The NVIDIA DLSS SDK is now freely available for download from this page. Previously, developers had to apply before they could get access to it. Unlike the official Unreal Engine or Unity plugins, the DLSS SDK is meant to be used with custom and/or proprietary engines.
New features of this release (version 2.2.1) also include some additional options available to game developers.
- Added Sharpening Slider – Developers can now add a slider to adjust sharpness, enabling users to make the image sharper or softer based on their own personal preferences.
- Added Support for Linux – Developers can now integrate DLSS in Linux games and applications.
- Added Auto-Exposure Option – DLSS is able to automatically calculate exposure values. This feature can potentially improve the image quality of low contrast scenes.
- Bug Fixes & Stability Improvements
These are the system requirements for the DLSS SDK, by the way.
| Operating Systems | DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) Linux Ubuntu 18.04 or 20.04 |
| Dependencies | NVIDIA DLSS SDK requires R470 driver or newer. |
| Development Environment | Linux: Visual Studio Code, gcc and g++ 8.4.0 or newer |
| Engine Requirements |
|
The public availability of the DLSS SDK could potentially mean a much broader adoption of NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling technology, even when it comes to unofficial implementations. In fact, programmer and modder DarioSamo, creator of the Super Mario 64 PC port with ray tracing, quickly jumped on the bandwagon to implement DLSS into his project.
Added DLSS.
— Darío (@dariosamo) July 19, 2021
Later, he added via Twitter:
Alright, for real, the feature needs a lot more work on the UI side and tweaks. It’ll likely take a few days until I figure out the licensing side and how to integrate it into the open source build tool.
But I’m getting results. And they’re really good.
Their documentation and debugging tools are very good, and sm64rt already had most of the information that DLSS needs. Your mileage may vary on how easy it is depending on your engine.
Given how fast AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is gaining support, this is great news for NVIDIA. GeForce RTX owners may soon be able to choose between DLSS and FSR in many, many games and mods.
