QSSR Brings AI Upscaling to the Base PS5: What It Is and Which Games Support It
If you own a regular PS5, not a Pro, your console just picked up AI upscaling. Sony announced QSSR (Quick Spectral Super Resolution) on October 1, 2026, and two games got patches the same day: Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei.
What Is QSSR?
Upscaling means the game renders at a lower resolution and then rebuilds a sharper image for your TV. That frees up power for higher frame rates or heavier effects. AI upscaling uses a trained neural network to do the rebuilding, which usually holds onto fine detail better than older methods.
The PS5 Pro has had its own version, PSSR, since launch. It was too demanding for the standard PS5's hardware, though. QSSR is Sony's answer: a lighter take on the same idea, built on what Sony calls "a streamlined neural network architecture" with a "hand-tuned implementation" for the base console.
Sony isn't pitching it as a PSSR replacement. In the announcement, Daniel Craig, Principal Engineer in Graphics R&D at Sony Interactive Entertainment, says PSSR "remains the gold standard on PS5 Pro," while QSSR brings "notable improvements to both image detail and image stability on PS5."
Which Games Support QSSR?
Right now, two. Both are Sony first-party games, and both were patched on October 1.
Marvel's Wolverine
Insomniac's Wolverine came out on September 15, 2026, so it's had QSSR for barely two weeks of its life. Sony says the upscaler sharpens "pixel-level clarity and stability" in locations like Madripoor and Shinjuku, two of the game's busier, neon-heavy settings.
This is where the outside analysis is most positive. Digital Foundry, reported by TechRadar, called the quality boost "exceptional" in Wolverine, pointing to steadier fine detail and cleaner foliage in motion.
Ghost of Yōtei
Sucker Punch's samurai game launched in October 2025 and already had a reputation for clean visuals. Sony says QSSR helps with "resolving fine details in characters and environments" and improves temporal stability, meaning less shimmer and flicker as the camera moves.
Digital Foundry's take was that the gains here are "less dramatic." On paper that makes sense: there was less to fix in Ghost of Yōtei to begin with.
Does It Cost Performance?
A little. According to Digital Foundry, the upscaler itself takes around 1.5 to 1.8 milliseconds per frame, which Richard Leadbetter called "reasonable for an ML-based upscaler."
What that means in practice depends on the mode:
- Wolverine, uncapped Performance mode: headline frame rates drop by roughly 8-10fps with QSSR on.
- Wolverine, 60fps modes with dynamic resolution: performance was reported as "practically identical."
- Ghost of Yōtei, uncapped 120Hz VRR mode: any dips were described as slight.
Which Games Are Next?
Sony hasn't named any. The company says QSSR "will be offered broadly to all PlayStation developers," so support is up to each studio, game by game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a PS5 Pro for QSSR? No. QSSR is built for the standard PS5. The Pro keeps using PSSR.
Is QSSR a system-wide setting? No. It works per game, so a title has to be patched to support it.
How do I get it? Install the latest update for Marvel's Wolverine or Ghost of Yōtei. Sony hasn't said whether QSSR is switched on by default in each game, so if you own either one, check its graphics settings after updating.
Images: Sony Interactive Entertainment.