PS5 Pro Hands-On: PSSR Analysis & Performance Breakdown

The PlayStation 5 Pro Reveal Revisited

Following the recent reveal of the PlayStation 5 Pro, Digital Foundry provides a deeper, more accurate analysis of the hardware's capabilities using high-quality ProRes assets. This summary moves beyond initial impressions from compressed YouTube streams to deliver a nuanced look at PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) in action.

Key Analysis Findings

We examined several titles to gauge how PSSR performs compared to native rendering and existing upscalers like FSR 2 and DLSS:

• The Last of Us Part II: A prototypical use case for PSSR. It achieves an image quality comparable to native 4K while running at 1440p internal, offering a cleaner, more stable picture than standard performance modes.
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: Shows significant improvements over FSR 2's motion, though some shimmering remains in sub-pixel details. PSSR handles edge stability well, outperforming older upscalers in motion.
• Alan Wake 2: Highlights the potential for Pro-specific enhancements, likely shifting power toward improved Ray Tracing features or higher-quality post-processing effects.
• Horizon Forbidden West & Gran Turismo 7: We note a shift toward using RT reflections in gameplay. While there are some resolution trade-offs to maintain target frame rates, the visual fidelity gain in reflection quality is substantial.

"This is the first proper console implementation of a machine learning-based reconstruction formula. As first impressions go, I think it looks pretty good."

Future Outlook

Discussions regarding the PS5 Pro pricing and its role as a precursor to 10th-generation consoles dominate our Q&A. The move toward AI-assisted hardware is clearly designed to sustain high-fidelity gaming as transistor costs rise, though it raises questions about the future accessibility of consoles.