Sony Announces Advanced PSSR Architecture for PS5 Pro

Sony announced the Advanced PSSR architecture developed for PS5 Pro. The new KPN model brings higher FPS and clarity to games without requiring updates. Sony detailed the new architecture it developed for PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), the artificial intelligence-based upscaling technology that came into our lives with PlayStation 5 Pro. Updated according to the technical data shared at the SIGGRAPH event, "Enhanced PSSR" significantly reduces the console's GPU load and memory consumption by focusing on filtering weights instead of direct color estimation. Moreover, this new upgrade model can be directly applied to existing games at the system level without the need for game developers to release an additional patch. The Architecture Has Completely Changed: Kernel Predicting Network Era The new PSSR version, based on "Project Amethyst" research in partnership with Sony and AMD, is being restructured with optimizations specific to PlayStation hardware. The Color Predicting Network (CPN) model included in the first version used only about 30 percent of its parameters at resolution levels as low as 540p. In the new Kernel Predicting Network (KPN) architecture, approximately 90 percent of the parameters focus on resolutions of 540p and below; The heavy workload on the 4K side is reduced to a minimum. The fact that the network calculates blend weights instead of directly producing HDR color output prevents intermediate compression losses in the 8-bit format and provides a much cleaner image with traditional filtering methods. Main Improvements with Enhanced PSSR: Higher Temporal Stability: Shaking and ghosting seen in fast camera movements are minimized. Less Memory and GPU Consumption: An increase in frame rates is achieved by distributing the processing power to the correct resolution levels. Major Decrease in Training Time: The training time of the artificial intelligence model decreases from approximately 4 GPU months to less than 1 GPU week. Sharp Details at Low Input Resolutions: The detail accuracy offered by the console increases significantly when moving from low base resolutions to 4K. The Patch Waiting Era is Over: System Level Integration The most pleasing aspect of the new technology for players is the backward compatibility aspect. While developers can directly integrate the updated PSSR library in their new games, existing PS5 Pro supported games can automatically benefit from this new model without any updates, thanks to the system-level override feature on the console. In this way, an immediate visible increase in clarity and fluency is achieved in productions that were criticized for their PSSR performance during the release period.