The PS5 Pro is getting upgraded upscaling tech in March

Source: Engadget

Upgrade Announcement

After suggesting a version of AMD’s FSR 4 could be ported to the PS5 Pro last year, Sony is finally rolling out an update with the upscaling tech in March. Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS4, PS5 and PS5 Pro, shared via a blog post that the PS5 Pro will receive a new version of the company’s PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling technology next month, and Resident Evil Requiem is one of the first games to use it.

What Is PSSR?

PSSR is described as “an AI library that analyzes game images pixel by pixel as it upscales them.” The upgraded version “takes a very different approach to not only the neural network but also the overall algorithm,” allowing it to keep both framerate and image quality high when enabled.

Cerny’s blog post includes comparison images that illustrate the visual differences the new PSSR can achieve.

Resident Evil Requiem

Masaru Ijuin, Senior Manager from Capcom’s Engine Development Support Section R&D Foundational Technology Department, commented on how the new upscaling tech improves Resident Evil Requiem:

With Resident Evil Requiem, we focused on enhancing the presentation quality of the protagonist through an upgraded version of RE Engine to deepen the player’s immersion in horror. For example, each individual strand of hair and beard is rendered as a polygon, allowing it to move realistically in response to body motion and wind. The way light passes through his hair changes depending on how the strands are overlapped. This detailed expression of texture is one of the many details that we would especially love for our fans to see.

The upgraded PSSR has allowed us to elevate our expressiveness by successfully processing these details and textural particularities, which are traditionally difficult to upscale because of their intricacy. We hope you will experience this unprecedented level of horror and visual fidelity, and the new gameplay feel it delivers.

Project Amethyst

Sony and AMD formally announced “Project Amethyst,” a collaboration to develop machine‑learning technology that improves graphics and gameplay. The partnership has already benefitted both companies: Cerny says Sony contributed to the development of AMD’s FSR 4, and similar improvements are now trickling back to the PS5 Pro. Details on the companies’ plans to enhance upscaling performance and energy efficiency can be found here.

Rollout Details

The upgraded PSSR will roll out to PS5 Pro owners as part of a software update in March and can be toggled on and off in the console’s settings, according to Cerny. Around the same time, multiple PS5 games are expected to receive updates to support the upscaling tech. While the graphical improvements are incremental compared to a standard PS5, the fact that Sony is still squeezing more performance out of the console should reassure anyone who spent $700 (or now $750) on a PS5 Pro.