One thing to sit up for: Excessive-resolution textures are a main issue behind the rising set up sizes and VRAM utilization in fashionable blockbuster video games. Nvidia proposed a neural-network-based technique to enhance texture compression final yr, and AMD has introduced what seems to be a concurrent technique based mostly on related expertise. Crew Purple will reveal extra subsequent month at EGSR.
AMD is ready to present a brand new texture compression system to cut back gaming information utilization at this yr’s Eurographics Symposium on Rendering in London. Though the strategy makes use of neural expertise like rival Nvidia’s, the necessities for builders to make the most of such strategies stay unclear.
With out going into element, AMD known as its answer “Neural Texture Block Compression”, confirming that it’s designed to cut back obtain sizes by compressing textures by means of neural networks. Moreover, the corporate promised that integrating the expertise into video games will likely be simple as a result of it does not alter runtime execution.
We’ll current “Neural Texture Block Compression” @ #EGSR2024 in London.
No one likes downloading big recreation packages. Our technique compresses the feel utilizing a neural community, decreasing information dimension.
Unchanged runtime execution permits simple recreation integration. https://t.co/gvj1D8bfBf pic.twitter.com/XglpPkdI8D
– AMD GPUOpen (@GPUOpen) June 25, 2024
It is not clear whether or not neural compression can work on the driver degree, which may assist it instantly help a variety of titles, or if builders should implement it on a per-game foundation. A analysis paper from Nvidia described related expertise final yr, nevertheless it has but to look in video games, presumably because of prolonged improvement durations or challenges with the compression technique.
Referred to as Neural Texture Compression (NTC), Nvidia’s system employs a number of neural networks optimized for numerous in-game materials varieties. The corporate’s analysis paper exhibits that, in comparison with standard block compression strategies, NTC achieves increased picture high quality at decrease file sizes.
Additionally learn: Why Are Modern PC Games Using So Much VRAM?
Nonetheless, utilizing NTC does require builders to change their workflows and may not help standard antialiasing and texture filtering strategies like DLSS and anisotropic filtering. AMD’s technique is probably going aiming for the same end result, and the corporate plans to disclose extra data throughout its ESGR presentation on July 2.
New leaps in texture compression may assist many customers with sluggish web speeds, smaller SSDs, or graphics playing cards with solely 8 GB of VRAM. Right now’s high-resolution textures have helped push set up sizes to properly above 100 GB for AAA video games like Name of Obligation, Baldur’s Gate 3, or Future 2. The textures may also choke VRAM, resulting in stutters and degraded efficiency, particularly since among the most generally used PC graphics playing cards function solely 8 GB of reminiscence.
