The base PS5 console is no slouch when it comes to games, but compared to the PS5 Pro, it doesn’t pack the same visual punch. That could change soon, as Sony has unveiled a new AI-upscaling upgrade for the older machine called Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). Like PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), it is designed to make games look sharper and maximize performance.
While PSSR will still remain the “gold standard” for what Sony games can look like on PS5 Pro, QSSR looks like it’ll offer a noticeable improvement on PS5. A result of the AI graphics collaboration with AMD, Sony says that it offers a “streamlined neural network architecture” for games. The only catch? For now, only two PS5 games will support it: Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei–which is getting a new Complete Edition this month. Here are a few samples of it in action:
“QSSR adds more pixel-level clarity and stability to our environments, bringing out extra detail amidst the busy streets of Madripoor, the dense alleyways of Shinjuku, and many other areas across Logan’s epic journey. It’s a perfect companion to the launch of Marvel’s Wolverine, and it brings a great taste of the PS5 Pro experience to our players on PS5,” head of technology at Insomniac Games, Mike Fitzgerald, wrote in a PS Blog post.
Jasmin Patry, lead rendering engineer at Ghost of Yotei developer Sucker Punch Productions, added that QSSR excels at “resolving the fine details” in characters and environments that previously wasn’t possible on the base PS5. Both PS5 exclusives are receiving a patch today to add QSSR as an additional graphics option, and Sony says it will be offered to all PlayStation developers soon.
If it’s implemented widely and across many more games, QSSR could become a big selling point for the PS5, as the console will be six years old in November. Price hikes have made it more expensive to jump into the current console generation, and for anyone who can afford the $900 PS5 Pro, stock seems increasingly harder to find as demand begins to outpace supply. In Japan, potential consumers are now being asked to enter a lottery system and prove they’ve played at least 60 hours over the last two years on their current PS5 console.
In comparison, an improved gaming experience on a regular PS5 console sounds like it makes financial sense–even if the console was much cheaper when it first launched in 2020.