> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.skimwire.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Microsoft's Auto SR upscaler now works on the go on the Xbox Ally X. Should you use it? - URL: https://www.skimwire.com/xbox-ally-x-auto-sr-handheld-mode-120fps/ - Published: 2026-11-11T20:32:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-11T20:32:48.000Z - Description: Auto SR leaves preview on the ROG Xbox Ally X and X20 with handheld play, 1080p support and a 120 fps mode coming. Who gets it and when to use FSR. - Author: Theo Park - Tags: Gadgets ## The skim - **Out of preview:** Microsoft's Auto SR AI upscaler is now officially available on the ROG Xbox Ally X and Ally X20\. It finally works in handheld mode, on battery, and with games running at 1080p. - **Still rolling out:** a new Performance Mode raises the cap from about 60–75 fps to up to 120 fps, and Auto SR now works alongside Auto HDR. Both are arriving through Windows updates, so you may not have them yet. - **Not for everyone:** the $599 base ROG Xbox Ally isn't on Microsoft's list. Its chip has no NPU, the AI processor Auto SR runs on. For games with good built-in upscaling, that's still usually the better choice. ## What changed on Nov. 10 Auto SR (Automatic Super Resolution) is Microsoft's system-level upscaler. A game renders at a lower resolution, and Windows uses the PC's neural processing unit (NPU) to sharpen each frame on the way to the screen. That leaves the graphics chip free to push more frames. It works on games without any developer support, which is its whole selling point. Microsoft first brought it to the Xbox Ally X as an Xbox Insider preview in April, but only while docked to a TV or monitor. In a [DirectX blog post on Tuesday](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/autosr-performance-mode/?ref=skimwire.com), Microsoft said Auto SR is out of preview on the ROG Xbox Ally X and Ally X20 and now on "select" Copilot+ PCs with AMD Ryzen chips. It also removed the biggest limits: - **Handheld play:** it now runs on the built-in screen, "even when you're unplugged and playing on battery." Available now. - **1080p games:** before, you had to drop a game below 1080p before Auto SR would switch on. Microsoft says that extra step was a common reason it didn't activate. Now 1080p games work, and when docked Auto SR can upscale them up to 1440p. Available now. - **Performance Mode, up to 120 fps:** almost double the old 60–75 fps ceiling. Microsoft's example is Rocket League at 720p high settings on an Ally X, averaging 70 fps in Quality mode and 115 fps in Performance mode. Rolling out with Windows updates. - **Auto HDR at the same time:** you no longer have to choose between Auto SR and Auto HDR. That matters most on the X20's OLED screen. Rolling out with Windows updates. Microsoft adds a caveat: at 1080p in handheld mode, "performance may not be as optimal as other configurations," though you should still see visual improvements, "especially in older games." ## Which handhelds get it | Device | Price (ASUS MSRP) | Auto SR? | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ROG Xbox Ally X (Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme) | $999 | Yes, now out of preview | | ROG Xbox Ally X20 (Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 7.4-inch OLED) | $1,299 | Yes | | ROG Xbox Ally (Ryzen Z2 A) | $599 | Not listed by Microsoft; AMD's spec page lists no NPU for this chip | Prices are the US MSRPs ASUS gave when it [launched the X20 on Oct. 15](https://press.asus.com/news/press-releases/rog-xbox-ally-x20-anniversary-edition-available/?ref=skimwire.com). Retail and holiday prices can differ. The base Ally's exclusion comes down to silicon. [AMD's spec page for the Ryzen Z2 A](https://www.amd.com/en/products/processors/handhelds/ryzen-z-series/z2-series/z2-a.html?ref=skimwire.com) doesn't list an NPU (AMD's Ryzen AI engine) among its features, unlike the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme in the X models, and Auto SR runs on the NPU. Nothing Microsoft has said suggests that will change. ## How to turn it on These steps come from Microsoft's announcement: 1. Update the Xbox Game Bar and install the latest Windows 11 updates (Settings > Windows Update). 2. Download or update the **Auto Super Resolution Package** from the Microsoft Store. 3. Open Game Bar by pressing the Xbox button, or Win + G on a keyboard. 4. Go to **Widgets menu > Display > Graphics** and choose Quality or Performance. You can switch modes mid-game and watch the frame rate change. If you don't see a Performance option yet, that's expected. One commenter on Microsoft's post said they'd updated an Ally X and couldn't find the mode picker, which fits a staggered rollout. [HotHardware](https://hothardware.com/news/microsoft-autosr-updates-rog-xbox-handhelds?ref=skimwire.com) also said it hadn't received the update on its devices at publication time. ## Auto SR vs FSR: which to use Short version: use the game's own upscaler when it has a good one, and save Auto SR for the rest. [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/microsofts-own-upscaler-and-alternative-to-fsr-just-landed-on-xbox-ally-x-handhelds-actually-uses-an-npu-for-something-useful/?ref=skimwire.com) says AMD's FSR "is still preferred when possible, as it will look closer to what the game should look like." Auto SR is for games without FSR, or where FSR is badly implemented. HotHardware explains why. Auto SR works on the finished frame, after the game has drawn it, so it can work on almost any game. The tradeoff is that it can cause artifacts on HUDs and on-screen text, which built-in upscalers avoid by drawing the interface after upscaling. Where Auto SR should shine is older and smaller games that never got FSR or DLSS. That's a big slice of a typical handheld library. Microsoft's own wording points the same way. ## Our take For Ally X and X20 owners, this is a free, worthwhile upgrade. The headline isn't 120 fps, which most people don't have yet. It's that the docked-only and sub-1080p restrictions are gone, so Auto SR now fits how people actually use a handheld. Install it, try it in an older game you play on the go, and keep FSR on where a game offers it. For shoppers, our advice: - **Buy the Ally X ($999)** if you want the Windows handheld with this feature. PC Gamer calls it the best handheld on the market and says it's reasonably priced in today's memory-shortage market. - **Wait on the X20 ($1,299)** unless the OLED screen matters to you. Reviews like [Tom's Guide's](https://www.tomsguide.com/gaming/handheld-gaming/asus-rog-xbox-ally-x20-review?ref=skimwire.com) ("great, but not $1,299 of great") question the premium for the same chip. Black Friday pricing is worth watching. - **Don't buy the $599 base Ally expecting Auto SR.** It can still be a good-value handheld, but this feature isn't coming to it. Shopping for a gamer this season? Our [gamer gift guide](https://www.skimwire.com/black-friday-2026-gift-guide-gamers/) covers cheaper picks. If you'd rather stream than carry a handheld, see [what's new in Xbox Cloud Gaming](https://www.skimwire.com/xbox-cloud-gaming-phone-controller-smart-tv-preview/). *Skimwire hasn't tested Auto SR on these handhelds. Performance figures are Microsoft's, and the comparisons are attributed to the outlets linked here.* *Sources:* [*Microsoft DirectX Developer Blog*](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/autosr-performance-mode/?ref=skimwire.com) *(Nov. 10, 2026);* [*ASUS Pressroom*](https://press.asus.com/news/press-releases/rog-xbox-ally-x20-anniversary-edition-available/?ref=skimwire.com) *(Oct. 15, 2026);* [*AMD Ryzen Z2 A specs*](https://www.amd.com/en/products/processors/handhelds/ryzen-z-series/z2-series/z2-a.html?ref=skimwire.com)*;* [*The Verge*](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1031446/microsoft-automatic-super-resolution-auto-sr-upscaling?ref=skimwire.com)*;* [*Windows Central*](https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pc/auto-sr-launches-on-handhelds-copilot-pc?ref=skimwire.com)*;* [*PC Gamer*](https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/microsofts-own-upscaler-and-alternative-to-fsr-just-landed-on-xbox-ally-x-handhelds-actually-uses-an-npu-for-something-useful/?ref=skimwire.com)*;* [*HotHardware*](https://hothardware.com/news/microsoft-autosr-updates-rog-xbox-handhelds?ref=skimwire.com)*;* [*Tom's Guide*](https://www.tomsguide.com/gaming/handheld-gaming/asus-rog-xbox-ally-x20-review?ref=skimwire.com)*.*