PS5 Pro Enhanced games can offer 8K gaming mode, PSSR requires patch from developers

Sony's mid-gen PlayStation 5 Pro will afford developers with a myriad of options on how to best utilize the console's new upgraded horsepower, including 8K gaming modes, 120FPS boosts, and more.

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The PS5 Pro is on the way, coming November 7 for a steep $700 price tag. That cost comes with a number of high-end upgrades for existing and upcoming PlayStation 5 games, all facilitated via new hardware and software optimizations. In combination with new RAM upgrades, the Pro's turbocharged GPU can deliver up to 45% faster rendering and facilitates new technology like AI-enhanced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) that allows for upscaled 4K gaming.

A new interview with CNET reveals some more specifics about PSSR and how it will work. According to the coverage, PSSR support will only be available to games that receive patch upgrades. As we reported previously, the PS5 Pro will raise in-game performance in two main ways: PS5 Pro Game Boost, which is native and does not require patches, and PS5 Pro Enhanced, which requires developers to release game patches.

Apparently, PSSR will be part of the PS5 Pro Enhanced path. Developers and publishers will need to upgrade their specific games to utilize PSSR technology. The Pro Enhanced method will also enable 4K 60FPS gaming, CNET reports.

Around 40-50 games will support the PS5 Pro Enhanced upgrades at launch, and these games are expected to at least support 4K 60FPS gaming through a combination of PSSR and other optimizations.

Interestingly enough, the Enhanced modes won't be limited to just 4K 60FPS. These games can also have an 8K mode, as well as an optional 120FPS mode that leverages the small-but-growing share of such capable UHD TVs.

"I've already seen games with three different PS5 Pro modes," PS5 architect Mark Cerny told CNET during the interview.

"As time goes by, particularly for the games which are launching after the hardware releases, we'll increasingly see a more nuanced approach, where the focus is less on resolution, and much more about higher image quality through a variety of strategies."