Does PSSR Mean Revolution for PS5 Pro? First Reviews Make Things Clear
The first PlayStation 5 Pro reviews have finally appeared. Thanks to them, we can find out whether Sony's PSSR actually brings a revolution.
The September announcement of the PlayStation 5 Pro shocked gamers – mainly due to its high price and lack of a disk drive. Sony, however, promised the first console to use the upscaling technology known on PC. PSSR is going to use AI, similar to DLSS, to offer good graphic quality while maintaining high performance. The first reviews of PS5 Pro reveal whether the technology meets expectations.
PSSR makes a difference when sitting close to the screen
The PS5 Pro was supposed to put an end to choosing graphic modes on consoles. However, this applies only to modes on the basic PlayStation 5, as the new console offers new gaming options to choose from. To prioritize fluidity, we achieve 60 frames per second with the graphics of the base PS5 quality mode. However, the developers have managed to optimize further, resulting in the creation of new modes that allow you to play at 30 frames per second.
The disparity is noticeable primarily when we are sitting in close proximity to the screen, as indicated in reviews, thanks in part to PSSR. At greater distances, the differences blur:
In every title I tried — while sitting no more than eight feet away from a 65-inch TV — the PS5 Pro was clearly the better place to play [...]. Thing is, my couch isn't eight feet from my TV. It's 12 feet, too far to tell a difference between the PS5 and PS5 Pro, because those details melt away I can just barely make out the difference at 10 feet, sitting on the edge of my seat.
The visible changes in graphic details will mainly benefit those who have large TVs or play using a 4K monitor. At the same time, PSSR, although impressive, still falls short in some places and graphical errors can be seen during gameplay:
While PSSR is a game-changer for Sony, it comes with all the usual flaws of AI-upscaling. You may be getting the illusion of 4K, but the trade-off is that the image isn’t entirely stable. In Dragon's Dogma 2, I noticed some fairly heavy artifacting around yellow grass as it swayed in the wind. You'll also occasionally notice moments where the upscaled resolution needs to settle into place after a fast movement.
– Giovanni Colantonio, Digital Trends
How does the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, a scaling technology based on artificial intelligence developed by Sony, work? Pretty good, truth be told. However, I noticed that with more dynamic movements, it can "lose textures" and load them in the blink of an eye - this is clearly visible. Nonetheless, I believe that it's a matter of proper "training" of AI and calibration, which will most likely happen in the next few days.
Games that have previously underperformed on the basic PS5 are expected to benefit the most from PSSR. The prime example is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which received a special update before the console's release. Another one is Dragon’s Dogma 2, which maintains a more stable frame rate.
From the reviews published on the Internet, it appears that Richard Leadbetter used favorable words, comparing the PS5 Pro to the RTX 20 series. Both devices, for their time, seemed too expensive for the capabilities they offer. The PS5 demonstrates the benefits of upscaling technology, but despite its positives, it still requires some polishing and will likely reach its full potential on the PlayStation 6.
