AMD FSR
AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution (FSR) is a built-in upscaling technology that comes with every Steam Deck. We can leverage this powerful upscaling feature for Visual Novels to improve image quality and reduce font blurriness.
Why Use FSR on Steam Deck?
While some advise against upscaling software on larger displays, this doesn't apply to the Steam Deck. We're working with a compact 7-inch screen at 1280×800 resolution, so upscaling artifacts aren't blown out of proportion.
We recommend using FSR because it almost always produces better visual quality than native low resolution rendering.
Setting Up FSR for Visual Novels
Step 1: Access Performance Settings
- Press the Steam button (…) to open the quick menu
- Navigate to the Performance tab
- Configure the following settings:
- Set Performance Overlay Level to 5
- Enable Use per-game profile
Performance Overlay
The performance overlay will show an FSR indicator at position 3, which tells you whether FSR is currently active or inactive.
Step 2: Configure FSR Settings
- Scroll down in the Performance menu
- Set Scaling Filter to FSR
- Set FSR Sharpness to 5 (maximum sharpness)
FSR Activation Requirements
After configuring these settings, FSR can still show as OFF in the overlay. This is normal behavior.
FSR only activates when your game resolution is lower than the Steam Deck's native resolution (1280×800). You'll need to reduce the in-game resolution to trigger FSR upscaling.
Step 3: Set Lower Resolution
To activate FSR, you need to run your Visual Novel at a resolution below 1280×800. In most cases, FSR will activate starting at 800×600 resolution.
Hover or drag the slider to see FSR changes to image quality and text clarity.
Forcing Resolution for Games Without Options
Some Visual Novels don't include built-in resolution settings. For these titles, you can force a specific resolution through Steam's game properties.
Method: Steam Game Properties
- In Game Mode, highlight the Visual Novel you want to configure
- Press the Steam button (…) to open the context menu
- Select Properties
- Scroll down to find Game Resolution
- Choose a resolution lower than 1280×800 (try 800×600 or 960×600)
Finding the Right Resolution
You may need to experiment with different resolutions to find the sweet spot where:
- FSR activates (shown in the performance overlay)
- The game displays properly without UI scaling issues
- Visual quality is optimized
Common working resolutions: 800×600, 960×600, 1024×576
Troubleshooting
FSR not activating?
- Ensure game resolution is below 1280×800
- Check that Performance Overlay Level is set to 5
- Verify Scaling Filter is set to FSR (not Linear or Nearest)
Game looks worse with FSR?
- Try adjusting FSR Sharpness (values 3-5 work best)
- Some games may look better at different base resolutions
- Very old or pixel-art games might benefit from Integer scaling instead
UI elements too small?
- Some games scale UI with resolution - try a higher base resolution like 960×600
- Check if the game has separate UI scaling options
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