AMD's FSR 4.1 for RDNA 4 is based on the same tech as Sony's new PSSR for the PS5 Pro

Recently, Sony released an updated version of its PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) that improves image quality and detail, motion stability, while also offering more tools and options for developers to push performance and resolution on the PlayStation 5 Pro. It's an impressive update, and one that works on all existing PSSR-supported titles as it's handled by the console's software, similar to how AMD's Radeon drivers override games to run the latest version of FSR 4.

It's available in a wide range of games, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, SILENT HILL f, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Control, and Alan Wake 2. After its debut in Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem, the consensus is that the latest version of PSSR is now comparable to AMD's AI-powered FSR 4, exclusive to its RDNA 4 GPUs like the Radeon RX 9070 XT.

Which is literally true, because Mark Cerny, the Lead System Architect of the PS4 and PS5, has taken to social media to confirm that AMD's new FSR 4.1, which launched today, is "based on the same neural network as the upgraded PSSR we released for PS5 Pro." Sony's partnership with AMD, dubbed Project Amethyst, appears to be moving toward parity in features between PC and console.

Naturally, as this new technology requires powerful, dedicated AI hardware, it's currently limited to the PlayStation 5 Pro on consoles and the Radeon RX 9000 Series on PCs.

Still, moving forward, we should expect to see a similar suite of AI rendering technologies power the upcoming PlayStation 6 as well as what's next for Radeon. For the PS5 Pro, PSSR allows the console to render impressive cinematic visuals with or without ray-tracing in 4K with smooth performance, something that wouldn't have been possible otherwise, or without concessions being made to fidelity or resolution.

AMD's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Computing and Graphics, Jack Huynh, responded to Mark Cerny's post with, "Thrilled to see AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 delivering stunning results in PC games, built on the same neural network foundation as the upgraded PSSR for PS5 Pro. Project Amethyst has been an absolute pleasure and a true co-engineering success with you and the PlayStation team."

Naturally, there will be more AI tech from this relationship that will make its way to the PS5 Pro and PS6, presumably AMD's new Ray Regeneration technology, AI-powered Frame Generation, and Neural Radiance Caching.