Ps5 pro's ai gets sharper: is this the upgrade sony promised?
Sony's promises surrounding the PS5 Pro’s AI capabilities weren't mere marketing fluff, it seems. The recent rollout of PSSR 2.0 has injected a noticeable dose of visual fidelity into several AAA titles, sparking immediate and largely positive reactions from industry experts. But does it truly close the gap with NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5, and what lingering issues remain?
The good: ghosting gone, detail improved
Early testing reveals PSSR 2.0 has indeed addressed many of the shortcomings that plagued its predecessor. Ghosting, a common artifact in previous upscaling attempts, is significantly reduced, and image sharpness is demonstrably improved. However, the elephant in the room remains: NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5 continues to reign supreme in the realm of hardware-accelerated upscaling.
As highlighted by detailed comparisons from El Analista de Bits, DLSS 4.5 maintains a clear advantage when it comes to reconstructing fine details and minimizing artifacts in motion. While Sony has undeniably narrowed the gap, NVIDIA’s technology remains the gold standard, accessible only to RTX 4000 and 5000 series GPU owners. The differences, while subtle at times, become more apparent upon closer inspection – particularly in titles like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, where Sony’s PSSR 2.0 delivers commendable results, though not quite matching DLSS’s precision.
Digital Foundry, however, points out persistent stability issues with PlayStation's technology. Flickering and specific visual anomalies continue to surface, especially in demanding titles like the Silent Hill 2 remake, where reflections and ambient occlusion lighting struggle to render accurately – areas where NVIDIA’s AI model excels.
The unexpected boost: resolution and developer focus
Interestingly, the PS5 Pro's capabilities are providing a surprising benefit for developers. Digital Foundry’s analysis of Alan Wake 2 illustrates this perfectly: a 60fps performance mode at a resolution of 864p actually looks better than the standard console’s 30fps, 1270p “quality” mode. This shift allows developers to prioritize pixel quality over raw resolution, potentially leading to more visually polished experiences.
Beyond simply catching up to DLSS 4.5, PSSR 2.0's implementation is undergoing a significant shift. Sony has introduced a “quality enhanced” mode, baked directly into the operating system, which forces the new algorithm onto a growing list of games – even those lacking specific patches. This demonstrates a proactive approach to leveraging the Pro's power.
Built on amd's foundation, tailored for playstation
The foundation for PSSR 2.0 lies in the super-resolution algorithm co-developed with AMD under Project Amethyst – the very same technology powering FSR 4 on PC. However, Sony has adapted and refined this algorithm specifically for the PlayStation ecosystem, resulting in a substantial overhaul rather than a simple retouched version of the original PSSR.
The new “quality enhanced” mode exemplifies this commitment to refinement, with Sony meticulously testing and verifying games before forcing PSSR 2.0 at a system level. This ensures a consistently cleaner and more stable image, even for titles that haven’t received dedicated PS5 Pro patches.
While Sony hasn't provided concrete numbers regarding the number of games natively utilizing the new PSSR, reports suggest a significant increase, with analysts claiming over 25 games now benefiting from the upgrade, a far cry from the initial 13. It’s being described as a “direct replacement” that addresses most of the issues plaguing the first-generation upscaler.
Beyond a simple upgrade: a glimpse of the future
The evolution of PSSR 2.0 isn't just viewed as a generational improvement; many see it as the bedrock upon which the next-generation PlayStation will be built. Mark Cerny’s past statements regarding the eventual integration of PC-dominant graphics technologies into PlayStation hint at a future where features like frame generation—currently absent from the PS5 Pro—will eventually make their way into the ecosystem. The groundwork laid with PSSR 2.0 may well be the first step in that direction.