While it left something to be desired at launch, the PlayStation 5 Pro PSSR upscaler is still very notable tech as it is the first AI-powered upscaler to be available on a home console. In the months since the system's release, the upscaler has been consistently improved to deliver better image quality, and a future version could introduce some significant changes that would prevent frame rate drops in essentially every game.
As spotted by Tech4Gamers, Sony Interactive Entertainment filed a new patent on February 4 detailing some new features that could be part of the upcoming PSSR 2.0. Chief among them is the dynamic scaling of the AI's precision. The system monitors the console's processing GPU and CPU in real-time and automatically adjusts how expensive the AI upscaling is based on the game's current load.
For example, if a scene is incredibly complex, featuring some elements like a massive explosion or a huge number of NPCs, the system can slightly lower the AI's precision for the upscaling process to save the frame rate. When the load drops, the precision is brought back up for maximum visual clarity. This also means that the internal resolution of games doesn't need to be dropped to keep the frame rate stable, which would be a massive breakthrough for console gaming.
"The accuracy of the ANN inference is reduced through a reduction of the precision of the weights and/or activations of the model. However, this reduction […] is acceptable in order to maintain a stable gaming experience (e.g. smooth perceived animation and maintained resolution) for the user," the patent details. "When an application or game has a high load point then the framerate of the MFSR graphics output can suffer, leading to a reduced quality experience for the user. This is particularly problematic in fast-paced games."
Needless to say, this new PSSR breakthrough sounds incredibly promising, not just for the PlayStation 5 Pro, which could indeed become a 4K resolution, 120 FPS machine with it, but for future hardware such as the PlayStation 6 and the PlayStation handheld. With games nowadays being built with upscaling in mind, future versions of the upscaler could give Sony's next-generation systems an edge over the competition.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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