Adobe Lightroom version 9.2, released on 20th February 2026, brings with it a significant new feature: generative upscaling powered by Gigapixel from Topaz Labs.
If you've ever needed to enlarge an image whilst maintaining sharpness and clarity, this update is going to be very welcome indeed.
Here's a comprehensive look at what it does, how to use it, and what you need to know before you get started.
What Is Generative Upscale with Gigapixel?
Generative upscale is an AI-powered image enlargement tool built directly into Lightroom, using technology from Topaz Labs' well-regarded Gigapixel application. It works by analysing your image and intelligently increasing its resolution, improving quality, sharpness, and clarity in the process. The key advantage over Lightroom's existing super resolution feature is both the degree of upscaling available and the range of file formats it supports.
How Does It Differ from Super Resolution?
Lightroom has offered super resolution for some time, but it comes with two notable limitations: it only upscales by 2x (200%), and it only works on RAW files. The new Gigapixel-powered generative upscale removes both of those restrictions. You can now upscale by either 2x or 4x, and crucially, it works on RAW files and other file formats too, making it far more versatile.
How to Access Generative Upscale
There are three ways to access the feature within Lightroom:
From the menu bar, go to Photo and select Generative Upscale. Alternatively, right-click on your image in the editing view and choose Generative Upscale from the context menu. You can also right-click on a thumbnail in the grid view to find the same option.
What Happens When You Upscale?
Once you select generative upscale, a dialogue box appears showing your upscaling options (2x or 4x), along with the resulting pixel dimensions and file size in megapixels. You'll also see how many generative credits the process will consume, and a real-time display of your current monthly generative credit balance, which is a very handy addition.
The processing itself takes place in the cloud, regardless of whether your images are stored locally or in Adobe's cloud. This means an active internet connection is required every time you use the feature. In testing, the process took around 30 seconds, though this will depend on your connection speed.
Once complete, the upscaled image is saved as a new DNG file alongside your original. This is an important point: no matter what file format you send for upscaling, the returned file will always be a DNG. The filename will reflect that Gigapixel was used and will indicate the upscaling factor applied (2x or 4x).
An Important Tip: Edit First, Then Upscale
This is perhaps the most important thing to be aware of when using generative upscale. When the upscaled DNG file is returned, all of your existing Lightroom edits, including masks and adjustments, are baked into it. The new file will not retain any editable Lightroom settings. For that reason, you should always complete your editing first before running the upscale. The good news is that your original edited file is preserved, so you will always have access to make further adjustments to it should you need to.
Generative Credits
Using generative upscale consumes generative credits from your monthly allowance. The cost is either 10 or 20 credits, depending on the size of the output, with a maximum of 20 credits per upscale. The dialogue box shows exactly how many credits will be used before you commit, and you can see your remaining balance at the same time.
The Stacking Option for Cloud Images
If you are working with images stored in Adobe's cloud, there is one additional option available: the ability to create a stack. Rather than the upscaled file appearing as a separate thumbnail alongside your original, it will be grouped together with it as a stack, keeping your library neat and organised. This option is not available for locally stored images.
Maximum Output Size
The maximum output size is an impressive 65,000 pixels on the longest edge, making this suitable for very large print work indeed.
Where Generative Upscale Is Most Useful
This feature is particularly well suited to a number of scenarios. It's excellent when you've made a significant crop to an image and want to recover detail and sharpness in the enlarged result. It can also be used to improve low-resolution scans, or to breathe new life into images from older cameras with lower megapixel counts.
Quick Summary of Key Points
Available in Lightroom version 9.2 and later
Powered by Topaz Labs' Gigapixel technology
Upscale options: 2x or 4x
Works on RAW files and other file formats (unlike super resolution)
All processing is done in the cloud; an internet connection is required
Returns a new DNG file regardless of the original format
Consumes 10 or 20 generative credits (maximum 20 per upscale)
Maximum output: 65,000 pixels on the longest edge
Edits are baked into the upscaled file, so always edit first
Stacking option available for cloud-stored images
Your original file is always preserved
For photographers looking to get the most from their images, whether recovering detail from a tight crop or improving older files, this is a genuinely useful addition to Lightroom's toolkit.