Recent discussions surrounding the PlayStation 5 Pro have highlighted the advancements in ray tracing capabilities compared to its predecessor. While the influence of these improvements may not be groundbreaking, the emergence of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) presents an exciting prospect for the future of gaming.
In a detailed analysis by Digital Foundry, the focus was placed on the three key components of the PlayStation 5 Pro. It was noted that the advancements in ray tracing technology, while commendable, may not deliver the same transformative experience seen in NVIDIA’s RTX 2000 series GPUs powered by the Turing architecture. The technical presentation led by Mark Cerny lacked specificity, primarily showcasing titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Gran Turismo 7 that already incorporate ray tracing support.
Insights from pre-release leaks hinted at incremental upgrades, which were subsequently validated during the technical demonstration. In the context of Gran Turismo 7, the utilization of ray tracing during races could serve as a substantial showcase for the system’s potential, exemplified by the high-quality ray-traced reflections. Conversely, Hogwarts Legacy exhibited grainy reflections with a noticeable drop in resolution, potentially indicating limitations on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Furthermore, the game’s performance at 30 frames per second, although justifiable for its open-world nature, raised concerns.
On the other hand, the AI-driven PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution upscaler has emerged as a game-changer. Particularly beneficial for 4K displays, this upscaler shares similarities with NVIDIA DLSS, enhancing image quality without the reliance on excessively high base resolutions. It is speculated that the upscaler could optimize GPU usage, potentially improving ray tracing performance. Despite a lackluster showcase during the official presentation, with a narrow focus on first-party titles known for their visual excellence even on the base model’s Performance Mode, the true test lies in third-party games which often struggle with image quality due to lower resolutions.
The adaptability of the PlayStation 5 Pro’s upscaler to existing games without necessitating SDK upgrades presents a significant advantage. Leveraging inputs similar to AMD FSR 2 implementation, developers stand to benefit with minimal intervention required. The leaked benchmark corroborating enhanced GPU capabilities, alongside the promising traits of the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution upscaler, showcases its potential as a standout feature of the system.
Looking ahead, the decision of current PlayStation 5 owners to upgrade to the Pro variant remains uncertain, given the considerable price disparity. Market analysts foresee sales similar to the successful PlayStation 4 Pro, despite the premium $699.99, €799.99 price tag.
