Sony is rolling out a new AI-driven upscaling feature for the standard PS5, dubbed Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). Described as a fresh performance tier of AI upscaling, QSSR stems from Sony’s Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD, as detailed in a recent blog post.
Sony notes that PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), available on the PS5 Pro, continues to be the benchmark. Early testing by Digital Foundry indicates that QSSR lags behind PSSR in speed, since the base PS5 lacks dedicated machine‑learning hardware. Consequently, users can anticipate an upscaled output around 1440p on the PS5, compared to the 4K upscaling achievable on the PS5 Pro.
“On the PS5 Pro, developers typically target 4K and then scale down the render resolution,” said Daniel Craig, Sony’s principal graphics R&D engineer, speaking to Digital Foundry. “On the standard PS5, teams must stay adaptable, adjusting not only the render resolution but also intermediate and final presentation settings based on the chosen graphics mode.”
Craig added that QSSR functions as a near‑drop‑in replacement for games already supporting PSSR, requiring only a few days of tuning. This ease of integration makes it more likely that PS5 developers will adopt the technology, which Sony plans to make available to all PlayStation developers.
Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei will be the inaugural titles to implement QSSR, receiving patches today that add the feature as an extra graphics option on PS5. (The Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition also launches today.) Sony has shared a couple of videos demonstrating QSSR in these games, showing a noticeable improvement in image sharpness.
Digital Foundry observes that “the potential is remarkable: low resolution and inadequate upscaling have plagued many titles this generation, yet QSSR could deliver a meaningful improvement.”
