Sony's QSSR Brings AI Upscaling to Base PS5 With Clearer Images

Sony's new QSSR technology brings machine-learning image reconstruction to the standard PS5, improving detail and temporal stability while offering a glimpse at the future of AI-driven performance modes.

Sony has now added AI-powered image upscaling to the standard PlayStation 5 with its new Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR) technology. QSSR builds on the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) used on the PS5 Pro and was developed through Project Amethyst, a Sony-AMD partnership focused on machine-learning graphics.

PSSR was made for the more powerful PS5 Pro, but QSSR is designed to work within the limits of the standard PS5. Sony says QSSR uses a simpler neural network and a carefully tuned setup to get the best performance from existing hardware. This means AI-assisted upscaling can now run on the standard PS5, which could not handle the original PSSR.

The first games to support QSSR are Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei. Both have been updated with patches that add QSSR as a new graphics option on the standard PS5. This lets players compare the new upscaling technology with the older methods used in each game.

The best way to see the difference is by comparing images with QSSR turned off and on. Digital Foundry found that QSSR creates cleaner fine details and better stability, especially when the camera moves. Small details like hair, leaves, fences, and thin objects look better because QSSR can fill in information between frames with less shimmering or flicker.

Marvel's Wolverine shows some of the biggest improvements. Its detailed environments often reveal the limits of older upscaling methods. With QSSR on, details appear more stable and sharper, making the image clearer without requiring the PS5 to render every pixel at a higher resolution. Insomniac also points out better clarity and stability in places like Madripoor and Shinjuku.

Ghost of Yōtei also sees improvements from QSSR, though the effect depends on the scene and the game's original image quality.

According to Sucker Punch, QSSR helps reveal fine details in characters and environments and offers a level of stability that wasn't possible on the standard PS5 before. However, using QSSR does come with a performance cost. Digital Foundry found that QSSR adds about 1.5 to 1.8 milliseconds of frame time when upscaling to 1440p in Marvel's Wolverine. In uncapped mode, this can mean an 8-10 FPS drop compared to the old upscaling method.

Upscaling to 4K is even more demanding, so 1440p is a more practical choice for the standard PS5, with AI upscaling and better visuals without compromise. Developers still need to balance internal rendering resolution, reconstruction quality, and frame rate. A game can lower its internal resolution to offset the extra processing that QSSR requires, while allowing the reconstruction system to produce a cleaner final image.

That balance could become increasingly important as developers continue pushing the standard PS5. Rather than relying entirely on addFinding this balance will matter more as developers keep pushing the standard PS5. Instead of just needing more GPU power for better images, machine-learning upscaling like QSSR helps studios get more out of the hardware they already have. In contrast, PSSR remains the higher-end solution for PS5 Pro.

This means QSSR should not be viewed as a replacement for PSSR, but as a way to bring some of the same fundamental benefits to the much larger installed base of standard PS5 consoles. The technology could also become easier for developers to adopt because it is designed as an evolution of the existing PSSR approach. QSSR should also be easier for developers to use since it builds on the existing PSSR system.

Sony plans to make it widely available, which could lead to more games using AI upscaling in future updates and new releases.

This shows how machine learning can become part of the standard rendering pipeline rather than remaining a premium feature reserved for upgraded hardware. Sony has already described machine learning as an important part of its strategy to improve image quality and high-frame-rate visuals through PSSR on the PS5 Pro.

That makes the base PS5 rollout particularly interesting for future PlayStation hardware. Suppose AI-driven reconstruction. This base-PS5 rollout is especially interesting for the future of PlayStation hardware.  If AI upscaling continues to improve, future consoles might rely more on machine learning to boost image quality and performance without rendering every frame at very high resolutions.

It will depend heavily on how many developers adopt it and how they balance its processing cost against internal resolution and frame-rate targets. Still, Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei provide an early look at what AI-assisted upscaling can achieve on the standard PS5.

The key takeaway is that Sony is no longer keeping AI image upscaling to its premium console. QSSR brings this technology to the standard PS5, giving developers a new way to improve image clarity and stability. If more games start using it, AI upscaling could soon become a regular part of high-quality game performance.