How to Turn On DLSS 4 in Your Games on an RTX 4050

DLSS 4 requires an RTX 40-series or RTX 50-series graphics card, and your RTX 4050 does not support it

DLSS 4 is Nvidia's latest upscaling technology, released in January 2025. It works only on RTX 40-series cards (like the 4090, 4080, 4070) and the newer RTX 50-series. Your RTX 4050 is not on that list, which means you cannot enable DLSS 4 no matter what settings you change or drivers you install.

The RTX 4050 is an entry-level card from the 40-series family, but Nvidia restricted DLSS 4 to higher-tier models. This is a hardware limitation, not a software one — the card's memory and processing power do not meet the minimum requirements for DLSS 4's frame generation feature, which is the main reason DLSS 4 exists.

You do have an alternative: your RTX 4050 supports DLSS 3, which is still a capable upscaling tool and works in hundreds of games. If you want the best performance from your current card, that is the version you should use.

Key Takeaways

DLSS 4 only works on RTX 40-series cards above the 4050 and on RTX 50-series cards — your 4050 cannot run it.
Your RTX 4050 supports DLSS 3, which provides upscaling and frame generation in many games released since late 2022.
To use DLSS 3, update your Nvidia drivers to the latest version, then enable DLSS in the game's graphics settings menu.
If a game shows DLSS 4 as unavailable, check the game's system requirements — it may require a 4070 or higher.

How to enable DLSS 3 on your RTX 4050

Since DLSS 4 is not an option, the next step is to turn on DLSS 3 in games that support it. Start by updating your graphics drivers to the latest version. Open Nvidia GeForce Experience (the app that came with your graphics card), click the gear icon in the top right, go to Driver, and select Check for updates. Download and install any available driver update, then restart your computer.

After your computer restarts, launch a game that supports DLSS 3. Not every game has it — popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Portal 2 with RTX, Alan Wake 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle do, but older games do not. Open the game's graphics or video settings menu. Look for a section labeled DLSS, Upscaling, or Image Quality. You should see DLSS 3 listed as an option. Select it, then choose a quality setting: Performance (lowest visual quality, highest frame rate), Balanced, or Quality (highest visual quality, lower frame rate boost).

Apply the changes and the game will restart or reload the graphics. You should see a noticeable frame rate increase. If DLSS does not appear in the settings menu, the game does not support it, and you cannot enable it no matter what you do.

Why your RTX 4050 cannot run DLSS 4

Nvidia's decision to limit DLSS 4 to higher-end cards comes down to the hardware inside each card. DLSS 4's main feature is frame generation, which uses artificial intelligence to create entirely new frames between the ones your GPU renders. This process demands a lot of memory bandwidth and processing power. The RTX 4050 has 6 GB of memory and a narrower memory bus than the 4070 and above, which means it cannot keep up with the demands of frame generation.

Nvidia tested DLSS 4 on the 4050 and found that the performance gains were too small to justify enabling it. On a card that already struggles with demanding games, frame generation would either slow things down or provide almost no benefit. Rather than release a broken version, Nvidia simply locked the feature to cards where it actually works well.

This is not something that will change with a driver update. Nvidia could theoretically unlock DLSS 4 for the 4050 in the future, but there is no indication they plan to do so.

What to do if a game says DLSS 4 is required

Some newer games may list DLSS 4 as a recommended feature in their system requirements. If you launch one of these games and see a message saying DLSS 4 is unavailable, the game will still run — it will just use standard rendering instead of upscaling. Your frame rate will be lower, but the game is playable.

Check the game's actual minimum and recommended system requirements on its store page (Steam, Epic Games Store, or the publisher's website). If the 4050 meets the minimum requirements, you can play the game. If it does not, the game may be too demanding for your card regardless of DLSS.

If you find yourself frequently hitting games that require DLSS 4 or higher, upgrading to an RTX 4070 or RTX 4070 Super would give you access to DLSS 4 and better overall performance. But for now, DLSS 3 is the best upscaling tool available to you.

Checking which games support DLSS 3

Before you spend time looking for DLSS in a game, confirm that the game actually supports it. Nvidia maintains a list of DLSS-compatible games on their website at nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/dlss/. Search for the game title, and you will see which version of DLSS it supports — DLSS 3, DLSS 2, or neither.

You can also check the game's store page on Steam. Scroll down to the system requirements section and look for DLSS mentioned under graphics features. If it is not listed, the game does not have DLSS support.

Many older games and indie titles do not support DLSS at all, and that is fine — they will run on your 4050 without it. DLSS is a bonus feature for newer AAA games, not a requirement for gaming.

Common mistakes when looking for DLSS 4

The most common mistake is assuming that updating your drivers will unlock DLSS 4. Drivers control how your card communicates with games, but they cannot add hardware features that do not exist. No driver update will make your 4050 run DLSS 4.

Another mistake is confusing DLSS 3 with DLSS 4. DLSS 3 is still very good — it provides upscaling and frame generation on the 4050, and it is what you should be using. The jump from DLSS 3 to DLSS 4 is smaller than the jump from DLSS 2 to DLSS 3, so you are not missing out on a huge performance gain.

A third mistake is enabling DLSS at a quality setting that is too aggressive. If you set DLSS to Performance mode and the image looks blurry or has artifacts, try Balanced or Quality instead. A slightly lower frame rate with a clearer image is usually better than maximum frame rate with visual problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Nvidia ever release DLSS 4 for the RTX 4050?

There is no official announcement about this. Nvidia has not ruled it out, but they have not indicated plans to do so either. The 4050 is at the edge of what the 40-series can do, and DLSS 4's frame generation is demanding. If it does happen, it would likely be a limited version with fewer features.

Is DLSS 3 worth using if I have an RTX 4050?

Yes. DLSS 3 provides a meaningful frame rate boost in games that support it, usually 30 to 50 percent higher frame rates depending on the game and quality setting. On a card like the 4050, that difference is noticeable.

What if DLSS is grayed out or disabled in a game?

This usually means your drivers are out of date. Open GeForce Experience, check for driver updates, and install the latest version. Restart your computer and try the game again. If DLSS is still grayed out, the game may not support it on your specific card.

Can I upgrade my RTX 4050 to support DLSS 4?

No. DLSS 4 support is built into the hardware of the card itself. You cannot upgrade a 4050 to a 4070. If you want DLSS 4, you would need to purchase a new graphics card.

Does turning on DLSS 3 reduce image quality?

DLSS 3 uses upscaling, which means it renders the game at a lower resolution and uses AI to enlarge the image. At Quality or Balanced settings, the difference is usually subtle. At Performance mode, the image is noticeably softer. Test each setting in a game you own to see which balance of quality and frame rate works for you.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.