Every PC Apex Legends player knows the struggle of balancing visual quality and frame rate. You want the maps to look crisp enough to spot enemies hiding behind rocks 200 meters away, but you also need high, consistent fps to win fast-paced 1v1 fights and avoid input lag. If you’ve dug through your video settings looking for easy ways to boost performance, you’ve almost certainly wondered: does apex legends support dlss, and is it worth turning on? I’ve tested nearly every graphics setting in Apex over the past four years of playing, so I’ve put together everything you need to know about using DLSS for your matches.
Does Apex Legends Support DLSS, and Which Platforms Get It?
The short answer is yes, Apex Legends supports DLSS for compatible PC systems. If you’ve been searching online for does apex legends support dlss because you want to boost your fps, you’ll be happy to know it’s fully supported for all RTX card owners. Respawn Entertainment rolled out official DLSS support back in 2021 alongside Season 11: Escape, and the feature has been updated regularly since then to fix glitches and improve performance. You won’t find DLSS support on console versions of Apex, though some cloud gaming services may offer it as part of their PC streaming setup if they use NVIDIA RTX server cards.
To use DLSS in Apex, you’ll need an NVIDIA RTX graphics card, including the 20 series, 30 series, 40 series, and any newer RTX cards released later. AMD users don’t have access to native DLSS, but they can use AMD FSR as an alternative upscaling tool that works similarly for non-RTX systems. I tested DLSS last month on my mid-range RTX 3060 laptop, and I saw an immediate 35fps boost on 1080p max settings, even in busy areas of Broken Moon with lots of particle effects.
How to Enable DLSS in Apex Legends for Best Performance
Now that you know does apex legends support dlss for compatible systems, turning it on only takes a few quick steps. First, make sure you’ve updated your NVIDIA graphics drivers to the latest version, as outdated drivers can cause DLSS to not show up in your settings menu. Once your drivers are up to date, launch Apex, open the settings menu, navigate to the Video tab, and scroll down to the “Upscaling” dropdown menu. Select DLSS from the list, and then choose the mode that fits your setup best.
DLSS has four main modes, each with a different balance of visual quality and performance gains. Quality mode gives you the sharpest image with a smaller fps boost, Balanced mode strikes a middle ground between quality and performance, Performance mode prioritizes fps with a slight drop in sharpness, and Ultra Performance mode is designed for 4K displays to get maximum fps with more noticeable visual tradeoffs. There are a few common mistakes you’ll want to avoid when setting up DLSS for the first time:
- Don't leave your render resolution above 100% when using DLSS, as it cancels out most performance gains and can cause unnecessary frame drops
- Avoid using Ultra Performance mode for 1080p displays, as it will make in-game text and character outlines look unpleasantly blurry
- Don't forget to turn on NVIDIA Reflex alongside DLSS to cut input lag even further, which is a game-changer for competitive ranked play
- Skip DLSS entirely if you're playing on a system with an AMD or older NVIDIA non-RTX card, as it won't show up as an option in your settings menu anyway
Once you pick your mode, hop into a firing range match to test how it looks and feels before you jump into a real game. I had to adjust my anti-aliasing setting from TSAA to TAA High after turning on DLSS to fix a slight fuzz around distant objects, so small tweaks can go a long way to making the experience feel perfect for you.
Pros and Cons of Using DLSS in Apex Legends
DLSS is one of the most popular PC-exclusive settings for Apex for good reason, but it isn’t perfect for every player. A lot of players who ask does apex legends support dlss are worried about the visual tradeoffs, but most people get used to the slight blurriness after a couple of matches. Let’s break down the biggest advantages and drawbacks to help you decide if it’s right for you.
The biggest upside of DLSS is the higher frame rates without major visual quality loss. Unlike turning down your texture quality or shadow settings, DLSS uses AI to upscale a lower-resolution render of the game to your display’s native resolution, so you keep most of the crispness of higher settings while getting a big fps boost. You’ll also get more consistent frame rates in busy fights, where lots of particle effects and player models usually cause sudden frame drops. I’ve noticed far fewer stutters during endgame circles with 10+ players still alive since I started using DLSS, which has helped me win way more close fights.
That said, there are a few downsides to keep in mind. Lower DLSS modes like Performance can make fine details, like distant enemy scopes or small loot items, look slightly blurry, especially on smaller 1080p displays. Some players also report rare visual artifacts, like tiny flickering around player outlines, when using DLSS with TSAA anti-aliasing, though Respawn has patched most of these issues in recent updates. If you have a high-end RTX card and don’t need the extra fps, you can use DLAA instead, which uses the same AI tech to improve anti-aliasing without any upscaling, for a sharper image with almost no performance cost.
Is DLSS Worth Using for Ranked Apex Legends Play?
If you’re a competitive ranked player, you’re probably wondering if the slight visual tradeoff of DLSS is worth the extra fps. If you’re a console player asking does apex legends support dlss, you won’t find the feature on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S right now, though that could change in future updates. For PC RTX users, from my personal experience playing through three Master-rank splits, the answer is almost always yes. For competitive play, consistent high frame rates are always more important than perfect visual sharpness, because even a 10ms difference in input lag can be the difference between landing a headshot and getting eliminated.
The only exception is if you’re a content creator who records clips for YouTube or TikTok. Blurry footage can turn viewers away, so you might want to switch to DLSS Quality mode or turn DLSS off entirely when you’re recording, then switch back to Balanced or Performance mode for your regular ranked grind. Make sure you test DLSS in unranked matches first before you bring it to ranked, so you can adjust the mode to fit your setup and make sure you don’t get any unexpected glitches mid-fight. I spent three days testing DLSS in casual pubs before I turned it on for ranked, and that gave me time to tweak my other settings to fix the slight blurriness I noticed on Performance mode.
If you’re still on the fence about trying DLSS for your Apex sessions, give it a test run in a few casual matches first. Most players barely notice the minor visual tradeoff once they get used to the smoother frame rates and faster response times. Even if you only get a 20fps boost, that’s enough to make the difference between winning a close 1v1 and getting sent back to the lobby. As long as you have a compatible RTX graphics card, the answer to does apex legends support dlss is a resounding yes, and it’s one of the best PC-exclusive settings you can tweak to improve your overall gameplay.