The folks who didn’t buy into the PS5 Pro hype back in 2024 are now being rewarded for their patience. Yesterday, Sony announced Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), a new form of AI upscaling for the base PS5. If this update tells us anything, it’s that this generation may stick around longer than expected.
That’s cool, Sony, but we haven’t forgotten
Digital Foundry went hands-on with QSSR to test just how worthy it is
Sony says the Pro’s PSSR tech is still the “gold standard.” But without a Pro in your arsenal, QSSR looks like a good deal. QSSR analyses the image pixel by pixel and uses AI to upscale it. The result is a much cleaner image, especially off in the distance. It’s built on two ‘key innovations’, born from its collaboration with AMD: a “streamlined neural network architecture” and a “hand-tuned implementation” to maximise performance.
For the moment, only two PS5 games support the AI tech. Marvel’s Wolverine leads the charge, and Ghost of Yōtei rounds it out. The tech is available to all developers, but it’s on them to implement it. The timing of the QSSR announcement is auspicious, to say the least, with Grand Theft Auto VI right around the corner.
Read More: Sony unveils new PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge wireless headsets
“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,” said Mike Fitzgerald, head of technology at Insomniac Games.
We’ve yet to test QSSR, but Digital Foundry said the quality boost can be “exceptional,” especially while running Wolverine. Ghost of Yōtei — an already impressive display of fidelity — saw a less obvious visual boost. We’re most looking forward to seeing which older games will get the upgrade in due course.
