Bungie's Marathon is a PS5 Pro Enhanced game that supports PSSR but runs natively at 5K

Bungie released PC system requirements for Marathon, hinting at excellent performance on low-end machines. However, on at least one console, the extraction shooter will run at an unusually high resolution. The PlayStation website reveals that the PS5 Pro Enhanced game boasts native 5K visuals.

According to the listing, “PS5 Pro Enhanced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) blends 5K internal rendering into a clean, stable 4K image so your Runner’s view stays sharp, even when the action gets hectic.”

The way the feature is described is causing confusion among fans. Most PS5 Pro games use PSSR upscaling to render graphics at a lower resolution, then AI helps boost them to 4K. It seems in this case, the title is employing supersampling to scale down from 5K to the more common 3840 x 2160.

As to why Marathon is taking a different approach, the goal is likely to preserve image clarity. The technique reduces aliasing, making the edges of objects smoother. Runners could potentially identify enemies from farther away, giving competitors an advantage.

Will Marathon be high resolution but low fps?

Unfortunately, Bungie hasn’t specified a maximum frame rate for Sony’s flagship console. Also desirable in extraction shooters, fluid motion makes gliding around maps effortless. If the game is well optimized as the PC requirements suggest, the high resolution may not come at the cost of fps.

In other PS5 Pro games, poorly implemented PSSR can add latency. Some titles offer performance modes that disable the AI upscaling. Followers will have to wait for the developers to provide more details on the available options.

Critics have complained that not enough titles take full advantage of the pricey console’s specs. Other games struggle despite the system’s added capabilities, with Borderlands 4 as a prime example. Bungie appears to be aiming for a smoother launch on the March 5th Marathon release date.