I checked out LossLess Scaling (LLS) [Steam key and DRM-FREE downloads] for like $5.59 or so from
Humble with my 20% off discount (and also
LLS is on sale on Steam straight-up at $5.59 too).
I have all kinds of ELEX 2 problems without LLS. ELEX 2 in DX12 mode performs good (i.e. 45-60fps often at 1080p), but you can get all kinds of weird graphical issues that get in your way to even get into areas (i.e. like at The Grotto, big weird boulder gets in the way of the entrance for me in DX12 mode) - so, that's a "no go" b/c of that sadly. DX11 has no graphical problems, but performs like crap at times - i.e. 25-30 frames in certain areas, such as Grotto and some places in the open-world.
Enter LLS. This app can use all kinds of scaling techniques (NIS, AMD FSR, etc)., force Frame Generation techniques on your GPU basically (this will be key for performance - as you can possibly double-to-triple framerates with this), and/or can force its own pseudo-like fullscreen (similar to what BorderLess Gaming app does).
A few things: you need a good & modern GPU with a good amount of VRAM to run this right; a high-end monitor (i.e. you want something with 120hz or better - so you can lock via MSI Afterburner or GPU's Software Panel to half of the monitor's supported framerate such as 60fps); run the game in Windowed Mode or Borderless Fullscreen (this app just doesn't work at all in Exclusive Fullscreen), and you need to in-game stabilize the framerate first (i.e go find the right settings to get it stable - stabilize that and you'll be good). Unstable framerates can cause in-game artifacts (think like DLSS does) and other graphical weirdness (framerate dips, slow-downs in performance, looks like someone at times threw Vaseline all over the screen like what TAA can do when you're not using FXAA with it, etc.) - so...find some settings you can run smooth fps at, most of the time and you'll be fine w/ this.
Also, MSI AfterBurner really won't tell you your new framerate via FG (Frame Generation); MSI AB shows me the OG non-FG framerate there on its display. LLS does show the FG-based framerate in the upper-left corner in-game when you enable the Show FPS Thing in the app, showing the new proper framerate with FG going in-game with its overlay/display. So, this app basically solved a lot of my ELEX 2: DX11 version performance problems, pushing it from 25-30 fps over (before LSS) to 60fps most of the time by enabling Frame Gen on my RTX 3060m laptop PC. Seems like a win there, so far. Running mostly at 1080p at Medium on ELEX 2 on my 3060m laptop, BTW.
I'm gonna have to test this on other games and all - but this looks to be a major performance booster, when it works right. And supposedly with locked 30fps or 60fps games, you can use Frame Gen to basically force it into 60fps (even if the game itself was locked at 30fps) or 120fps (if it was say locked at 60fps) - so this also could be really useful for old games that specific force framerate locks like that.
And definitely look at this LLS stuff on Youtube, if you're interested in this stuff. So, check
Daniel Owens video on this app and
Ancient GamePlays on this, for starters.
More to come.
