Return’s PS5 Pro Upgrade provides a huge increase in resolution and improvement in performance

On the occasion of the fourth anniversary, the Housemarque developer announced a free PlayStation 5 Pro Update to ReturningBy promising to give a perfect PS5 game a resolution up to 2.5x for Pro Sony equipment. Accurate phrase “up to 2.5x” suggests the form of dynamic scaling, to which I will get in a minute – but this is a welcome movement that concerns one problem with the quality of the PS5 base image. Besides, are there any other improvements in the original experience? Are performance problems solved and what about small movement problems?

As a refreshment, the PS5 base still uses the set basic resolution 1080p, which – according to the programmer – is temporarily reconstructed to 1440p, and then raised to the final 4K output through chessboard rendering. While the game is perfectly performed in its basic technology – with particles often filling the screen to the dazzling effect – this unusual configuration causes a certain visual noise on the standard PS5. This is not a growing gameplay at all, but in the final determination there is a king, but high frequency details seem rather grain. It is certainly not possible, what he is capable of, even with a native 1440p via DLSS.

To go to the pursuit, the PS5 Pro update gives us an increase to 3072×1728 at the top, with dynamic resolution scaling to adaptation to the GPU load. The introduction of DRS is new in the Pro version, replacing static, set 1080p of the basic PS5 – which has a small bearing on the frame foot. Meanwhile, the lowest number of records on PS5 Pro is 2400 x 1350, caught during intense boss battles, in which the frequency of screen filling effects is most willing to drive the GPU. Lower numbers can of course be possible, potentially in later areas. Despite this, the maximum possible 1728p on Pro is a surprisingly frequent event in the first three tests that I tested, and in reality excessive is gaining on the promise of Housemarque by an increase of 2.5 times. Rather, this best case value is closer to a 2.56 -times height compared to the static PS5 resolution with PS5 1920×1080, which is a nice bonus.

The result of comparing PS5 with PS5 PRO PANS, as you might expect. It must be admitted that the rapid pace of operation Retural means that strengthening of resolution does not always shout at you, but thinking that you want to take a view in your free time, this is a clear improvement. Focusing on the stairs or detailed textures of the floor, Moire patterns present on the basic PS5 are minimized. Flight is reduced on hard edges, and especially on any sudden outbreak of effects, in which the pixel structure appears in its raw form through several frames, you will notice less aliasing.

Despite the update, the PS5 Pro version still has some temporary instability, with a similar effect of cross detection to the basic PS5, because it increases to 4K – although the artifact is subtle to Pro due to the overall higher pixel density. It is not perfectly clean in every cage: there are raw edges if you know where to look, but they are much smaller in 1728p. Secondly, an increase of 2.56x is not balanced in every scenario. PS5 PRO offers 1.45x strengthening of the GPU power over the basic model – plus 45 percent – which is badly aligned with the requirements of this resource.

It is here that affects the scaling of dynamic resolution: we separate the highest quality of frames in which the Headroom GPU allows, while at the lowest point image quality is still better than the basic PS5. In retrospect, it’s a shame that the base of PS5 is also not motorized DRS. This pro patch does exactly what he says on the can. There are no other visual improvements: volumetrics, alpha effects, textures and shadows remain the same as before. It is a rather simple, but direct way to throw away higher PS5 Pro GPU resources.

All this leads us to the next point that in fact there were alternative ways to use PS5 PRO. There are other tempting options that could be studied, such as 120 Hz mode – even if it requires a decrease in resolution to accommodate a fixed 120. The second route could add radi tracking functions. Ray traced reflections and shadows are not necessary – and indeed, each with their own PC limitations – but it would be fascinating on Pro, even as an optional RT mode. Here it was not even considered, so it remains an exclusive function of a computer. Similarly, many epic PC settings remain on the PC – for example, improved volumetric resolution. What is left to Pro is simply one way to play, without switching graphics – but it provides what he intended to do.

Performing performance is difficult. The very randomized nature of the Roguelike Returnal project means accurate 1: 1 tests between PS5 and Pro are not possible. To sum up: the basic PS5 works well on 60 frames per second, although there are certainly declines for the target. This is rare, but in appropriate circumstances cage indicators can immerse. For example, the first bunch of the boss at the initial overgrown level of ruins drops until the mid -1950s, and similarly there is a lower degree of slopes below 60 during the main battles in the Sisyphus tower. Another protruding is rebirth on the ship: there is often a short, uncertain fragment of the game – leaning to forty for the spell – although it soon explains on the basis of PS5 when Selene stands in a vertical position. Finally, I noticed a very unusual point on the stairs in the first bioma – seemingly nothing is happening – dropping us to a permanent 55 frames per second. These are our real moments protruding to the generally solid experience of 60 frames per second, with only rats between the areas – a few one frame – it’s worth noting.

Jumping to PS5 Pro can be reproduced at least some of these moments. The good news is that the Bosses of Boss, such as the one who distributes the first biom and tower, are completely cleaned on a stable 60 frames per second on professionals. Between the higher speed of the GPU clock and greater flexibility provided by dynamic scaling, we are now able to block in 60 frames per second in both areas, which is great. In general, the DRS scale from 1350p to 1728p seems to be well rated and reasonably aims at PS5 Pro’s capabilities. This is also good proof that although there may be drops in later, randomized level configurations, and with sufficient PS5 Pro progress is fully theoretically more stable. The departure from the established 1080p based on PS5 gives him more freedom in adapting to the vortex of effects that are possible from a moment to moment. Considering this, there is a small catch.

There are hooks, as well as a slightly higher frequency of hooks up to 50 ms on PS5 Pro – many dropped frames – just like an attack on the enemy lands. Perhaps PS5 Pro needs a fraction of a second to adjust the resolution to an unexpected load spike, causing a greater increase on the time chart.

Generally speaking, it is worth noting that time can reveal more significant declines. However, after a few days of playing in PS5 Pro, to the third biom – and through the tower area – so far I have not caught serious drops. This is not the final word: taking into account the randomized nature of the game, more tax areas are certainly very possible. Indeed, the posters in the Resetera notice the drops in the frame rate with a slice installed with suggestions that perhaps it worked better in the premature state on Pro, using the Base PS5 rendering configuration. This may take into account, having in mind the conservative purpose of heritage resolution, through which Pro should feed without effort. In addition, the perspective is positive based on the evidence of matching the areas of the extreme conditions test: PS5 PRO is an improvement compared to the basic model in maintaining 60 frames per second, and we also get a sharper image in the occasion.

Like Pro Returnal Plast, fans will undoubtedly be delighted that the game attracts more attention to Housemarque. Resolution and increase in efficiency may not be the most ambitious use of PRO equipment – but the range of increased number of pixels is surprising. Where there is 2.56x to resolution, we must wonder if the dynamic resolution scaling itself takes into account the difference when Pro provides only 45 percent more graphics performance. Despite this, the improvement is generally impressive: the only small fishing is the higher occurrence of hooks in 50 ms, simply hitting the enemy, but professionals exceed the flaws, achieving more stable 60 frames per second with a significant update of image quality. Returnal himself remains one of the best shooters ever created, and with this in mind, the improvement of Pro is a great opportunity to repeat the classics of all time this generation again.