AMD is soon to reinstate the Anti-Lag+ feature, which had previously caused issues with anti-cheat systems in several popular online games, according to Frank Azor, Chief Gaming Architect at AMD.
Anti-Lag+ Feature in Radeon Graphics Driver
Last September, AMD launched a major Radeon graphics driver update that included support for the new FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR 3) scaling technology, the HYPR-RX game acceleration feature, and the AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) frame generator. The update also introduced the new Anti-Lag+ feature designed to reduce lag in games, thereby enhancing gameplay smoothness. However, it soon became apparent that this technology clashed with anti-cheats in games such as Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and others.
Anti-Lag+ vs. Anti-Lag
Anti-Lag+ incorporates a frame synchronization technology in contrast to the standard Anti-Lag. This tech influences the game code to enhance syncing and further reduce lag. This was enough to trigger alarm bells in anti-cheats, labeling Anti-Lag+ as cheating software. Subsequently, AMD released a new driver version without the Anti-Lag+ feature, vowing to remedy the problem eventually. Azor’s social media post announces the imminent return of Anti-Lag+.
At present, it is unclear whether AMD plans to reintegrate Anti-Lag+ into the driver, or if they intend to reincorporate it through the incorporation of FSR3 tech into games. In the case of the latter, the presence of the Anti-Lag+ feature in games will depend on the specific developer. Such an approach is employed by NVIDIA in the integration of its competing technology, Reflex.
Future Plans for Anti-Lag+
Currently, Anti-Lag+ is non-functional on any graphics card. However, the plan is to incorporate it into the HYPR-RX feature package, which also includes Radeon Super Resolution, Fluid Motion Frames, and Radeon Boost technology. It’s worth noting that Anti-Lag+ is only supported by the Radeon RX 7000 and Radeon 700M on RDNA 3 architecture. For earlier generations of GPUs, the Anti-Lag feature is recommended.
