Helldivers 2 update to add DLSS and PSSR upscaling, boosting PC and PS5 performance

Recent Helldivers 2 Steam reviews have tilted mostly negative, with weapon balance a common complaint. While a new update won’t address those issues, it targets long-standing performance concerns. Arrowhead Game Studios has announced that enhanced upscaling, including DLSS and PSSR, will arrive in a May 27th patch.

A full upscaling suite

Relying on an aging game engine, the third-person shooter shipped with a native upscaler that resembled FSR 1.0. Without modern temporal alternatives, image quality suffered, with noticeable shimmering during fast motion. These problems plagued the PC, PS5, and Xbox versions of the third-person shooter.

On the Steam announcement, Arrowhead credits the PlayStation support studio, Nixxes, for the optimizations. When the Helldivers 2 update drops, PC gamers with AMD and Nvidia GPUs can choose from FSR 4.03, FSR 3.1.5, or DLSS 4.5. Intel graphics card owners can activate XeSS 3.0 to improve frame rates and visual clarity.

Console fans also aren’t neglected, since FSR 3.1 is set to debut on the base PS5 and Xbox machines. PS5 Pro gamers can enjoy PSSR support, though the developers note it’s an older iteration. Players will still be able to toggle on the more powerful PSSR 2 in the system settings.

More stable frame rates?

Not limited to upscaling, the May 27th Helldivers 2 update will introduce Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to PS5 consoles. On compatible displays, this addition promises to minimize stuttering during massive battles. Meanwhile, Variable Rate Shading and Dynamic Resolution Scaling intelligently reduce GPU usage on multiple platforms.

High latency is another performance drawback for the most competitive divers. Nvidia Reflex and AMD Anti-Lag 2 aim to make inputs feel more instantaneous.

The studio has also pledged to stay in frequent contact with fans and to provide clearer explanations of fixes. Gamers should see another patch later in the summer that prioritizes performance gains. Many Helldivers 2 Steam users are praising the changes, but continue to call for gameplay tweaks.