PS5 Pro firmware improves PSSR system and increases visual quality in dozens of compatible games

Sony released a new firmware update on March 16 for the PS5 Pro console, implementing an improved version of the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology, known by the acronym PSSR. The image upscaling system, developed in a direct partnership with the manufacturer AMD under the codename Project Amethyst, received deep structural adjustments. The software modification allows video game owners to activate a specific function in the main menu to replace the original version of the graphical scaler with a more advanced iteration in supported games. The change occurs immediately.

Testes technical tests performed on a catalog of more than 20 titles demonstrated consistent gains in overall sharpness, moving image stability, and dramatic reduction in unwanted visual artifacts. The new version of PSSR acts directly to correct limitations observed during the initial implementation of the technology at the hardware launch. Entre mitigated issues are visual noise similar to film grain in static scenes and rendering glitches in complex elements such as foliage swaying in the wind. The visual impact is noticeable.

Starting today, more games benefit from new PSSR upscaling on PS5 Pro, including:

☑️ Silent Hill f
☑️ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
☑️ Monster Hunter Wilds
☑️ Alan Wake II
☑️ Control

Plus more on the way. Full details here: https://t.co/7VrGM08gHG pic.twitter.com/aFFDMerObS

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 16, 2026

Reconstrução graphics and global illumination improvements

The improved algorithm more efficiently handles highly complex scene reconstructions, including advanced ray tracing effects, such as the Lumen system used in modern graphics engines. The update can process global illumination without amplifying unwanted noise on the surfaces of virtual objects. The practical result delivered to the player is a considerably cleaner and more coherent image in different game situations, regardless of the camera speed. Visual clarity increases.

The evolution of upscaling technology is directly reflected in the visual presentation of large franchises available on the platform. Developers are able to extract more details from the original textures without compromising the machine’s processing. Performance analyzes confirm that the artificial intelligence responsible for filling in missing pixels on the screen reaches a new level of mathematical precision.

• Gran Turismo 7 features thin car edges and more stable asphalt road sign lines during high-speed movement.
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows gains sharper resolution on textures positioned at long distances from the main character.
• Jogos with excessive particles and transparencies display elements that are more defined and less likely to dissolve into the background.

The distinction between the actual details generated by the graphics engine and the stochastic noise inherent in the rendering process becomes much more accurate after the update. Essa exact separation brings the final result of PSSR closer to the performance of TSR, Epic’s integrated resizing solution, especially in scenarios that use Lumen to calculate light bounce in real time. The leap in quality is evident.

Procedimentos to activate the new upscaler in the system

Activation of the enhanced version of the technology occurs in three main ways within the console ecosystem. Atualmente, 11 titles have a whitelist configured by the developers themselves that automatically forces the use of the new upscaler, eliminating any trace of the previous version without requiring user action. Para other games, Sony introduced the Enhanced Image Quality option in the operating system settings.

The improved image quality toggle button applies the improvement to any game or demo that still uses the old PSSR code. The feature is not activated by default in the PS5 Pro factory settings. Especialistas in hardware indicate that the option should be the industry standard, considering the positive results observed in extensive graphics stress tests. Configuration requires manual intervention.

Além of retroactive updates, some recent releases already natively incorporate the updated technology in their source code. Títulos, Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert represent clear examples of this category of direct integration, eliminating the need for the console menu. The general recommendation from technical analysts is to enable the function on the front panel to maximize the benefits across the device’s entire storage library.

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Comportamento of resolution in high demand scenarios

The rendering of dense vegetation represented a significant weakness in the initial version of PSSR. Open-world Jogos like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Hogwarts Legacy showed inferior results to other upscaling solutions on the market when the character was moving. The new iteration of the software maintains the most convincing plant aspects and suppresses noise efficiently, even surpassing FSR2 technology in specific scenarios. The difference is impressive.

Outros big-budget titles also registered a cleaner appearance after the firmware update. Star Wars Jedi Survivor and Star Wars Outlaws display more defined scenes, although they present a slight increase in flicker in occasional dynamic lighting situations. Reflections calculated in screen space benefit equally from the change, reducing the flickering noticeable in previous implementations, such as that seen in platformer Astro Bot.

Padrões Complex visuals, such as the moiré effect on fine fabrics and reflective metal surfaces, seen in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, are noticeably diminished to the player’s eyes. Survival horror title Alan Wake 2 served as one of the most rigorous tests for the revised technology. The game’s performance in 60 frames per second mode, starting from a low internal resolution, delivers a higher image than the 30 frames per second quality mode running on the standard console at a higher resolution. The technical gain is significant.

Limitações remaining techniques and performance impact

Apesar of significant advances, not all visual aspects achieve absolute perfection, an expected behavior in solutions based on image reconstruction. Em Star Wars Jedi Survivor, reflections generated by ray tracing may appear sharper but noisier in motion, especially in scenes with flowing water. Essa feature leads some users to prefer the smoother, less detailed look of the previous version of the software. The choice varies per player.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 action RPG illustrates well the balance between the advances achieved and persistent graphical issues. The technology does a good job overall of screen composition, but foliage positioned at great distances can exhibit unusual blur during exploration. Problemas glitches in ray tracing global illumination are still present, especially in performance modes with lower native resolution, where moving the camera reveals an incomplete sample that fills in gradually.

Em Assassin’s Creed Shadows rendering of heavy rain occasionally disappears against certain darker scene backgrounds. Esses visual artifacts vary depending on the title and require individual assessment by the responsible studios. Developers can still apply targeted patch packages to refine the experience in specific cases, adjusting the upscaler parameters for each graphics engine. Optimization work continues.

In terms of performance, the improved version maintains exactly the same computational cost as the previous edition, as verified in large frame rate captures. Testes performed on Monster Hunter Wilds confirmed identical processing stability. Em Hogwarts Legacy, the meters registered differences in the region of half a frame per second, a value considered within the typical margin of error for hardware tests. The console architect, Mark Cerny, cited a marginal gain of 100 microseconds in operational efficiency. The system operates smoothly.

Essa processor impact neutrality allows the improvement option to be used without the fear of causing drops in the fluidity of games. The focus of the update remains on elevating pure visual quality. The revised upscaler acts as a direct replacement that solves most of the problems of the initial generation of hardware, bringing the console closer to its original designed potential and ensuring greater technical survival for the next releases in the electronic games industry.