The Outer Worlds 2 disables PSSR upscaling on PS5 Pro, with Xbox Series X version running smoother
Gamers continue to encounter performance issues on Sony’s flagship console. The Outer Worlds 2 is the latest PS5 Pro Enhanced Game to suffer from frame rate dips and off-putting lighting. Many of the problems are likely related to PSSR upscaling, a phenomenon that has also plagued Silent Hill titles. To address complaints, developers have temporarily replaced the feature with TSR.
The Outer Worlds 2 review at Digital Foundry revealed some familiar shortcomings with PS5 Pro games. With ray tracing and more basic lighting effects, objects often become noisy and less defined. Frame rate drops are also evident, regardless of the performance settings.
In the 1.0.4.1 patch notes, the developers seek to “address blurry grass on Paradise Island and unexpected lighting noise across the game”. To improve the situation, they are turning to the more commonly used TSR. The option is accessible through Unreal Engine 5 on multiple platforms. While TSR lacks the machine-learning capabilities of the PS5 Pro-specific PSSR, it’s proved easier to implement.
The state of PS5 Pro Enhanced Games
In recent months, frustration over lackluster PS5 Pro support has been growing. Borderlands 4 arrived without any enhanced features, with some players preferring the PS5 version. However, the performance drawbacks of the looter shooter aren’t unique to PlayStation consoles. The Outer Worlds 2, on the other hand, doesn’t exhibit the same problems on Xbox systems.
Digital Foundry discovered that the Xbox Series X has advantages over both Sony consoles. Lighting doesn’t degrade image quality, and stuttering is less prevalent. The site suspects that during development, Obsidian had to shift gears to accommodate Microsoft’s cross-platform efforts. Consequently, PlayStation gamers are dealing with less optimized ports.
In fairness to the developers, even some games intended for the PS5 Pro from the outset have failed to meet expectations. Hopefully, Sony’s collaboration with AMD to improve PSSR upscaling will yield dividends in 2026.
