In September 2023, AMD introduced Anti-Lag+, a technology aimed at enhancing gaming responsiveness, significantly reducing input lag for a smoother gaming experience. Positioned as AMD’s counterpart to Nvidia Reflex, Anti-Lag+ garnered attention for its potential benefits in competitive gaming. However, following a series of challenges, the feature was temporarily withdrawn. Now, there are indications that AMD could be preparing to reintroduce Anti-Lag+ in the near future.
AMD Anti-Lag+: What Went Awry
Recently, players employing AMD’s Anti-Lag+ technology faced bans while utilizing the feature in Counter-Strike 2. Additionally, the anti-cheat systems of several multiplayer games, including Call Of Duty: Warzone, Modern Warfare 2, and Apex Legends, experienced difficulties, flagging players when AMD Anti-Lag+ was activated.
The anti-cheat software in these games erroneously categorized users as cheaters if they utilized the new Anti-Lag+ feature! Below, you can find Valve’s recent CS2 update, which overturned VAC bans for players utilizing this technology. The developer also implemented a check to alert users if they were running an AMD graphics driver with the Anti-Lag+ feature enabled.
AMD Anti-Lag+ Set to Return Soon
Following numerous issues, AMD removed Anti-Lag+ from its GPU drivers. It’s important to note that a standard version of AMD Anti-Lag has existed for an extended period, with the new Anti-Lag+ feature introduced as an upgrade. Amid uncertainty about the feature’s future, there is now some promising news.
Today, Frank Azor, AMD’s Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions, responded to a user’s inquiry about Anti-Lag+. The post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), confirms that Anti-Lag+ will be reintroduced soon.
AMD Anti-Lag+ May See a Revised Implementation This Time
Currently, there is widespread speculation regarding the upcoming implementation of the new Anti-Lag+ feature. In its previous iteration, Anti-Lag+ was integrated at the driver level, leading to compatibility issues with anti-cheat software in games, as we’ve discussed earlier. For those curious about the distinction between AMD Anti-Lag and Anti-Lag+, the company provides the following explanation:
“Anti-Lag manages the CPU workload to prevent it from outpacing the GPU, minimizing the backlog of CPU tasks. With AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag+, frame alignment is directly implemented within the game code, resulting in improved frame synchronization, further reducing latency, and enhancing overall gaming performance.” – AMD comparing Anti-Lag to Anti-Lag+
There’s speculation that AMD might introduce the updated Anti-Lag+ as an SDK, akin to Nvidia Reflex. In this scenario, game developers would need to manually integrate the feature into their games. However, if it’s reintroduced as a driver-level feature, it’s crucial to assess whether it will encounter further compatibility issues with anti-cheat software in games, as previously discussed.
Currently, there’s been no recent mention of Anti-Lag+ from the company, leaving uncertainty regarding the functionality of the updated version. There’s a possibility of a beta driver release for Anti-Lag+ in the near future, mirroring the approach taken with AFMF, which remained in beta until its eventual official release as a stable GPU driver update.
Possibly, these anti-cheat systems could consider whitelisting the technology, categorizing it as “not hacks,” which might resolve the compatibility issues. Further details on this matter are expected to emerge soon. As of now, the only information available is AMD’s confirmation of the feature’s imminent return.
What are your thoughts on the imminent return of AMD’s Anti-Lag+ technology? Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section down under.
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