Sony Details PSSR 2 for PS5 Pro at SIGGRAPH 2026, Replacing Color Network with Kernel Prediction

At SIGGRAPH 2026, Sony Interactive Entertainment detailed the upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology (PSSR 2), which improves on the original model by reducing the AI workload. Chief software engineer Daniel Craig outlined the redesigned approach for the PlayStation 5 Pro: rather than expanding the neural network, the new algorithm reduces the amount of work assigned to AI. The original PSSR entrusted nearly the entire reconstruction process to a color prediction network (CPN), which directly predicted output colors, forcing the model to learn tasks that conventional graphics operations could handle efficiently. Sony and AMD engineers found that this approach caused problems in HDR processing, temporal reconstruction, and high-ratio super resolution.

In the upgraded version, Sony restored most of the traditional reconstruction pipeline, narrowing the AI's role to pattern recognition and decision-making. The CPN has been replaced by a kernel prediction network (KPN), which predicts blending weights rather than final pixel colors, with the actual blending operations executed directly by the system. Because the model no longer implicitly handles HDR color, its capacity is used more efficiently. Redesigned connections to historical data improve gradient flow, enabling the network to learn longer temporal relationships. In addition, engineers introduced an input-space elliptical Gaussian filter designed to maintain effectiveness at high upscaling ratios, addressing problems in the original model's 2.5x and 3x image reconstruction.

Craig's results show that the upgraded model improves image quality and temporal stability, particularly at lower input resolutions, while also reducing GPU time and memory usage. Training time has fallen sharply, from roughly four GPU-months for the original PSSR to under one GPU-week for PSSR 2. An upcoming firmware update will enable an "Enhanced PSSR Image Quality" toggle on the PS5 Pro, allowing PSSR 2 to override the original upscaling model by default in supported games.