Microsoft Adds On-Device AI Video Super Resolution to Windows 11 Clipchamp
Microsoft is introducing a local AI-powered Video Super Resolution feature to the Windows 11 Clipchamp desktop app, enabling users to upscale video clips up to 4K resolution. Unlike many existing video enhancement tools, the process runs entirely on the user's PC using local CPU or NPU hardware. By running video upscaling locally rather than in the cloud, users get faster processing and better privacy without incurring subscription or API fees. It demonstrates how PC makers and software developers are increasingly utilizing NPUs and edge AI processing for practical desktop creative tools. The feature supports hardware from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, using the NPU on Copilot+ PCs and CPU on other compatible machines. Microsoft explicitly cautions against using this feature for legal, identification, or medical footage, as the AI generates synthetic detail that may introduce slight artifacts or distortions.
## BACKGROUND
Video Super Resolution relies on deep learning models to predict missing pixel data and upscale lower-quality footage like old camera recordings or compressed messaging clips. Hardware accelerators like Neural Processing Units (NPUs) are designed to handle these heavy machine learning workloads locally while consuming far less power than traditional processors.