XeSS stands for Intel Xe Super Sampling. It is an upscaling technique that renders a game at a lower resolution, then uses artificial intelligence to intelligently enlarge it to your monitor's native resolution. The result is improved frame rates without sacrificing visual quality in the way traditional resolution reduction would.
Upscaling has become common in modern gaming. Nvidia offers DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AMD offers FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution). XeSS is Intel's equivalent, designed to work with Intel Arc graphics cards and compatible third-party GPUs.
XeSS works in two main modes. Quality mode prioritises visual fidelity, rendering at a higher resolution before upscaling. Performance mode renders at a lower resolution for faster frame rates. The AI model learns from training data to reconstruct fine details that would be lost in simple enlargement.
Real-world example: In a game like Cyberpunk 2077, you might render at 1440p using XeSS Quality mode on a 4K monitor. The technology upscales to 4K, giving you near-native visual quality whilst maintaining higher frame rates than native 4K rendering would allow.
When buying a gaming PC or graphics card, check whether XeSS is supported if you plan to use upscaling. Intel Arc cards have native support, but some newer AMD and Nvidia cards can also use XeSS on compatible games. Not all titles support it yet, so verify support in games you play regularly. XeSS works best on newer games optimised for the technology.