In a surprise move, Sony is bringing one of the PlayStation 5 Pro’s most interesting graphics technologies to the standard PlayStation 5 as well. With Quick Spectral Super Resolution—or QSSR for short—the company is introducing a new form of AI-powered upscaling tailored to the standard PS5’s hardware.
Starting today, Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei receive updates that add QSSR as an optional graphics mode. It is the first AI-based image reconstruction feature for the standard PS5, and it shares the same goals as PSSR on the PlayStation 5 Pro.
QSSR brings AI upscaling to the standard PS5.
Until now, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) was a key exclusive feature of the PS5 Pro. PSSR analyzes individual image data and uses machine learning to reconstruct a higher-resolution image. The goal is to render games internally at a lower resolution while still displaying the sharpest, most stable image possible on the TV.
Das könnte dich auch interessieren
This lets developers route extra horsepower to higher frame rates or richer effects. PSSR was too demanding for the base console, but QSSR fixes that.
QSSR stands for Quick Spectral Super Resolution.
The full name of the new technology is Quick Spectral Super Resolution. Sony calls it a new performance tier of its AI upscaling.
QSSR rests on two key changes.
First, it uses a simplified neural network architecture. Second, the implementation is tailored to the standard PS5’s hardware, so computations are far more efficient than with PSSR. Sony still promises better image detail and, especially, smoother motion.
PS5 Pro Still Has the Technical Edge
However, this does not suddenly bring the standard PS5 up to the graphical level of the PlayStation 5 Pro. Sony itself makes it clear that PSSR remains the more powerful solution. The PS5 Pro has additional hardware and significantly greater performance reserves for the corresponding machine learning computations.
QSSR exists precisely because those resources are absent on the base PS5, so it pursues the same goal as PSSR but with far lower computational overhead. For standard PS5 owners, that still amounts to a notable upgrade.
Marvel’s Wolverine Now Supports QSSR
One of the first two titles to receive the feature is Marvel’s Wolverine. Insomniac Games has already prepared an update that enables QSSR as an additional graphics option on the standard PlayStation 5.
The studio promises sharper fine details and more stable reconstruction, especially in complex environments such as Madripoor and the narrow streets of Shinjuku. Insomniac calls QSSR a way to give standard PS5 players a taste of the image quality once reserved for the PS5 Pro.
Ghost of Yōtei is also among the first games
Sucker Punch is also supporting QSSR from day one. Ghost of Yōtei will receive a corresponding update. This game, in particular, should serve as an interesting test for the technology.
Its open landscape features fine details such as vegetation, hair, fabrics, and distant environmental elements that challenge upscaling technologies. According to Sucker Punch, QSSR improves the rendering and stability of such details, reducing flickering in fine textures.
Some differences may be subtle.
However, anyone expecting QSSR to be a completely new graphics mode with an immediately noticeable generational leap is likely to be disappointed. Upscaling technologies often focus primarily on small details. Improvements are evident, for example, in vegetation, thin object edges, hair, distant structures, or the stability of the image during camera movements.
Depending on the TV, viewing distance, and game, the changes may be obvious or barely perceptible, so gamers should test QSSR on their own displays. In Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei, the feature ships as an optional setting.
Project Amethyst powers the technology.
QSSR also draws from Project Amethyst, an ongoing Sony Interactive Entertainment and AMD collaboration on machine learning and modern graphics. The PS5 Pro’s enhanced PSSR already incorporates insights from that work.
We’ve already reported in detail on the new generation of PSSR: https://www.playstationinfo.de/2026/03/16/ps5-pro-update-bringt-verbesserte-pssr-technologie-fuer-mehrere-spiele/ Sony and AMD aren’t working exclusively on a single console within Project Amethyst.
The initiative aims to expand real-time graphics and future hardware capabilities. QSSR proves that even existing hardware can benefit.
PSSR has evolved significantly on the PS5 Pro
PSSR’s early iterations struggled with vegetation, hair, and other fine details, but the technology has since matured. The latest update significantly reduces flickering and image instability across many titles.
You can find our overview of the improvements here: https://www.playstationinfo.de/2026/04/08/ps5-pro-verbessert-bildqualitaet-in-vielen-spielen-mit-neuem-pssr-2-0/ QSSR now appears to be benefiting as well from the progress Sony has made with this technology.
More PS5 games are set to follow.
Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei won’t be the only titles. Sony plans to make QSSR available to all PlayStation developers, so both new games and previously released titles could receive updates in the future. The company has not yet announced which games will be supported next.
Titles that render internally at relatively low resolutions on the standard PS5 could especially benefit from the improved reconstruction. Integration remains optional for developers.
An unexpected upgrade for millions of PS5 owners
QSSR does not add processing power or turn a standard PS5 into a PS5 Pro, yet it still expands the capabilities of several-year-old hardware in an unusual way.
Rather than reserving this Pro feature for the pricier model, Sony has streamlined the technology so it also runs on the original PS5. The real-world improvement will vary depending on each game and its previous upscaling method.
With Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei, standard PS5 owners can now try the new technology for themselves for the first time. If more developers adopt QSSR, the technology could still play an interesting role, especially in the final years of the PS5 generation. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
