8:17:12 PM
engadget.com1 day ago

PS5 Pro to Get AMD's FSR 4 Upscaling Tech: A Visual Feast or Just Hype?

Mark Cerny hints at a software update bringing FSR 4-like upscaling to the PS5 Pro, thanks to the "Project Amethyst" collaboration. Will this make visuals pop, or is it just marketing magic?

Is Your PS5 Pro About to Get a Visual Upgrade?

It looks like Sony is gearing up to give your PS5 Pro a shot in the arm, visually speaking. According to a recent interview, Mark Cerny dropped the bomb: a version of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) could be heading to the console via a software update. No new hardware needed.

What Exactly Is FSR 4, and Why Should You Care?

FSR 4 is AMD's latest upscaling tech, promising more detail and crispness in your games.

Think of it as a way to make lower-resolution games look like they're running in glorious 4K. The PS5 Pro already has its own upscaling tech called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). But FSR 4 could be the upgrade PSSR needs.

The "Amethyst" Project: Sony and AMD's Secret Weapon?

Here's where things get interesting. Sony and AMD have been secretly working together on something called "Project Amethyst". Apparently, this collaboration directly contributed to the development of FSR 4.

Cerny said:

The neural network (and training recipe) in FSR 4's upscaler are the first results of the Amethyst collaboration.

This isn't just about making games look prettier; it's about building new machine learning architecture for game graphics.

Will FSR 4 Turn Your PS5 Pro Into a Visual Powerhouse?

Not so fast. Reviewers of AMD's new GPUs have pointed out that FSR 4 isn't a magic bullet. In some cases, it might even lead to lower frame rates than FSR 3. The trade-off? More detail.

The improvements are subtle but noticeable, especially if you've already dropped serious cash on a "Pro" console.

The Future of PlayStation Visuals?

Cerny seems to think so: "FSR 4 and this next evolution of PSSR are a paradigm for our future. Going forward we expect to have our own implementations of each of the algorithms developed through the collaboration."

In other words, expect even more visual wizardry from Sony and AMD in the years to come.