Earlier this month, Microsoft announced several new AI-powered features that would be soon available to Windows Insiders with Copilot+ PCs with Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD processors. One of those features, image upscaling in the Photos app (Super Resolution), was released for Windows Insiders last week.
Shortly after the release, users noticed that Super Resolution, a feature intended to be a Copilot+ PC exclusive, appeared on traditional x86-based PCs with Intel and AMD processors. In the updated blog post, Microsoft has now clarified that that was a bug, which is now fixed.
We investigated and fixed an issue where super resolution was appearing on PCs it shouldn’t be. The fix is rolling out now.
The main reason why Super Resolution is not available on PCs with older x86 and ARM processors (in other words, non-Copilot+ PCs) is the NPU. Microsoft says Super Resolution in the Photos app users Neural Processing Units in Qualcomm"s Snapdragon X processors to deliver fast results without sending pics to clouds for upscaling.
Super resolution leverages the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) on the Copilot+ PC to deliver enhancements quickly and efficiently, all done locally on your PC. You can access super resolution from the Photos Editor to enhance your images within seconds.
Super Resolution in the Photos app can enlarge your photo by up to eight times—all you have to do is open any picture in the Photos app, select Super Resolution, and specify the scale you want.
If you have a Copilot+ PC and want to try Super Resolution before it gets to everyone outside the Insider program, enroll your computer in one of four channels and update the Photos app to version 2024.11100.17007.0 or newer. More information about this feature is available in a post on the official Windows Blog via this link.