QSSR could bring GTA 6 PS5 performance closer to PS5 Pro, says analysis of AI upscaler

Sony has unveiled its Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), an AI-enhanced upscaler for the base PS5 console. The streamlined version of the PS5 Pro’s PSSR already produces cleaner image quality in games like Marvel’s Wolverine. Digital Foundry has discussed how the new option could affect GTA 6 performance.

It’s unclear whether Rockstar intends to implement QSSR in a GTA 6 PS5 release date build. Stretched for resources, players may need to wait for a post-launch patch. Digital Foundry also explained why the technology may not be a good fit for the project. Nevertheless, it lurks as a solution to the lack of sharpness noted in the Netflix Extended Look trailer.

The site first evaluated the performance impact of the AI upscaling on Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei. In the comic-book-inspired action title, detail levels improved significantly with minimized shimmering on objects. That said, especially when targeting 4K resolutions, the cost is lower frame rates and longer frame times.

Ghost of Yōtei had relied on the capable FSR 3, and the results were less impressive. Still, Digital Foundry anticipates PS5 games using AMD’s iteration will require less work to swap to QSSR. This has also been the case on the PS5 Pro, where it often reduced the time needed to add PSSR.

Not a priority?

Sony designed its new upscaler as a straightforward alternative to PSSR for the base PlayStation console. Even so, Rockstar has yet to confirm which option it will use on either system. In earlier GTA 6 PS5 trailers, Digital Foundry found no evidence of FSR or a modern temporal approach. As a result, it may be trickier to introduce the latest advancements.

On or after the GTA 6 release date, QSSR could smooth out jagged objects and sharpen image quality. However, as seen in Wolverine, it’s unlikely to boost frame rates. The faster GPU in the PS5 Pro remains the best hope for visuals above 30 fps. A crowded Vice City with NPCs also challenges the more equivalent CPUs of both machines.