Sony is bringing AI upscaling, previously exclusive to the PS5 Pro, to the base PS5. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced a new AI upscaling library called Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei will be the first titles to receive the technology via updates.
SIE announced QSSR on the official PlayStation Blog on the 1st, local time. In the post, Daniel Craig, Principal Graphics R&D Engineer at SIE, introduced QSSR as a new performance tier of AI upscaling. He explained that it is a new evolution of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), an upscaling technology born from Project Amethyst, an AI graphics collaboration with AMD.
QSSR relies on two core innovations: a streamlined neural network architecture and a hand-tuned implementation designed to maximize performance on the PS5. The previously introduced PSSR analyzes game images pixel by pixel to upscale them using AI. While it delivers higher detail and stability than conventional methods, its high computational demands previously made it impossible to bring that experience to the base PS5. Sony drew a line, noting that PSSR remains the gold standard on the PS5 Pro, but stated that QSSR noticeably improves image detail and stability on the base PS5.
In February, Sony unveiled an upgraded PSSR for the PS5 Pro starting with Resident Evil Requiem, and expanded it to previously supported games through a system software update in March. This latest announcement effectively extends that trend to the base PS5.
The first titles to implement the technology are Marvel's Wolverine, which released on September 15, and Ghost of Yōtei, released in 2025. Both games offer QSSR as an additional graphics option on the PS5 through patches released today. Mike Fitzgerald, Head of Technology at Insomniac Games, stated that QSSR adds pixel-level clarity and stability to environments, bringing out extra detail amidst the busy streets of Madripoor, the dense alleyways of Shinjuku, and many other areas. He added that the technology offers base PS5 users a great taste of the PS5 Pro experience.
The response from Sucker Punch Productions was similarly enthusiastic. Jasmin Patry, Lead Rendering Engineer, explained that QSSR excels at resolving fine details in characters and environments while demonstrating a level of stability that hasn't been possible on the PS5 console until now. He added that they had long wished all PS5 players could experience the image quality of PSSR, describing QSSR as a meaningful step toward that goal.
However, this does not mean QSSR transfers PSSR-level image quality directly to the base PS5. Since Sony did not provide specific figures for the improvements, analysts suggest there may still be some performance trade-offs. While Sony plans to make QSSR broadly available to all PlayStation developers, it has not yet been disclosed which games will follow Wolverine and Yōtei.
For base PS5 users, the key focus will be how widely this option spreads across future titles. In particular, given that GTA6 will launch on consoles first without a simultaneous PC release, attention is focused on whether third-party developers will be able to implement the technology efficiently.
