Base PS5 Finally Gets Its Own Version of PSSR Upscaling
The new feature for PS5 is called Quick Spectral Super Resolution, or QSSR, and it uses a streamlined neural network to improve image detail and stability without the PS5 Pro’s dedicated machine-learning hardware.
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PS5 Pro PSSR
Sony has introduced Quick Spectral Super Resolution, a new AI-powered upscaling technology designed specifically for the standard PlayStation 5.
QSSR is a faster, less computationally demanding evolution of the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology previously restricted to PS5 Pro. According to Sony, it combines a streamlined neural-network architecture with a hand-tuned implementation intended to maximize performance on the base console.
Like PSSR, the new system analyzes game images and reconstructs them with greater detail and temporal stability than conventional upscaling techniques. This can produce sharper foliage, hair, fabric, distant scenery, and other fine elements while reducing flickering, shimmering, and image breakup during movement.
The base PS5 lacks the dedicated machine-learning hardware found inside PS5 Pro, meaning QSSR cannot provide precisely the same results. Sony continues to describe PSSR as its “gold standard,” with PS5 Pro games generally using the technology to construct a 4K output.
Developers using QSSR have greater flexibility over their output targets, with early implementations appearing better suited to reconstructed resolutions closer to 1440p. Nevertheless, the technology could produce a meaningful improvement in performance modes that currently rely on lower internal resolutions or less sophisticated forms of temporal upscaling.
“Our team at Insomniac works hard to make sure each of our games is a showcase of PlayStation hardware, and we’re excited for Marvel’s Wolverine to be one of the first titles to bring this new QSSR technology to players.
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.
Personally, I love seeing how the PlayStation tech teams continually improve the PS5 platform, and I’m excited for more games to make use of QSSR in the future!”
– Mike Fitzgerald, Head of Technology / Insomniac Games in the PS Blog
Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei are the first supported games, with both receiving patches that add QSSR as another graphics option. Insomniac Games says the technology improves pixel-level clarity and stability across Wolverine’s dense environments, while Sucker Punch highlighted its ability to resolve fine character and environmental details.
QSSR was produced through Project Amethyst, Sony’s ongoing graphics collaboration with AMD. The partnership also contributed to the upgraded version of PSSR introduced for PS5 Pro, which uses a redesigned neural network and reconstruction algorithm.
"At Sucker Punch, we’re excited to bring QSSR to Ghost of Yōtei players so that they can experience the world we’ve created with even more clarity and detail. QSSR excels at resolving the fine details in our characters and environments and does so with a level of temporal stability that hasn’t been possible on the PS5 console until now. We’ve long wished that all PS5 players could experience the incredible image quality that PSSR brings to PS5 Pro, and QSSR is a positive step towards that goal!”
– Jasmin Patry, Lead Rendering Engineer / Sucker Punch Productions in the PS Blog
That upgraded model has since been integrated into games including Alan Wake 2, Control, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Monster Hunter Wilds. Sony has also confirmed that an equivalent form of AI-powered frame generation will eventually reach PlayStation platforms.
QSSR has been designed as a largely drop-in replacement for games already supporting PSSR, reportedly requiring only several days of additional tuning. Sony plans to make the library broadly available to PlayStation developers, potentially allowing far more of the existing PS5 audience to benefit from the company’s machine-learning graphics research.
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