The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Sony announced an upgraded version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) on February 27, 2026. Resident Evil Requiem was the first game to use it, while a subsequent system update brought the feature to additional PSSR-compatible titles. Sony says the technology grew from its Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD, but it is not simply FSR 4 running on a PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro owners can enable the system feature at Settings → Screen and Video → Video Output → Enhance PSSR Image Quality. Support is limited to compatible games, and Sony says results vary by title.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What Sony actually announced
Sony’s February announcement described a substantially different neural network and overall algorithm from the original PSSR implementation. The company generally calls it an “upgraded version of PSSR”; “PSSR 2.0” is an informal label rather than Sony’s official branding.
The upgraded technology debuted in Resident Evil Requiem. Sony also said the PS5 Pro implementation received six additional months of refinement after the broader Sony–AMD work. At the time, Sony said PSSR had already been used in more than 50 PS5 Pro games.
#1 Best Overall
- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
Sony initially said the feature would roll out with a March 2026 system update. It is now available through supported games and later implementations, including Doom: The Dark Ages and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Is upgraded PSSR the same as AMD FSR 4?
No—not based on Sony’s announcement. Sony says the upgraded PSSR algorithm and neural network stem from Project Amethyst, its collaboration with AMD, and specifically points to FSR 4 as a PC manifestation of benefits from that work.
That establishes a shared technological lineage, not identical software. Upgraded PSSR and FSR 4 can differ in code, integration, performance, supported hardware, image quality and behavior. “FSR 4-like visuals” is therefore a reasonable shorthand for the relationship, but it should not be read as a promise that PS5 Pro runs FSR 4 or matches it in every scene.
Recommended Free Tools
| Technology | Platform | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Upgraded PSSR | PS5 Pro | Sony’s PlayStation-specific neural reconstruction system |
| FSR 4 | PC | AMD’s current neural upscaling implementation |
| DLSS | PC with supported Nvidia RTX hardware | Nvidia’s separate neural reconstruction ecosystem |
There is no universal winner. A meaningful comparison requires controlled testing of fine-detail stability, motion, foliage, hair, particles, reflections, ghosting, latency and different internal resolutions.
What PSSR changes visually
PSSR analyzes a game image pixel by pixel and reconstructs a higher-resolution output from a lower-resolution internal render. This can help developers balance image quality and performance instead of rendering every frame at native 4K.
Temporal reconstruction is particularly difficult when an image contains thin, moving or semi-transparent detail. Hair, foliage, wires, cloth, particles, distant signage and reflections can expose:
Rank #2
- Upgraded 2TB Ultra Fast SSD - Double the space than the standard model with the same ultra fast speed. Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display).
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Slim Design - More power and storage packed in the new slim and compact design.
- Bundle comes with Astro Bot Game Voucher and C-Gamers controller charger
- Shimmering and flicker
- Crawling edges during camera movement
- Ghost trails behind moving objects
- Texture instability
- Lost detail when the camera or subject moves
An improved reconstruction model can make those elements appear more stable and clearer. The result still depends on the game’s internal resolution, renderer, motion-vector data, reconstruction settings and display. A 4K output signal is not the same thing as native 4K rendering.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Why Resident Evil Requiem is the showcase
Capcom says Resident Evil Requiem uses an upgraded RE Engine and renders individual hair and beard strands as polygons. The strands respond to body movement and wind, while light transmission changes as they overlap. Capcom says upgraded PSSR helps process this fine hair, beard and texture detail.
That makes the game a useful stress test for reconstruction technology: strand-level geometry contains high-frequency detail that can flicker, shimmer or disappear when sampled from a lower-resolution image. However, improvements in Requiem cannot be attributed to PSSR alone. The engine, lighting, assets, PS5 Pro GPU headroom and Capcom’s rendering choices also contribute.
How to enable Enhance PSSR Image Quality
- Open Settings on the PS5 Pro.
- Select Screen and Video.
- Select Video Output.
- Enable Enhance PSSR Image Quality.
Sony identifies the option as available only on the CFI-7000 model group, the PS5 Pro hardware family. It is a system-level enhancement for supported games that already use PSSR; it does not add PSSR to games that never implemented it.
Install the latest PS5 system software and game updates before testing. Sony also advises turning the setting off if unexpected gameplay behavior occurs. A game-specific patch may be more finely tuned than a generic system-level enhancement.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11See Sony’s support instructions.
Games Sony currently lists
Sony’s current US PS5 Pro page lists these titles as supporting the upgraded image-quality feature:
Rank #3
- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Silent Hill f
- Silent Hill 2
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Alan Wake 2
- Control
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Nioh 3
- Rise of the Ronin
- Crimson Desert
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Cyberpunk 2077
This is Sony’s current US list, not a permanent or necessarily complete global catalog. Availability can vary by region, patch and game version. Sony later confirmed upgraded PSSR support for Doom: The Dark Ages and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Check Sony’s current PS5 Pro list, plus the announcements for Doom: The Dark Ages and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What upgraded PSSR does not guarantee
- Native 4K: PSSR reconstructs an output image; it does not automatically make the internal render native 4K.
- Higher frame rates: It may reduce the resolution workload and help a developer preserve a target frame rate, but it does not universally increase FPS.
- Frame generation: PSSR is image reconstruction, not a frame-generation feature.
- A graphics-mode change: The setting does not automatically increase ray-tracing quality, internal resolution or every other visual setting.
- Universal compatibility: Non-PSSR games do not receive the feature.
- Identical results: Image quality depends heavily on each game’s implementation and rendering data.
Is a PS5 Pro worth buying for upgraded PSSR?
Upgraded PSSR strengthens the case for a PS5 Pro, but it is not by itself proof that every game will receive a dramatic upgrade.
The feature is most compelling for players with a large 4K or 120Hz display, who notice shimmering and softness in performance modes and regularly play supported titles with hair, foliage, particles or other difficult fine detail. It is less compelling for owners of a standard PS5 who use a small or 1080p display, play mostly unsupported or CPU-limited games, or expect every title to benefit equally.
The sensible buying argument is therefore conditional: PS5 Pro hardware, compatible games and a suitable display can produce a clearer and more stable image, while the standard PS5 remains the better-value route for players who primarily want access to the same game library.
How to judge the difference yourself
- Update the console and game.
- Compare Enhance PSSR Image Quality on and off.
- Test both performance and fidelity modes.
- Compare a static scene with camera movement.
- Inspect hair, foliage, wires, particles, distant geometry and signage.
- Check both 30-fps and 60-fps scenarios.
- Restart the game after changing the setting.
If the option is missing, confirm that the console is a PS5 Pro in the CFI-7000 family, update system software, update the game and verify that the title supports PSSR. If the image looks unchanged, the selected mode may use another reconstruction path, or the improvement may be most visible in motion rather than in a still screenshot. Compressed videos and screenshots are poor evidence of temporal stability.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
