Digital Foundry Q&A: PSSR 2.0, Xbox Future, and Up-scaling Tech
The Future of PSSR 2.0 and Upscaling
Recent discussions highlight the high expectations for PSSR 2.0 as a potential game-changer. The panel debates whether the technology can realistically outperform specialized implementations like Guerrilla’s Pico compositor.
• Potential Fixes: There is significant hope that the system-level override for the PS5 Pro will allow older titles that suffered from poor original PSSR implementations to finally reach their intended visual fidelity without needing a full patch from developers.
• FSR 4 and Industry Branding: The team expresses frustration regarding AMD's confusing branding for FSR 4 and questions why the Int8 version of the technology has not yet been officially released to the consumer market, despite its apparent robustness.
Xbox Strategy and Windows Integration
Speculation is mounting regarding the rumored "Nextbox" and its potential to bridge the gap between console and PC.
• Windows 11 Integration: The panel suggests that moving to a more "full-fledged" Windows environment within a virtual machine could allow the next Xbox to better serve as a flexible living room PC, potentially supporting Steam and other stores.
• The Steam Machine Parallel: The team discusses whether Microsoft should target a lower-cost, high-efficiency machine—a Steam Machine competitor—to dominate the entry-level handheld or compact console space.
Developer Challenges and Ray Tracing
"I think it's very important to leverage DLSS... it very specifically solves this problem in that one of the easiest ways to buy back a lot of performance when you're GPU limited is to drop the resolution."
• Switch 2 Capabilities: While ray tracing is technically possible on Switch 2, developers are often prioritizing performance through DLSS rather than pushing heavy RT features, which can be bandwidth-intensive.
• Optimization Strategies: Developers are increasingly using clever geometry reduction and upscaling to bring high-end titles to lower-power hardware, creating products that are both portable and visually consistent with larger format counterparts.