Sony has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI)-based graphic enhancement technology for the standard PS5, called Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). This feature was created to elevate the visual quality of games without requiring the exclusive hardware of the PS5 Pro.
Sony describes QSSR as a new level of performance for AI upscaling, resulting from collaboration between the company and AMD under Project Amethyst.
This feature will become available this Thursday (1) in two titles: Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei. Both games will receive updates that include the technology as a graphical option on the PS5.
Development Differences Between Consoles
Daniel Craig, Sony's principal graphics research and development engineer, clarified that developers must employ distinct approaches for the two consoles. He explained to Digital Foundry that on the PS5 Pro, creators generally produce output in 4K and reduce the rendering resolution below that benchmark.
In contrast, on the PS5 teams, greater flexibility is required, demanding adjustments not only to the rendering resolution but also to the intermediate and final presentation targets, depending on the selected graphic mode.
Although QSSR presents limitations when compared to PSSR, it has a notable advantage: ease of implementation. Craig mentioned that the technology essentially acts as a direct replacement for games that already support PSSR, requiring only a few days of modifications for these titles to adapt.
Sony plans to offer QSSR broadly to game developers for PlayStation, which should boost the adoption of the technology in a larger number of games, as studios will not need to create entirely new solutions to utilize this feature.
Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei are the first
The updates released this Thursday add QSSR as a graphical option in the respective titles for PS5. In the case of Ghost of Yōtei, this novelty accompanies the release of the Complete Edition.
Demonstrations released by Sony indicate a visibly sharper image when QSSR is used; however, the perception of the difference varies depending on the game and the applied settings.
Digital Foundry, after conducting a preliminary test of the technology, highlighted the great potential of the feature. According to the publication, issues related to low resolution and lower-quality upscaling have impacted several current-generation games, and QSSR has the potential to significantly change this landscape.
Thus, the technology establishes a new possibility for developers seeking to balance performance and resolution on the standard PS5, without relying on the specific hardware present in the PS5 Pro.