Sony released a firmware update for the PlayStation 5 Pro on March 16 that introduces PSSR2, an enhanced version of upscaling technology developed in collaboration with AMD. The new feature promises to transform the visual quality of games, resolving limitations of the previous version and offering users greater control over graphical fidelity without requiring specific patches for each title.
The update implemented the new technology in an initial selection of games and provided an in-system option to enable PSSR2, replacing the previous version that had notable deficiencies in several scenarios. The main focus lies on revisiting titles where the original PSSR did not achieve the expected result and demonstrating the positive impact of the new iteration.
Três ways to activate the new upscaler
The new PSSR can be activated in three different ways on the PS5 Pro. A list of 11 titles has been designated by the developers to receive the update automatically, with the system software removing any trace of the first PSSR and installing the optimized version. The second option, called “Imagem Aprimorada Quality”, is disabled by default in the system interface, but its activation allows any game that uses the old PSSR to benefit from the new version, extending the improvement to a vast library of titles. Finalmente, some recent games, such as Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert, are already launched with the new integrated upscalers, ensuring the best quality from launch.
- 11 titles receive automatic updates to the new PSSR.
- Opção “Imagem Aprimorada Quality” extends benefits to the entire game library.
- 13 games natively use the new PSSR in total.
Melhorias visible in different scenarios
Após activation of the enhancement option, the improvements become evident in most games. Em Gran Turismo 7, details such as the thin edges of the cars and the lines painted on the asphalt demonstrate greater coherence in motion, eliminating noticeable tremors. Títulos like Assassin’s Creed Shadows now exhibit a sharper presentation, with distant texture details resolved with greater clarity. The old PSSR was known for introducing noise similar to film grain into still images, a problem that the PSSR2 completely eradicates, delivering a cleaner, more stable image.
The new upscaler’s ability to handle complex reconstruction scenarios has been significantly improved, especially those using Lumen’s RTGI (Real-Time Global Illumination) software. The original PSSR often interpreted Lumen artifacts as noise, amplifying imperfections, but the new version better distinguishes genuine details from stochastic noise, achieving stability comparable to the Epic Games’s TSR scaler.
Desafios in foliage and complex elements
Foliage posed a particular challenge for the first-gen PSSR, with visually rich games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Hogwarts Legacy exhibiting real difficulties in motion. The PSSR2 overcomes these limitations, doing a superior job of maintaining foliage quality and suppressing unwanted noise. Títulos like Star Wars Jedi Survivor and Star Wars Outlaws also benefit from visible improvements, presenting a cleaner and more detailed image.
Partículas and transparencies are other effects that have historically challenged upscaling processors due to the lack of available motion vectors. While the original PSSR Embora was already reasonable in this regard, the updated version offers a sharper presentation of these components, reducing their tendency to dissolve into the background and ensuring that dynamic details remain visible during gameplay.
Reflexos and enhanced standards
The quality of screen-space reflections has seen notable improvement with PSSR2. Em Astrobot, a previous implementation of PSSR resulted in noticeable flickering in screen space reflections. Essa issue was resolved with the new upscaler, which provides much more stable and coherent reflections. Padrões moiré features on fine fabrics and highly reflective surfaces, such as those seen in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, have also been substantially improved, resulting in textures that are more realistic and less prone to unwanted visual artifacts.
Desempenho maintained and future prospects
Testes confirmed that the PSSR2, despite its numerous visual benefits, maintains the same operating cost as the first generation PSSR. Mark Cerny, PlayStation architect, stated that the new version is 100 microseconds faster, indicating that there is no performance compromise. Essa’s processing cost neutrality makes the upgrade even more valuable for console users.
Após analysis of more than 25 games on the PlayStation 5 Pro with the new PSSR, the conclusion is that the update represents a great success. Trata is a direct replacement that solves most of the problems of the first generation of upscalers, without imposing any additional performance cost. PSSR2 sets a new standard for upscaling in the PlayStation ecosystem, promising a sharper, more visually stunning future for gamers.