Saros–a PlayStation 5-exclusive third-person sci-fi roguelike from Returnal developer Housemarque–is almost here. Ahead of its April 30 launch date, Housemarque creative director Gregory Louden has revealed the game’s PS5 and PS5 Pro features via a new trailer and a post on Sony’s official blog.
“Our goal with Saros has been to push the hardware and be a showcase for PlayStation 5,” Louden explained. “So we are thrilled to finally share more details about our PS5 Pro enhancements and PS5 features in Saros.”
According to Louden, PS5 Pro owners can look forward to updated PSSR support for Saros.
“Our fantastic rendering team has upgraded the PSSR support in Saros to the new version of the PSSR upscaler that was released in March,” Louden explained. “This update provides an even sharper image; you can barely tell it apart from native 4K as you explore Carcosa.”
The PS5 Pro version of the game also features increased base render resolution.
“This means on PS5 Pro, you will have an even clearer higher resolution image at 60fps. While we use dynamic resolution to ensure stable frame rate even in the middle of hectic combat,” he explained, adding that the standard PS5 version of the game “already looks incredible and runs at rock-solid 60fps, but for PS5 Pro we push our graphics even further.”
Louden says the only places players will encounter 30fps are “key story cinematics where we go [for] quality over quantity and render the high quality characters, lighting, and post-processing at peak resolution–which, again, is higher on PS5 Pro.”
But for players who are sticking with a standard PS5 (which is completely understandable, given Sony’s recent decision to increase the price of all PS5 models), Saros still has plenty to offer when it comes to audio, visuals, and overall performance. In particular, Louden says he “can’t wait for [players] to experience” the game’s 3D audio.
“Building on our success from Returnal, we have evolved our 3D audio to allow an even more immersive experience on PlayStation 5 with its Tempest 3D AudioTech,” Louden said. “You can hear the lost Carcosa, hostiles and even our music all around you when playing with 3D Audio enabled headphones or a 3D audio sound setup.”
PS5 players can also look forward to advanced weaponry with adaptive triggers.
“When using the adaptive trigger on L2, if you pull it halfway down, you will activate your main weapon’s alt fire,” Louden explained. “This allows for alternative attacks, ranging from grenade launchers, slower-firing heavy rounds, ricochet projectiles, and much more. If you pull the L2 adaptive trigger all the way down, you will activate your Eclipse-driven Power Weapon. This allows you to hit back hard using collected projectiles from your Soltari Shield.”
Louden said PS5 players can also expect “near-instant fast-loading” and some unique uses of the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback feature.
“I don’t want to spoil it, but there’s very special haptics for you to experience during your time in Saros.”
In Saros, players step into the boots of one Arjun Devraj, a Soltari Enforcer navigating the shape-shifting planet of Carcosa in search of answers regarding a lost, off-world colony currently trapped in the shadow of an ominous eclipse.
For more information on Housemarque’s upcoming game, check out everything we know about Saros.
