H2 and will fall back to DXGI on earlier versions.
Queue Target:
0 Unbuffered capture, always using the last captured frame for the lowest latency. However, performance may suffer under high GPU load or with an uncapped base framerate.
1 Buffered capture with a target frame queue of 1. Maintains low latency while better handling variations in capture performance.
2 Buffered capture with a target frame queue of 2. Best suited for scenarios with an uncapped or unstable base framerate and high GPU load, though it may introduce higher latency. Also the recommended setting for FG multipliers below 2.
Cursor
Clip Cursor
What it does: Locks the mouse cursor inside the game window or the scaling window when enabled.
Purpose: Prevents the cursor from accidentally leaving the window during gameplay, especially in borderless or windowed mode.
When to use it:
- In fast-paced games where mouse movement is critical.
- When using multi-monitor setups to avoid the cursor slipping to another screen.
Adjust Cursor Speed
What it does: Alters the sensitivity of the mouse cursor inside the scaled window.
Purpose: Prevents the cursor from feeling too fast or too slow after scaling, especially when the resolution or scaling factor changes.
When to use it:
- If you notice the mouse feels “off” when the game is running through Lossless Scaling.
- Helpful when the game runs at a lower resolution and is being upscaled.
Hide Cursor
What it does: Hides the system (OS-level) mouse cursor while the game is running through Lossless Scaling.
Purpose: Prevents a double cursor issue when the game has its own in-game cursor.
When to use it:
- When you see two cursors on-screen — one from the game and one from the system.
- Useful for full-screen emulated games or games with hardware cursor rendering.
Scale Cursor
What it does: Upscales the system cursor to match the scaled game window resolution.
Purpose: Makes sure the cursor doesn't look tiny on a high-res display when the game itself is rendered at a lower resolution and then scaled.
When to use it:
- When the cursor appears too small relative to the scaled game screen.
- Particularly helpful when using low internal resolutions (e.g., 720p) on a 1440p or 4K screen.
Hotkeys
Ctrl + Alt + S: Activate scaling
Ctrl + Alt + Q: Stop scaling
You can remap these in the settings if needed.
Best Practices and Recommendations
For retro or pixel-art games, use Integer Only scaling. This will keep sharp, unblurred visuals.
For modern 3D games, use Auto mode and select LS1 or FSR as the scaling type.
Use Frame Generation only if your game runs at a consistent framerate. A good setup is to cap the in-game FPS to half your monitor refresh rate and use X2 frame generation.
Always test with Allow Tearing both on and off. Input latency and visual stability vary by game.
Do not enable overlays like Steam, NVIDIA Shadowplay, or AMD ReLive during use. These can interfere with window capture.
When using WGC, ensure you have the latest Windows updates for the best compatibility.
GPU & Display
Preferred GPU: Choose the GPU that you want to use. Unless you have 2 fairly high-end GPUs, I wouldn't bother with this feature.
Output display: Choose the monitor that you will be using
Crop Input
Lets you manually adjust an image crop, but you probably won't ever use this option.
Behaviour
For multi-display systems, it disables automatic unscaling when the window loses focus, making it possible to use another display while scaling.
Known Issues with Lossless Scaling
Scaling does not work with exclusive full screen.
Some anti-cheat systems may block or crash the tool. Test on a case-by-case basis.
Frame Generation can cause visual artifacts if the game’s frame rate is unstable or drops below the target.
Sometimes (rarely) a frame will freeze on screen, but the game will still be running in the background. If this happens, simply close lossless scaling, and you can save your game without issues.
