Sony is debuting a new technology with the PS5 Pro called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, or PSSR for short.

While the buzzword may sound exciting, you may be scratching your head wondering what PSSR is and why it matters. We’re going to dig into all of those details on this page as part of our PS5 guide.

What Is PSSR?

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PSSR is a proprietary AI-based upscaler, similar to NVidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling, or DLSS. Its introduction is significant, because it’s the first time technology of this type has existed on consoles.

Sony has described PSSR as one of the three reasons to upgrade to the PS5 Pro. In its announcement presentation, it listed the AI-based upscaler alongside a larger GPU and advanced ray tracing as one of the console’s flagship features.

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In layman’s terms, AI-based upscaling analyses the image on screen and improves the resolution using machine learning. This means that PSSR is able to take a lower resolution image and reproduce it at a higher resolution, making it seem clearer than it actually is.

A good way to think of it is like putting on a pair of spectacles. The pictures you see without your glasses may be blurred or imprecise; putting on your glasses makes them sharp and clear. PSSR uses AI-based upscaling to produce similar results.

What Does PSSR Do?

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PSSR produces higher resolution pictures from lower resolution sources. This reduces the computational overhead associated with rendering games at higher resolutions, because developers can target lower resolutions and still achieve a similar level of image quality.

In simpler terms, this means developers can point the PS5’s power at other areas of importance, like lighting and ray tracing. A lower resolution image with all of these features enabled can then use PSSR to achieve a clean 4K picture.

Because PSSR is AI-based, it can be trained on the games you play, so its ability to upscale will improve significantly over time. That means the picture quality will get better and better with each iteration, meaning the solution will likely be in an even better position when the PS6 releases.

Are There Any Disadvantages to PSSR?

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PSSR isn’t perfect and it’s important to remember this is Sony’s first attempt at implementing the technology. Because it’s an upscaler, sometimes it may misinterpret the image it’s recreating, leading to graphical errors.

The margin for error grows the poorer the source picture is, so it’s important developers still output a decent quality image before applying PSSR to it. If the upscaler can’t understand what it’s seeing, then it may struggle to recreate it.

Does PSSR Work on a Normal PS5?

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PSSR doesn’t work on a normal PS5 because the upscaler requires additional computational power to function. As the original PS5 wasn’t designed with this technology in mind, it’s not available.

It’s possible Sony could release an upgraded version of the PS5 in the future which includes additional power to enable PSSR, although it’s more likely it will promote it as a reason to upgrade to the more capable PS5 Pro.

Will PSSR Be Used on PS6?

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It’s highly likely that Sony will continue to iterate upon PSSR with the PS6. As mentioned previously, AI-based upscalers improve over time, so the company is getting a headstart by introducing this technology now.

By the time the PS6 releases, PSSR will be a more mature upscaler capable of better results. This means it’ll exhibit fewer graphical inconsistencies or glitches. It means PS6 developers will once again be able to push the capabilities of the console without necessarily needing to focus on native resolutions.

While we can’t say definitively whether PSSR will be used on PS6, it seems highly likely that Sony is introducing a technology designed to last with the PS5 Pro.

What are your thoughts on PSSR? Do you think AI-based upscalers are the future for consoles, and are you excited by the possibilities of this technology? Which games do you think will benefit most from PSSR, and why? Paint a clearer picture in the comments section below.