Chief PlayStation 5 architect, Mark Cerny, has confirmed that AI-powered frame generation will come to PlayStation platforms in the near future, before stopping short of confirming which ones and when.
In an interview with Digital Foundry, Cerny explained that PSSR 2, the latest version of the PlayStation 5 Pro exclusive upscaler, stems from the same co-developed algorithm AMD is using with FSR 4 (or FSR Redstone, as it is now known) on PC. It’s that same co-development that has helped AMD also include frame generation in its latest iterations, and makes Sony well-poised to include this in its own capacity in the near future.
“Just to clarify a few things about the collaboration with AMD, the new PSSR uses the same core co-developed algorithm as FSR Redstone’s Upscaling,” Cerny explained. “FSR Frame Generation is also based on co-developed technology (or as my good friend Jack Huynh puts it, ‘co-engineered technology’). I’m very happy with how that work is progressing, and an equivalent frame generation library should be seen at some point on PlayStation platforms.”
When pressed on potential platforms that might support frame generation, Cerny replied by saying that players should not expect any further releases this year, but the he’s excited to talk about it in the near future. It’s possible that this could be reserved for more capable hardware in a new PlayStation, which might only release in 2029.
Like Nvidia’s equivalent as part of its current DLSS 4 stack (which will be expanded on with the recently announced and widely criticized DLSS 5), frame generation is a technique where an AI models consumes two traditionally rendered frames in a supported game and inserts an entirely new generated one in between. This results in a higher perceived frame rates, with the caveat of increased input latency since the interpolated frame has no reference for player input. The technique has become better quickly, with less ghosting on fast-moving objects and better means to exclude UI elements from becoming a mess of pixels.
While this might seem like a silver bullet to games stuck at 30fps, both AMD’s and Nvidia’s frame generation solutions work best with games already rendering at or above 60fps. The faster a game can render frames, the quicker the model can interpret and react with its own, and the more seamlessly it can insert those into motion that already feels smooth. While it’s not impossible to use frame generation at lower base frame rates, its not yet at a point where that doesn’t end up detracting from the gameplay experience rather than enhancing it.
The latest iteration of PSSR offers a drastic improvement to visuals through advancements of its machine-learning model, with the added benefit of supporting games at the PlayStation 5 system level when developers haven’t specifically added their own support. The update is out now for all PlayStation 5 Pro owners.