The PS5 Pro launched earlier this month with promises of enhanced visuals and better performance, backed by Sony’s new PSSR upscaling technology. At $700, this mid-generation upgrade was meant to be the ultimate way to experience both current and upcoming PlayStation titles in their full glory.
However, early adopters are discovering that the reality might not quite match up to those lofty promises. A peculiar “shimmering” effect has been reported across multiple titles, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Sony’s new upscaling technology.
Most concerning of all, these problems aren’t limited to a single game or developer. Even Sony’s crown jewels appear to be struggling with the new hardware, raising questions about whether this premium console is really worth its premium price tag.
PS5 Pro’s “Shimmering” Struggles With First-Party Titles
The issue first gained widespread attention when ResetEra user Chaystic started a thread describing their experience with the new console:
I love my PS5 Pro for the most part, most games look wonderful, but there seems to be an issue with some games. There’s this weird shimmering, aliasing, whatever you wanna call it. I thought my Pro was faulty or something, but it turns out I’m not the only one who noticed it.
This “shimmering” effect manifests as a distracting visual artifact, particularly noticeable in games that use ray tracing or have complex foliage. The problem seems most jarring in titles that should, theoretically, be best optimized for the new hardware, including Sony‘s own first-party releases.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the console’s current flagship exclusive (at least until its upcoming PC release), hasn’t been spared from these issues. As fellow ResetEra user Bumble Berry noted:
I have a friend with the pro and he said this was happening with Spiderman when he was making comparisons.
The severity of the issue appears to vary from game to game, with some titles being more affected than others. Players have reported particularly noticeable problems in recent releases like Alan Wake 2, where the implementation of PSSR seems to be causing more visual artifacts than improvements.
Another user, Byron Hinson, shared their observations about the inconsistent nature of these issues:
Didn’t see it any in spider-man 2 myself. Alan Wake you will as its really bad patch and silent hill 2 patch is bugged.
Even with dedicated PS5 Pro optimization patches, games are handling the new PSSR technology with varying degrees of success. Take Stellar Blade, for instance. While it received comprehensive PS5 Pro support with update 1.008, including new “Pro” and “Pro Max” modes, some users are still reporting visual quirks when using PSSR:
Noticed it in Stellar Blade in the mode that uses PSSR. The tech still needs work apparently.
What makes these issues particularly concerning is that they’re appearing despite developers’ specific optimization efforts for the PS5 Pro hardware. The widespread nature of the problem suggests that there might be fundamental issues with Sony’s PSSR technology that need to be addressed.
The Technical Nightmare That Is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
While the “shimmering” effects in PlayStation exclusives are concerning, they pale in comparison to the problems plaguing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Digital Foundry’s recent analysis has revealed that the game’s implementation of PSSR is producing significantly worse results than traditional upscaling methods.
The problems are so severe that EA has had to publicly acknowledge them on social media:
We’re aware of issues with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PlayStation 5 Pro and are actively investigating.
— EA Star Wars (@EAStarWars) November 18, 2024
Digital Foundry’s detailed breakdown shows that the game’s image quality on PS5 Pro is noticeably inferior to both the base PS5 version and the same game running with FSR on other platforms. The analysis points to fundamental issues with how PSSR handles certain visual elements, particularly during high-motion sequences and in scenes with complex geometry.
What’s particularly troubling is that these issues persist even in the game’s “Quality” mode, which should theoretically provide the best possible visual experience. Instead, players are reporting severe image degradation, unstable frame rates, and visual artifacts that weren’t present even in the base PS5 version.
The situation raises serious questions about the viability of Sony’s new upscaling technology as a competitor to established solutions like FSR and DLSS. If a major release like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is struggling this badly with PSSR, what does this mean for future third-party titles on the platform?
Have you experienced any of these visual artifacts on your PS5 Pro? Which games seem to be handling the new hardware better than others? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
