The PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony’s enhanced console designed for superior performance and graphics, is facing unexpected issues. Several games enhanced for the PS5 Pro are reportedly exhibiting graphical glitches and reduced visual fidelity compared to the standard PS5. These issues affect titles utilizing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s AI-powered upscaling technology intended to boost frame rates without compromising image quality.
Developers Investigating Reported Problems
Reports of visual downgrades have surfaced for several high-profile titles, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and the Silent Hill 2 remake. Both Bloober Team (developers of Silent Hill 2) and EA (publishers of Jedi: Survivor) have publicly acknowledged the issues and confirmed they are actively investigating. Reports also suggest that Alan Wake 2 suffers similar problems, although developer Remedy has yet to release an official statement. PlayStation has not commented on the situation.
Pyramid Head wields a weapon in Silent Hill 2.
Digital Foundry Analysis Highlights Concerns
Digital Foundry, renowned for its in-depth technical analyses of video games, has conducted tests on several PS5 Pro enhanced titles. Their findings indicate that Jedi: Survivor looks “dramatically worse” when using PSSR upscaling, experiencing graphical glitches and resolution drops to around 720p in performance mode with ray tracing enabled. Silent Hill 2 also exhibits flickering and pixelation on certain assets when using PSSR. Surprisingly, removing the PS5 Pro update actually improved the visual quality in some cases. While Alan Wake 2 fares better, it still renders at a lower resolution with PSSR enabled.
Community Feedback and Theories
Players have also voiced their concerns, particularly regarding Silent Hill 2, with many urging Bloober Team to address the issues introduced by the PS5 Pro patch. For Jedi: Survivor, the graphical issues represent a setback for EA, who have been working to improve the game’s performance on other platforms, including PC.
Several theories attempt to explain the root cause of these problems. One suggests that affected games may be utilizing an earlier, less refined version of PSSR, with future updates potentially resolving the issues. Another theory posits a bug specifically impacting games running natively at resolutions below 1080p.
Growing List of Enhanced Games Raises Concerns
Currently, over 50 games are enhanced for the PS5 Pro and utilize PSSR. This number continues to grow, with PlayStation recently announcing enhancements for The Callisto Protocol and an unannounced title from Krafton. The prevalence of these visual issues raises concerns, particularly for consumers who invested in the $700 console with the expectation of superior visual quality.
Conclusion: The Need for Swift Resolution
The visual problems plaguing PS5 Pro enhanced games necessitate a prompt and effective solution from Sony and developers. While theories abound, the underlying cause remains unclear. The continued expansion of the PS5 Pro enhanced library makes addressing these issues critical to ensuring a positive user experience and justifying the premium price of the console. The gaming community awaits further updates and hopes for a swift resolution to these graphical shortcomings.
