TL;DR: PSSR 2.0 is the March 2026 AI-upscaler for PS5 Pro, built on a fork of AMD FSR 4 via Sony’s Project Amethyst collaboration. To enable it on the PS5 Pro you (1) install the latest system software, (2) turn on Enhanced PSSR Image Quality in Screen and Video settings, and (3) launch a PSSR 2.0 native title. For early access to PSSR improvements you can also enroll in the invite-only PS5 system-software beta after backing up your data to a USB drive.
Who this is for
You should read this guide if any one of the following is true:
- You just unboxed a PS5 Pro and want to make sure PSSR 2.0 is actually running on your library (most users never flip the toggle, then wonder why games look identical to a base PS5).
- You saw a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” badge on a game and want to know what it means in practice.
- You want to be in the next PS5 system-software beta wave and need the exact steps Sony uses to onboard beta testers.
- You joined an earlier beta and want to roll back to stable firmware without losing your saves.
If you only own the base PS5 or PS5 Slim, PSSR 2.0 is not for you — the AI upscaler is a PS5 Pro-exclusive feature tied to the dedicated NPU.
1. Quick check: is your console actually a PS5 Pro?
Before you turn anything on, make sure your hardware is the Pro and not the base PS5 or Slim. PSSR only runs on the Pro.
Flip the console over and look at the model number printed near the barcode. The PS5 Pro uses the CFI-7000 series:
| Model number | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CFI-7019 | United States, Canada, Mexico | Original Nov 2024 launch chassis (3.1 kg) |
| CFI-7021 | Europe, UAE | Original chassis |
| CFI-7022 | Southeast Asia, HK, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea | Original chassis |
| CFI-7119 | United States, Canada | Newer Sept 2025 chassis revision (~3 kg, quieter, ~2 dB) |
| CFI-7121 | Europe | Newer Sept 2025 chassis revision |
If your model number starts with CFI-2000, CFI-2100, CFI-2200, or CFI-2300, you have a base PS5 or Slim, not the Pro. PSSR will not appear in your settings.
A second visual cue: the PS5 Pro has three prominent black cooling fins on each side plate. The base PS5 and Slim have smooth side plates without fins. See the full walkthrough in our PS5 Pro first-time setup guide.
2. What “Enhanced PSSR Image Quality” actually does
PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is Sony’s AI upscaler on the PS5 Pro. It renders a game at a lower internal resolution (typically 1080p or 1440p) and uses a neural network to reconstruct a sharp 4K image, freeing GPU headroom for frame rate or ray tracing.
PSSR 1.0 shipped with the console in November 2024. It worked, but had well-known weaknesses: fine details like chain-link fences, hair, and foliage would shimmer during motion, and a subtle grain could appear under certain lighting.
PSSR 2.0 is the March 2026 successor, built on a fork of AMD’s FSR 4 neural network. The work is part of the long-running Project Amethyst engineering collaboration between Sony and AMD. PSSR 2.0 fixes most of the temporal stability and grain issues from 1.0, and many side-by-side reviews rank it on par with NVIDIA DLSS on PC.
There are now two ways PSSR 2.0 reaches your screen:
- Native PSSR 2.0 — the developer ships a Pro patch trained on the new algorithm. Confirmed native titles include Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Rise of the Ronin, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill f, Starfield, Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, and Nioh 3.
- System-level upgrade via Enhance PSSR Image Quality — the new toggle in PS5 Pro settings applies the PSSR 2.0 neural network to PSSR 1.0 titles that have not yet been patched. Most original-PSSR games (Spider-Man 2, Horizon Forbidden West, the F1 series, Hogwarts Legacy, Returnal, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and ~70+ more) get an automatic image-quality bump.
You only need to do the system-level toggle once. It is on or off for the whole console.
3. How to turn on Enhanced PSSR (PS5 Pro)
The toggle is in your screen and video settings — not in the game settings.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Go to Screen and Video → Video Output.
- Scroll down to Enhance PSSR Image Quality and set it to On.
That is the whole procedure. You do not need to relaunch games for the change to take effect; the upscaler swaps algorithms on the next frame.
If you do not see the toggle, you are running an older system software version that does not yet support PSSR 2.0 system-wide. Update the console: Settings → System → System Software → System Software Update and Settings → Update System Software.
If you notice visual artifacts (shimmer, ghosting, or texture crawling) in a specific title after enabling the system toggle, Sony warns this is expected on some older PSSR 1.0 patches. Flip the toggle off temporarily for that title, or wait for the developer to ship a native PSSR 2.0 patch.
4. How to verify PSSR 2.0 is active in-game
PSSR 2.0 does not show an on-screen overlay or a frame counter like DLSS on PC. You confirm it one of three ways:
Method 1 — Check the in-game graphics menu. Most native PSSR 2.0 titles list the upscaler by name. Open the in-game settings, look under Video, Graphics, or Display, and look for a PSSR or Pro mode toggle. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 both label it explicitly.
Method 2 — Look for the PS5 Pro Enhanced badge. Before you even launch a game, the PlayStation Store page and the disc case show a small “PS5 Pro Enhanced” badge if the developer shipped a Pro-specific patch. The list grows weekly; always trust the in-game menu over any third-party list.
Method 3 — Side-by-side visual look. Toggle Enhanced PSSR Image Quality off, screenshot a busy scene (foliage, chain-link fence, hair), toggle it back on, screenshot the same scene. PSSR 2.0 should show noticeably less shimmer on fine detail.
For a deeper look at what each PSSR 1.0 and 2.0 patch actually changed in popular titles, see our PS5 Pro first-time setup guide (section 7, “Understanding PSSR”) and the PS5 deals roundup for the current price on PSSR Enhanced bundles.
5. How to enroll in the PS5 system-software beta (for early PSSR changes)
If you want PSSR improvements before they hit stable firmware — Sony routinely seeds upscaler tweaks, accessibility features, and DualSense firmware changes to the beta channel weeks early — you can enroll. The trade-off is risk: beta firmware is pre-release and may break things.
Eligibility
- 18 years or older
- Located in the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, or Germany
- Valid PSN account in good standing (not suspended)
- Willing to give Sony feedback in English or Japanese
Guest accounts, child accounts, and offline-only accounts are not eligible.
Sign-up
- On any browser, go to playstation.com/ps5/ps5-beta-program-sign-up and sign in with your PSN account.
- Click Register at the top of the page and accept the Beta Program terms.
That is it for sign-up. Registration puts you in the candidate pool; it does not guarantee you will be picked. Sony emails invitations to selected accounts at its discretion. If you sign up once, you stay in the pool for future betas.
When you receive an invitation
- Open the invitation email. It contains a 12-character voucher code.
- On your PS5, open the PlayStation Store, choose Redeem Code, and paste the code.
- Restart the console.
- Back up your PS5 before installing the beta. Connect a USB drive with at least 1 GB free (the front USB-C port or a rear USB-A port — the front USB-A is slow). Settings → System → System Software → Back Up and Restore → Back Up Your PS5. Check every data category you want preserved.
- Settings → System → System Software → System Software Update and Settings → Update System Software (beta) → Update.
- Accept the PlayStation 5 System Software Beta Agreement.
The beta firmware downloads and installs in about 15 to 20 minutes on a 200 Mbps connection. Do not power off the console during install. Auto-update will pick up future beta drops.
What to watch out for
- Back up first. Sony explicitly recommends it. If something breaks, your saves and settings are still safe on the USB drive.
- Some games may need to be uninstalled and reinstalled if you revert to stable firmware. Plan for that time cost.
- Leaving the beta early may cancel pending notifications and unsubscribe you from party chats until you reinstall.
- Do not share screenshots or videos of new features online without checking the NDA. Sony’s beta terms mark much of the early-access content as confidential.
6. How to leave the beta and return to stable firmware
When the next major stable update ships, or when you are done testing, revert to the stable channel:
- Settings → System → System Software → System Software Update and Settings.
- Select Stop Using Beta Version.
The console re-downloads and reinstalls the latest stable firmware. Your PSN account stays enrolled in the beta program, so future beta cycles will still offer invitations by email — you simply do not install them.
After reverting, some games may need to be reinstalled before they launch correctly. This is normal and does not affect your saved data, which was already on the USB backup.
7. PSSR 2.0 visual upgrade tier list (best games tested)
PSSR 2.0 shipped on March 13, 2026 as part of the Resident Evil Requiem Pro Enhanced patch, and Sony has since seeded the algorithm system-wide via the PS5 Pro firmware (most recently system software 14.0 beta, where Enhance PSSR Image Quality flips on by default for every Pro console). Digital Foundry tested more than twenty titles in their analysis and concluded the upgrade delivers “overall, a much better image” with stronger temporal stability and cleaner motion handling than PSSR 1.0 — strong enough that Oliver Mackenzie called it the change that “justifies the existence of PS5 Pro almost on its own.”
Below is our tier list of the games where PSSR 2.0 produces the biggest visual upgrade, based on Digital Foundry testing, GameRant’s PSSR showcase analysis, and ComputerBase’s tracking of which PSSR 1.0 titles now inherit the v2 algorithm through the system override.
Tier S — the games that look completely different
These titles had PSSR 1.0 flaws so severe that base PS5’s TSR upscaler actually looked cleaner. PSSR 2.0 is not a minor bump — it is a transformation.
- Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom, Pro Enhanced launch title, March 13 2026) — the showcase demo. Even with internal resolution just above 1080p, PSSR 2.0 reconstructs a near-native 4K image with far less RTGI noise than PSSR 1.0 ever managed. Digital Foundry noted the ghosting reduction is actually better than PC-side DLSS in some scenes.
- Silent Hill f (Konami, Unreal Engine 5) — the original PSSR 1.0 made foliage smear into noise. Digital Foundry says it now looks “completely different” for the better, with fog and lighting gradients finally holding together in motion. This is the single biggest win for PSSR 2.0.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) — already one of the cleaner PSSR 1.0 implementations, but the v2 patch removes the persistent peppery film grain and stabilizes distant geometry. GameRant highlights it as the cleanest example of the v2 effect.
- Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom) — fixes the heavy RTGI noise that plagued the UE5-based engine on PSSR 1.0. Frame rates in uncapped modes land essentially where they were before, so this is a free upgrade in image quality with no performance tax.
- Alan Wake 2 (Remedy) — finer detail on leaves, faces, and textures now holds together during motion, and Quality mode delivers full ray tracing without the original PSSR’s smearing artifacts. Performance mode stays smooth while keeping a convincing image.
Tier A — major cleanups, with one or two residual quirks
- Control (Remedy) — v2 patches fix the RT reflection noise from PSSR 1.0; motion stability is markedly better.
- Dragon’s Dogma 2 (Capcom) — large reduction in shimmer and motion artifacts. Digital Foundry still calls out occasional dot-pattern artifacts in dense foliage; if you see them in your game, toggle Enhanced PSSR Image Quality off for that title.
- Rise of the Ronin (Team Ninja) — sharper detail on cloth and hair, much cleaner draw distance. Few reported regressions.
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory) — temporal stability upgrade is dramatic in dark interior scenes where PSSR 1.0 used to crawl. Lighting transitions are smoother.
- Nioh 3 (Team Ninja) — foliage and particle effects no longer smudge in combat. Locked 60 fps modes hold their target with v2.
Tier B — meaningful upgrade, still some caveats
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare) — RTGI noise reduced noticeably. Digital Foundry flags occasional dot-shaped artifacts on certain textures; Sony has marked this title as a whitelist override rather than a full per-game patch.
- Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital) — “greater stability, especially in motion” per Oliver Mackenzie. Racing lines and pit-lane signage now resolve cleanly at speed. The 120 Hz ray-traced mode benefits the most.
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch) — holds 80-90 fps in combat and exploration while delivering sharper detail. PSSR 2.0 enables the smoother frame pacing the launch window lacked.
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn) — solid motion stability gain, but Digital Foundry still flags sharp, noisy ray-traced reflections in motion as a remaining issue. Mark Cerny’s public rule: “99 percent+ of the game is better, but it’s a choice we each need to make individually.”
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse) — fixes text smearing on the world map and blocky color patterns in fog and sun gradients. Stone staircases in the distance no longer flicker. PSSR 2.0 stabilizes the entire image.
Tier C — system-level override only (no dedicated patch yet)
These games have not shipped a native PSSR 2.0 patch but inherit the upgraded algorithm via the system toggle. The improvement is real but smaller than Tier A/S because the developer hasn’t re-tuned exposure or LOD for v2:
- Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac) — slightly sharper draw distance, less shimmer on skyscrapers at speed. Mostly a wash vs. PSSR 1.0 + Fidelity mode.
- Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla) — modest upgrade on foliage and water reflections. Many players keep PSSR 1.0 + Performance RT here.
- Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche) — small gain on hair and chain-link fences; occasional ghosting on magic effects persists.
- Returnal (Housemarque) — particle effects look marginally cleaner, but the game was already strong on PSSR 1.0.
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac) — minimal visible change; the original Pro patch was already polished.
Where PSSR 2.0 still loses
Three honest caveats for anyone buying a Pro today:
- A handful of titles still ship dot-pattern artifacts on specific textures. Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard are the most-cited examples. Sony labels these as known issues rather than blockers.
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s RT reflections are still “sharp and noisy in motion.” This was true on PSSR 1.0 and remains true on v2.
- Some Tier C titles look effectively identical to PSSR 1.0 because the developer has not re-tuned exposure for the new algorithm. Wait for per-game patches.
The good news: Sony’s Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD means every six months or so a new PSSR generation is released. Mark Cerny has said the next evolution (likely tied to AMD’s FSR Redstone update) is already in development and should land before late 2027.
Confirmed upcoming native PSSR 2.0 patches
Sony has publicly committed to native PSSR 2.0 patches for the following titles; if you own these, keep your Pro connected to the internet to auto-pull the update:
- Crimson Desert (Pearl Abyss) — confirmed launch support
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft) — patch “in the coming weeks”
- Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red) — landed April 8, 2026 alongside the next-gen RT mode update
For the broader PSSR 2.0 status of any specific game, search the PlayStation Store page for the “PS5 Pro Enhanced” badge and read the in-game graphics menu on first launch.
FAQ
Is PSSR 2.0 the same as FSR 4? Not exactly. PSSR 2.0 is built on a fork of AMD’s FSR 4 neural network, optimized specifically for the PS5 Pro’s NPU and its memory bandwidth. In side-by-side comparisons it produces similar temporal stability and image quality to FSR 4 on Radeon RX 9070 / 9070 XT, but the API and shader integration are Sony-specific.
Do I lose my PS5 Pro Enhanced patches if I opt out of the beta? No. Game-level enhancements (PS5 Pro Enhanced patches) are tied to the game’s own data, not the system firmware. Opting out of the beta simply reverts the operating system; your installed games keep whatever Pro patch they have, and the Enhance PSSR Image Quality toggle continues to work on stable firmware.
Can I run the beta on a PS5 Slim? No. The beta program is open to all PS5 owners in eligible regions, but PSSR-specific features (Enhance PSSR Image Quality, native PSSR 2.0 titles) require the PS5 Pro hardware. A Slim in the beta gets the OS-level changes and non-PSSR features only.
Why does the PlayStation Store show ‘PS5 Pro Enhanced’ on some games that do not look different? A handful of older patches shipped as “PS5 Pro Enhanced” with very minor improvements (slightly higher resolution, a small asset bump). Not every badge is a transformational upgrade. Check the game’s official patch notes for what specifically changed, and verify in the in-game graphics menu.
What comes after PSSR 2.0? Sony’s chief architect Mark Cerny has said the next PSSR generation will continue the Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD and likely incorporate the upcoming FSR 4.1 neural network updates. There is no public ship date, but the cadence of stable and beta updates suggests another material bump in late 2026 or early 2027.
What’s next
- PS5 Pro first-time setup guide — the broader 11-section walkthrough for owners who are still configuring storage, audio, HDR, and display settings.
- PS5 deals this week — current discounts on the PS5 Pro console bundle and the PSSR Enhanced game bundle.
- PlayStation 5 console hub — every PS5 guide we publish, sorted by recency.
If this guide helped you flip the right toggle or get into the beta, send us a note from the feedback button at the bottom of the page — we read every message and update the guide when Sony ships new beta waves.
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