Major PS5 Update Improves Graphics, I Want Them to Be Worse
The latest PS5 Pro system update has arrived, and with it, the long-awaited Upgraded PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) update. For the unaware, this is Sony’s AI-driven answer to DLSS, promising to deliver enhanced image stability, improved clarity in fine details, and more consistent performance across supported titles. Basically - your games look better, and perform better! Sounds great, right? Well, we're not so sure.
It’s rolling out to Silent Hill f, Monster Hunter Wilds, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Crimson Desert, with more AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Cyberpunk 2077 promised to be on the way.
But as the update rolls out, a civil war has broken out in GAMINGbible chat. What’s with the race for better graphics? Do we need this? Is it actually making games worse? Well, Sara and Olly are back at it again with opposing views on PS5’s PSSR update. Apparently, we just love to fight each other.
To get an idea of what it looks like, check out the official comparison below. Then, see who you agree with and let us know!
Olly - Pro PSSR
I’m a little bit of a graphics fiend. If your game world looks like something I can reach out and touch, I’ll eat that up.
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Yeah, I’d say that objectively speaking, a consistent and clear-cut art style trumps photorealism any day of the week. But we’ve seen plenty of games having their cake and eating it too by delivering gorgeous-looking worlds while also squeezing the most juice out of current-gen console hardware.
The examples given in Sony’s blog post says it all. Alan Wake 2, Silent Hill f, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II all look and feel distinguishable from each other. They’ve got unique settings and excellent world designs which look absolutely fantastic on a big 4K screen.
The developers behind these games all had a clear vision in mind, and it’s something that can be fully realised by the power of PS5’s tech.
The problem? Well, we also know these types of games are prone to performance issues. Perhaps it’s a limit of the vision that you can have a massive scope for these well-realised game worlds if you’re willing to deal with some FPS stutter, or scaled back textures, or limited particle effects.
With PSSR 2.0, the advancements in upscaling have reached a point where I’m no longer seeing the artifacts that appear on-screen, and the games are able to run at lower resolutions to help them perform better.
In other words, developers are able to hit their intended vision while also no longer needing to compromise on the scope of that vision. If PSSR is what allows developers to continue going nuts with their visuals, I’m all for it.
Sara - F*** Your AI Upscaling, I Genuinely Want Worse Graphics
I’m sick of the rat race to the bottom, where the only thing that defines a game is how good a bead of sweat dripping down Leon’s muscular biceps looks on my 30 inch TV. Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t appreciate that, but you get my point.
In the PlayStation blog, it shared a look at how Remedy Entertainment is bringing the upgraded PSSR to Control and Alan Wake 2, highlighting noticeable improvements in image stability and motion clarity across both titles. The company claims: “Control and, especially, Alan Wake 2 benefit from these improvements on the Pro, resulting in better, more stable image quality.”
This is objectively a good thing, but the comparison images seem to detract from the muddy, darker worlds I love. Sometimes, I don’t want to see every blade of grass, or improved hair physics. While you’re welcome to like that type of thing, I think it detracts from the atmosphere, especially in horror games like Silent Hill f. Big thank you to Digital Foundry for this comparisons below, check out their full video for more.
There is a reason why cinematographers use film grain and soft lighting. Horror relies on what you can’t see. When PSSR cleans up a moody, atmospheric environment, it removes the murky, oppressive shadows and replaces them with cleaner, clearer graphics. This move towards realism, ironically, reminds me I’m playing a video game - everything looks too perfect. Too fake.
The PSSR update is undoubtedly a technical milestone for Sony, but as we move towards the inevitable PS6 announcement, I shudder at this obsession with "image purity" over "artistic intent." Are we trying to recreate reality? Does this detract from the rougher vibe of our favourite games? Did we need pixel perfect AI upscaling to enjoy games from the PS2 era? No, we didn’t.