Microsoft Edge Canary can now upscale low-resolution videos

Microsoft has announced a new feature for its browser, aiming at giving Edge users a better video viewing experience. Video Super Resolution (VSR) is a built-in upscaler that uses AI technology from Microsoft Research to enhance low-quality videos and deliver a more enjoyable experience with sharper visuals. According to Microsoft, one out of three videos in Edge is played at 480p or lower, so the new tech will come in handy for many users suffering from low network bandwidth or poor video quality.

Edge's Video Super Resolution uses machine learning to enhance your viewing experience by removing block compression artifacts and upscaling the final resolution on YouTube and other streaming platforms. Naturally, there are a few notable limitations.

For starters, you need a relatively new computer with more horsepower to process the AI magic that powers Video Super Resolution—the feature requires a discrete graphics card from Nvidia (RTX 20 Series and newer) or AMD (RX5700 and newer). If you use a laptop with an iGPU and dGPU and want to try VSR, change your graphics settings so that Edge uses the dGPU. Microsoft promises support for automatic switching between iGPU and dGPU in future updates.

In addition, you cannot use Video Super Resolution with DRM-protected videos (frames in such videos are not accessible to the browser for processing) or when unplugged from AC power.

Microsoft says the new video upscaler is now rolling out to 50% of users in the Canary Channel. However, you can enable Edge's new Video Super Resolution feature by toggling on the edge://flags/#edge-video-super-resolution flag. VSR will soon join other upscaling tech Microsoft is already using in its browser to make images look sharper and provide a better gaming experience when streaming games from the cloud. Enhance, enhance!

Microsoft Edge Canary can now upscale low-resolution videos