Sony Confirms PS5 Pro PSSR Shares Core Tech With AMD FSR

We recently saw Sony introduce PSSR upscaling with the PS5 Pro, but new details now clarify how closely it aligns with AMD’s FSR. Fresh insights from a Digital Foundry interview reveal that both technologies come from the same underlying foundation, despite differences in execution.

Shared Origins in Project Amethyst

During the interview, PlayStation lead architect Mark Cerny confirmed that Sony’s PSSR and AMD’s FSR upscaling rely on a co-developed algorithm. This shared foundation comes from internal work known as Project Amethyst, which focuses on modern reconstruction techniques using machine learning.

Although both solutions stem from the same research, each company adapted the technology differently to match its hardware environment. That divergence explains why the results feel similar while the implementation varies significantly.

INT8 vs FP8: Different Paths to Similar Results

The main difference between PSSR and FSR lies in how each platform handles precision. AMD uses FP8, or 8-bit floating point, in its latest FSR 4.1 implementation on PC hardware. Sony, on the other hand, relies on INT8, or 8-bit integer processing, on the PS5 Pro.

These choices are tied directly to hardware constraints. The PS5 Pro uses a hybrid architecture that builds on an RDNA 2 base while incorporating newer ray tracing capabilities and custom machine learning hardware. This setup favors INT8 efficiency, even if FP8 can offer slightly higher precision on newer GPUs.

Image Quality Differences Are Minimal

Despite the technical differences, the visual output between PSSR and FSR remains very close. Cerny described the results as “rather close,” suggesting that most players will not notice meaningful differences during gameplay.

Internal comparisons indicate that INT8-based upscaling performs slightly below FP8 on newer RDNA 4 GPUs, but it still delivers better results than older analytical approaches like FSR 3.1. Earlier experimental builds using INT8 already showed strong performance on RDNA 2 and RDNA 3, reinforcing the viability of Sony’s approach.

PC Limitations vs Console Optimization

On PC, AMD currently restricts its machine learning-based FSR 4.1 to RDNA 4 GPUs, such as the Radeon RX 9000 series. Older graphics cards fall back to FSR 3, which does not use machine learning.

This creates a contrast between platforms. The PS5 Pro benefits from a tailored implementation that enables advanced upscaling on fixed hardware, while many PC users need newer GPUs to access similar features.

Future Possibilities for Older GPUs

The shared technological foundation raises the possibility that INT8-based upscaling could eventually reach older AMD GPUs. Early demonstrations proved that such methods can run on RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 hardware, but AMD has not confirmed any plans to bring this capability to existing PC users.

For now, this remains a theoretical opportunity rather than an announced feature.

Sony’s Next Steps for PSSR

Sony appears to be taking a measured approach to expanding PSSR. Reports indicate that the PSSR Enhance toggle will not receive further updates, while more advanced features like frame generation remain under consideration but are not expected in the near term.

As both Sony and AMD continue refining their upscaling technologies, the gap between console and PC solutions continues to narrow, even as each platform follows its own technical path.

Via VideoCardz