DLSS vs DLAA: What Flight Simmers Actually Need to Know
NVIDIA graphics settings have gotten complicated with all the acronyms, upscaling options, and quality presets flying around. As someone who’s spent countless hours tweaking MSFS 2020 and other demanding sims to squeeze out every frame while keeping things looking good, I learned everything there is to know about when to use DLSS, when to use DLAA, and why they’re not the same thing at all. Today, I’ll break it down so you can stop guessing and start configuring.
The Short Version
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) renders your game at lower resolution and uses AI to upscale it, giving you higher frame rates. DLAA (Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing) renders at native resolution but uses the same AI technology purely for anti-aliasing—no performance boost, just cleaner edges.
That’s what makes these technologies endearing to us sim enthusiasts—they represent different solutions for different problems, and knowing which problem you actually have determines which one you should enable.
Probably Should Have Led With This Section, Honestly
Here’s when to use each:
Use DLSS when: You need more FPS. Your GPU is struggling at native resolution. You’re running 4K or high resolutions where rendering every pixel natively costs too much performance.
Use DLAA when: You have FPS to spare and want better image quality. Your system already runs the game smoothly at native resolution. You want the cleanest anti-aliasing possible without the slight softness that DLSS can introduce.
Flight sims often fall into the “I need DLSS” camp because they’re brutally demanding. But if you’re flying at 1080p with a powerful card and hitting your target framerate, DLAA might give you a cleaner cockpit without the performance penalty of traditional supersampling.
How DLSS Actually Works
DLSS uses NVIDIA’s Tensor Cores to run a trained neural network. The game renders at a lower internal resolution—maybe 1440p when you’re targeting 4K output—and the AI reconstructs the missing detail. Done well, the result is nearly indistinguishable from native rendering. Done poorly (usually in older implementations or aggressive quality settings), you’ll notice some blur or artifacts.
DLSS 2.0 and later versions improved dramatically over the original. The neural network now works across games without game-specific training, and quality settings let you balance performance versus fidelity:
- Quality: Highest visual fidelity, moderate performance gain
- Balanced: Middle ground between performance and quality
- Performance: Maximum FPS boost, some quality compromise
- Ultra Performance: Extreme upscaling for 8K or very GPU-limited scenarios
For flight sims, Quality mode usually hits the sweet spot. You get meaningful FPS gains without obvious softness in cockpit instruments or distant scenery.
How DLAA Works Differently
DLAA processes your image at native resolution. There’s no upscaling involved—you’re rendering every pixel your resolution demands. The AI handles anti-aliasing only, smoothing jagged edges with the same deep learning technology but without the reconstruction step.
Traditional anti-aliasing methods (MSAA, FXAA, TAA) each have drawbacks. MSAA is expensive. FXAA blurs the whole image. TAA causes ghosting on moving objects. DLAA uses AI to address edge aliasing while preserving detail better than conventional methods.
The tradeoff? DLAA provides no performance improvement and actually costs slightly more than having AA disabled. You’re paying in GPU cycles for better edges. This only makes sense when you have cycles to spare.
Hardware Requirements
Both technologies require NVIDIA RTX graphics cards—the Tensor Cores that handle AI processing only exist in RTX 20-series and newer. If you’re on a GTX card, these options aren’t available to you.
DLAA technically demands more because you’re rendering at full resolution while also running AI anti-aliasing. On demanding sims, this might push you into territory where DLSS makes more sense even if you wanted DLAA’s quality.
Keep your drivers updated. NVIDIA continuously refines these AI models, and newer drivers often improve both performance and quality.
Practical Settings for Flight Sims
In MSFS 2020/2024, DLSS typically provides 30-50% FPS improvement at Quality settings. This can mean the difference between a stuttering 25 FPS and a smooth 35+ FPS at 4K with high details.
X-Plane with Vulkan and DCS World both support DLSS in various capacities. Each sim responds differently to upscaling, so experimentation matters.
General recommendations:
- Start with DLSS Quality mode if you need better performance
- Try DLAA if you’re already hitting your target framerate and want cleaner visuals
- Avoid Ultra Performance mode unless you’re running extreme resolutions
- Compare cockpit instrument readability with DLSS on and off—some implementations blur small text
The Bottom Line
DLSS and DLAA solve different problems with related technology. DLSS trades some image quality for significant performance gains. DLAA trades some performance for superior anti-aliasing quality. Neither is universally better—the right choice depends on your hardware, your resolution, and whether you’re GPU-limited or not.
For most flight simmers running demanding titles at high resolutions, DLSS Quality mode represents the best balance. But if your rig handles the load comfortably and you want the cleanest possible image, DLAA deserves consideration. Test both and see which serves your setup better.
