PlayStation 5 Pro arrives complete with a somewhat enigmatic feature – the ability to enhance the image quality of older PS4 software. A toggleable menu option suggests that the new console has the ability to ‘improve the resolution of select PS4 games’ but there’s no explanation of what it actually does. With that in mind, we set out to find out. What exactly does the ‘enhance image quality’ feature actually do? Is this a game changer for PS5 Pro, or more of an incremental improvement?
Let’s get down to business by kicking off with a look at a prominent pre-PS4 Pro PS4 title, the original Destiny – and we can confirm that it is indeed making a difference. A close look at fine details reveals a sharper image with the enhanced mode enabled. The most obvious differences understandably come in high contrast areas of the image, such as structures cast against a skybox. The enhanced mode is doing a pretty good job at refining some of the edge detail, but without emphasising edge artifacts, as a naive sharpening filter would typically do. There does appear to be some attempt at reforming edges, eliminating some of the aliasing artifacts we saw before. Edges that used to have obvious sawtooth aliasing artifacts appear less jagged, but simultaneously have sharper edges. However, aliasing patterns can remain, just masked slightly.
Our educated guess is that this new technique is a post-process filter that runs after the processing of the PS4 game content – it’s a kind of smart upscaler. Everything seen here indicates that it’s the same basic game content, running at the same resolution. However, the way the image resolves appears different on PS5 Pro and game content does look noticeably more detailed and slightly more refined.
Because the enhanced mode appears to apply to games as a post-process, all UI elements – like the HUD in Bloodborne, for example – get the same treatment. In some instances, it can bring the old 2D art up to a level of detail and refinement that looks pretty solid at 4K. There is indeed more detail, if slightly smoothed. Batman: Arkham Knight also gets a surprisingly crisp and clean 4K-like HUD, with almost artifact-free upscaling – but in all tests, there are indications that we’re looking at an upscaling algorithm for 4K displays, not actual 4K art.