Sony Announces Enhanced PSSR for PS5 Pro, Confirms Future AI Frame Generation
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced an enhanced version of its PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaler for the PlayStation 5 Pro, scheduled for release in March. Concurrently, the company has confirmed the development of AI-powered frame generation technology for future PlayStation platforms, though it is not expected to launch in 2026.
Enhanced PSSR Update for PS5 Pro
The updated PSSR technology is a software upgrade designed to improve image reconstruction and detail processing. It will be delivered via a system update and can be enabled or disabled through a system-wide toggle labeled "Enhance PSSR Image Quality."
Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem, which launched recently, is the first title to implement the enhanced PSSR. According to Capcom's Masaru Ijuin, Senior Manager of Engine Development Support, the upgrade improves the processing of intricate details and textures that are traditionally challenging for upscaling techniques.
Technical analysis by Digital Foundry reported the new PSSR as a significant improvement over the initial version. In comparisons with AMD FSR 4 and NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 on PC, the PSSR "2.0" was noted to exhibit more aliasing but less ghosting and improved sharpness than AMD FSR 4 in some scenarios. Digital Foundry noted that Resident Evil Requiem's dark atmosphere, depth of field, and film grain may affect comparative analysis.
PS5 Pro Lead System Architect Mark Cerny stated the update results from the ongoing Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD. He explained that the algorithm and neural network originated from this partnership, with the PS5 Pro version benefiting from an additional six months of refinement.
AMD's Senior VP, Jack Huynh, congratulated Sony on the launch and indicated the advancements would be incorporated into AMD FSR 4 for PC in the coming months.
Confirmation of Future Frame Generation
In separate statements, Mark Cerny confirmed that machine learning-based frame generation technology is planned for "PlayStation platforms."
Cerny stated the feature is "not expected to arrive on PS5 systems within the current year" and that Sony has "no more releases planned for this year," indicating a launch no earlier than 2027.
The frame generation solution is being co-engineered with AMD as part of Project Amethyst. Cerny noted that "FSR Frame Generation is also based on co-developed technology" and that an "equivalent frame generation library should be seen at some point on PlayStation platforms."
Frame generation, or frame interpolation, analyzes motion data to create and insert synthetic frames between natively rendered ones, potentially increasing the perceived frame rate. Similar technologies, such as NVIDIA's DLSS 3 and AMD's FSR 3, are available on PC.
Reported Details on PSSR 2
Some reports, which Sony has not officially confirmed, discuss further development of the upscaling technology.
A PlayStation 5 Pro system update featuring "PSSR 2.0" has been reported by some sources, with suggested release windows ranging from early this year to 2026. These reports indicate Sony aims for PSSR 2 to achieve image quality comparable to AMD's FSR 4 and to address criticisms of the initial PSSR implementation.
Alleged enhancements include a new algorithm to reduce memory usage and GPU processing time. Some reports also suggest the technology could allow for upscaling of low-resolution classic games on PlayStation Plus Premium.
Hardware and Strategic Context
The PS5 Pro, released in late 2025, includes dedicated AI accelerators for PSSR processing. The ongoing Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD is also reported to be exploring other technologies, such as Neural Arrays for efficient GPU task collaboration and Radiance Cores for advanced ray tracing.
The confirmation of frame generation development has led to industry speculation that the technology may debut with a next-generation PlayStation console, which market analysts anticipate no earlier than 2027 or 2028.