NVIDIA’s frame generation needs an RTX card and a game that supports it. AMD’s needs developer support too. So what do you do with a GTX 1660, an older Radeon, a handheld PC, or a favourite game that will never get a DLSS update? For a growing number of PC gamers, the answer is a small Steam utility called Lossless Scaling. It sits outside the game entirely, captures the finished frames, and generates new ones — no engine integration, no hardware lock-in, no developer patch required.
Quick answer: Lossless Scaling is a Windows app sold on Steam by developer THS as a one-time purchase. Its LSFG feature uses a machine learning model to insert generated frames between real ones, multiplying your displayed frame rate by 2x or more on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel GPUs alike. It also bundles spatial upscalers (LS1, FSR 1.0, NIS and others) for running below native resolution, and works in nearly any game you can run in a window or borderless fullscreen — emulators and locked-frame-rate games included. The trade-offs are extra input latency, some GPU overhead, and image quality a step below native DLSS or FSR frame generation.
Key Takeaways
- Lossless Scaling works from outside the game — capturing finished frames and generating new ones — so it needs no per-game support and no specific GPU.
- The current model is LSFG 3.1. Fixed mode multiplies your frame rate (up to x20); Adaptive mode targets a specific rate, such as 60 FPS in, 144 FPS out.
- You need a healthy base frame rate first: at least 30 FPS per the developer, 40+ preferred, 60 ideal at 1080p.
- It costs GPU power to run: on one card your real frame rate drops a little to pay for generated ones. A second GPU — even an old spare — can generate instead.
- It does not replace native DLSS/FSR frame generation where those exist. It is the option for the games and GPUs they leave out.
What Lossless Scaling Is and How It Works
Lossless Scaling has been on Steam since December 2018, launched as a tool for upscaling windowed games to fullscreen; frame generation arrived later and made it famous. The current version does two jobs: scaling, and LSFG frame generation.
The important part is where it works. Native upscalers and frame generation live inside the game engine, reading motion vectors, depth data and HUD information to build accurate new frames — the pipeline we explain in our guide to how DLSS, FSR and frame generation work. Lossless Scaling has none of that access: it runs on top of the game, captures the final rendered image, and synthesises in-between frames from pixel movement alone. That one decision explains both its superpower and its limits:
- It works almost everywhere. If a game can run in windowed or borderless fullscreen mode, Lossless Scaling can usually process it — modern AAA titles, indie games, emulators, even non-game windows. Exclusive fullscreen is not supported, except where the app outputs to a second display.
- It works on almost any GPU. There is no tensor-core or vendor requirement, with a separate lighter performance model for low-power GPUs.
- It knows less about each frame. With no motion vectors or depth buffer, fast motion, thin objects and HUD elements are harder to reconstruct cleanly. UI detection is built in, but busy HUDs are still the first place artifacts show up.
- Requirements are modest. Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, a windowed/borderless game, and — in the developer’s words — free GPU resources. At 100% GPU load, the app has to take power from the game itself.
LSFG Frame Generation: Fixed and Adaptive Modes
LSFG (Lossless Scaling Frame Generation) is the developer’s proprietary machine learning model, built for this capture-based approach. The current release is LSFG 3.1. LSFG 3 launched on 10 January 2025 on a new architecture; per the developer, it cut frame generation’s GPU cost by 40% at x2 and over 45% at higher multipliers versus LSFG 2. LSFG 3.1 followed in June 2025 with a Performance Mode the developer says can cut that GPU load by up to a further 2x at a slight quality cost, plus reduced flickering and ghosting. The older LSFG 2.3 and 1.1 models remain selectable for compatibility.
There are two ways to tell LSFG how many frames to make:
- Fixed mode multiplies your base rate by a factor you choose — x2 by default, unlocked up to x20. A locked 60 FPS becomes 120 displayed FPS at x2, 180 at x3. It is the quality-first option and behaves best with a stable base rate.
- Adaptive mode (AFG), added in March 2025, works in reverse: set a target frame rate and the app continuously adjusts a fractional multiplier to hold it. The developer recommends it when your base rate does not divide neatly into your refresh rate — a 60 FPS game on a 144 Hz or 165 Hz screen — and for uncapped games, while noting that GPU load can rise and quality can dip slightly versus Fixed mode, since most displayed frames are generated.
Two supporting settings matter most. Flow Scale sets the resolution at which LSFG analyses motion — lower is cheaper, but too low at 1080p adds artifacts on fine detail. Queue Target trades latency against smoothness: 0 keeps the queue shortest, while the developer recommends a buffered 2 for unstable base rates and multipliers below x2. LSFG 3 also switches generation off below a 10 FPS base rate, avoiding artifact storms during loading screens.
None of this rescues a struggling game. The LSFG 3 launch notes set the floor: minimum 30 FPS base, 40+ preferred, 60 ideal at 1080p. Frame generation smooths motion; it does not create real frames, responsiveness, or unrendered detail. Multipliers above x3 exist for very-high-refresh monitors, but each step up costs more GPU power and shows more artifacts — x2 and x3 are where most people should live.
The Upscaling Modes, Explained
Frame generation gets the attention, but Lossless Scaling began as an upscaler and still ships a full set of them, for rendering below native resolution and scaling back up (with LSFG optionally on top). All are spatial upscalers that work from a single finished frame, so expect a softer result than temporal in-engine upscalers like DLSS or FSR 2/3.
| Mode | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| LS1 | The developer’s own machine learning spatial upscaler, with adjustable sharpness | Default choice for modern 3D games |
| FSR | AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 1.0 — Lanczos filtering plus sharpening | Modern games; low compute cost |
| NIS | NVIDIA Image Scaling, with aggressive sharpening | If you prefer a sharper look |
| Integer | Pixel-perfect scaling by whole-number factors only | Pixel art and retro games; hard pixel edges |
| xBR | Edge-smoothing upscaler for sprite graphics | Pixel art with smoother curves |
| Anime4K | Upscaling shaders built for drawn animation | Anime, cartoons, cel-shaded content |
The Steam listing’s guidance is a sensible starting point: LS1, FSR and NIS for modern games, Integer and xBR for pixel art, Anime4K for cartoons. Treat scaling as a bonus — if a game has native DLSS, FSR or XeSS, use that for upscaling and let Lossless Scaling add only frame generation on top.
How to Use Lossless Scaling, Step by Step
- Buy and install it on Steam (a one-time purchase, no subscription). Launch it before opening your game.
- Set the game to windowed or borderless fullscreen. Exclusive fullscreen prevents capture. Lower the in-game resolution only if you also plan to use scaling; for frame generation alone, keep native resolution.
- Cap the game’s frame rate. For Fixed mode, cap the base rate so base x multiplier lands on or just under your refresh rate — 60 FPS on a 120 Hz screen at x2, or 72 FPS on a 144 Hz screen — using the in-game limiter or GPU control panel. A stable base rate matters more than a high one.
- Give the GPU headroom. If the game alone pins the GPU at 100%, drop a setting or two. The Steam page warns that without spare capacity, frame generation eats into the game’s own frame rate.
- Configure a profile. Select LSFG 3.1, choose Fixed (x2 to start) or Adaptive (target: your refresh rate), enable Performance Mode if your GPU is modest, and leave Flow Scale at default for now. Profiles save per game and auto-apply when the game’s executable is detected.
- Scale the game. With the game focused, press the Scale hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+S by default) or enable auto-scaling in the profile. The same hotkey unscales.
- Tune from there. Ghosting on fast pans? Raise Flow Scale. Stutter? Check Queue Target and your base-rate cap. HUD smearing? Drop to x2.
Lossless Scaling vs Native DLSS and FSR Frame Generation
| Factor | Lossless Scaling (LSFG 3.1) | Native DLSS / FSR frame generation |
|---|---|---|
| Game support | Almost any windowed or borderless game, plus emulators | Only games whose developers integrated it |
| GPU support | NVIDIA, AMD and Intel, including older cards | DLSS frame generation requires an RTX 40- or 50-series card; FSR frame generation has its own hardware and game requirements |
| How it builds frames | From the final rendered image only — no motion vectors or depth data | Inside the engine, using motion vectors, depth and UI separation |
| Image quality | Good at x2 with a stable base rate; HUD elements and fine detail are the weak points | Cleaner, especially around HUDs and disocclusion, because the engine supplies extra data |
| Latency | Adds latency on top of the base frame time; no access to in-engine latency tools | Also higher than native rendering, but integrated with Reflex / Anti-Lag in supported games |
| Cost | One-time purchase on Steam | Free, but only where your hardware and games qualify |
The pattern to remember when speccing a system — see our guide to the best gaming PC specs — is that native support is a feature of the games you play, while Lossless Scaling covers your whole library. If your main games have native frame generation and your GPU supports it, use the native option: it looks better. Lossless Scaling earns its money everywhere else.
Performance Cost and Latency: The Honest Caveats
Frame generation is not free performance:
- It spends GPU power. On a single GPU, LSFG competes with the game. Your real frame rate falls somewhat when you turn it on; the displayed rate rises by far more, but responsiveness follows the real rate. Performance Mode and a lower Flow Scale reduce the tax, but it never reaches zero.
- It adds latency. Input response tracks your base frame rate plus the capture-and-generate pipeline — roughly one to two frames of added delay in reviews of the tool. At a 60 FPS base that matters in fast shooters, barely in an RPG. At 30 FPS everything worsens at once: latency, artifacts, pacing.
- Artifacts scale with ambition. Low base rates, high multipliers, fast camera pans and busy HUDs are the failure cases. x2 at a stable 60 is a different product from x4 at an unstable 35.
- Online games are a judgement call. The Steam page notes the community has found the app safe with anti-cheat-protected games, but the developer explicitly does not guarantee it. It does not modify game files, which is reassuring, but the risk is yours.
The Dual-GPU Option: A Second Card as a Frame Generator
The most unusual trick in the app is official dual-GPU support: frame generation and scaling can be offloaded to a second GPU, so the card rendering your game keeps its full frame rate — and per the Steam listing, latency can drop too. The second card need not match the first; the community dual-GPU guide (mirroring the official Discord guide) confirms mixed brands work. TechSpot has covered a build pairing an RTX 3090 for rendering with a low-end RTX 3050 on frame generation.
The setup rules from that guide are specific:
- Connect your display to the secondary GPU — it outputs the final image. Plugging into the rendering card forces an extra copy back over PCIe and costs a large performance hit.
- Tell Windows which card renders (Graphics settings) and set Lossless Scaling’s Preferred GPU to the secondary card.
- Mind PCIe bandwidth: frames travel between the cards, and the guide puts that copy at roughly 3–5 ms of added latency — outweighed, it argues, by unloading the rendering GPU.
- The secondary card must still be fast enough for your resolution and multiplier; the guide maintains a capability chart for this.
Useful if you have a retired GPU and a spare slot. It is also firmly an enthusiast project — extra power, heat and setup quirks — and not currently possible on Linux, per the guide.
Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Skip It
Pros
- Frame generation for games that will never get it officially — older titles, locked-frame-rate ports, emulators.
- Works on GPUs locked out of vendor frame generation, integrated graphics included.
- Adaptive mode solves the awkward cases — 60 FPS games on 144/165 Hz monitors — that fixed multipliers handle poorly.
- Dual-GPU offload can remove the frame generation tax entirely if you own a spare card.
- A one-time purchase, no subscription, with substantial free updates (LSFG 3 and 3.1 both landed as updates).
- On Linux, LSFG is available via the free community port, lsfg-vk, which Steam Deck owners use through community plug-ins.
Cons
- Image quality sits below native DLSS/FSR frame generation, especially around HUDs and in fast motion.
- Adds input latency; a poor fit for competitive shooters regardless of settings.
- Needs GPU headroom and a stable base rate — it cannot fix a game running at 25 FPS.
- Windowed/borderless only; exclusive fullscreen needs workarounds or a second display.
- Anti-cheat safety in online games is community-reported, not developer-guaranteed.
Buy it if you play many games without native frame generation, your GPU predates vendor frame-gen support, you run a handheld or an older card at 1080p, or you have a spare GPU for a dual-card setup. Skip it if your library is mostly modern titles with DLSS/FSR frame generation, you play competitive multiplayer where latency is the product, or your games already hit your refresh rate unaided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lossless Scaling better than DLSS or FSR frame generation?
No. Where native frame generation is available and your GPU supports it, it generally looks cleaner, because it works inside the engine with motion-vector and depth data. Lossless Scaling’s advantage is coverage: the far larger set of games and GPUs that native solutions skip.
How much FPS does Lossless Scaling add?
It multiplies your displayed rate rather than adding a fixed amount: x2 turns a stable 60 FPS into 120 displayed FPS, and Adaptive mode can hold a target such as 144. But the real rendered rate dips slightly to pay for generation on a single GPU, and responsiveness tracks that real rate.
Does Lossless Scaling add input lag?
Yes — all frame generation does, and this one adds a capture step, so expect roughly one to two frames of extra latency. A base rate of 60 or above keeps it hard to notice in slower-paced games; competitive shooters are where you will feel it.
Can I use Lossless Scaling on Steam Deck or Linux?
Not the Windows app itself, which needs Windows 10 version 2004 or newer. LSFG is available on Linux through lsfg-vk, the free community port the Steam listing itself points to, usually installed on Steam Deck via community plug-ins. Dual-GPU setups are not supported on the Linux port.
Final Verdict
Lossless Scaling does what its fans claim — with the asterisks they sometimes skip. It will not match native DLSS frame generation for quality, will not make a 30 FPS game feel like a 120 FPS one, and charges latency and GPU headroom for everything it gives. What it will do is bring smooth, high-refresh motion to the share of your library vendor solutions ignore, on whatever GPU you already own, for the cost of a single one-time purchase. If your gaming is the typical Steam mix — old favourites, locked-frame-rate ports, a card a generation or two behind — that is one of the easiest recommendations in PC gaming software.
Related Articles
- DLSS, FSR and Frame Generation Explained: What They Do and When to Use Them
- Best Gaming PC Specs for 2026
- Lossless Scaling on Steam (official store page)
