TL;DR: Sony’s upgraded PSSR 2.0 upscaler — co-developed with AMD and based on FSR 4 tech — is officially rolling out on PS5 Pro, starting with Resident Evil Requiem. A full system update arrives in March 2026 to enable it across all supported games. Meanwhile, Phil Spencer has retired after 38 years at Microsoft, with AI exec Asha Sharma now leading Xbox into uncertain territory.
Sony has officially confirmed that an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is rolling out on the PS5 Pro — and it’s already live in the wild. Resident Evil Requiem is the first game to ship with PSSR 2.0 support, marking the beginning of what Sony’s lead architect Mark Cerny called a meaningful step forward for the platform.
The new PSSR is co-developed with AMD and is based on the same technology underpinning AMD’s FSR 4 upscaler — a machine-learning-driven approach that produces significantly cleaner output than the original PSSR, which was widely criticised for shimmering, artefacting, and blocky shadows in titles like Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid Delta. One developer familiar with the update described the jump as: “Not some 0.5 upgrade — it’s huge.”
What Changes with PSSR 2.0
The core benefit is a cleaner, sharper upscaled image — potentially rivalling DLSS on PC — while also enabling higher frame rates by allowing games to render at lower internal resolutions. Specifically:
- Existing PSSR-supported games will be upgradeable via a new system software setting — “Enhance PSSR Image Quality” — arriving in Marchplaystation
- Multiple existing games are expected to receive PSSR 2.0 patches when the system update launches
- Future titles will ship with PSSR 2.0 out of the box
- Developers need to adopt the new API for full benefits, as the update introduces an entirely new implementation layer
Mark Cerny noted: “Once the system update releases next month, try it and see. Some games may have noticeably crisper graphics.” The Decima engine — used in Horizon and Death Stranding — has historically produced some of the cleanest upscaling results on PlayStation hardware, and is expected to be among the early beneficiaries.
For PS5 Pro owners who spent over $700 and felt underwhelmed by inconsistent gains over the base PS5, this update is the most significant performance leap since the console launched in November 2024. Check our coverage of Resident Evil Requiem’s record-breaking Steam launch — the first game to ship with PSSR 2.0 — and also Sony Santa Monica’s new God of War plans for 2026, which may benefit from the improved upscaler.
Xbox Enters a New Era: Phil Spencer Out, Asha Sharma In
On February 20, 2026, Microsoft announced that Phil Spencer — who spent 38 years at Microsoft and transformed Xbox into a Game Pass-first platform — is retiring. Xbox president Sarah Bond has also stepped down. Taking over as CEO of Microsoft Gaming is Asha Sharma, who most recently served as president of Microsoft’s CoreAI division and previously held senior roles at Instacart and Meta.theverge+2
Sharma’s mandate, per Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, centres on long-term platform value and profitability — not gaming heritage. In her first interview with Jez Cordon, Sharma offered a characteristically cautious take on whether Xbox games would remain multiplatform: “The plan’s the plan until it’s not the plan. I have to review the data and reassess. Nothing is off the table.”polygon+1
Xbox’s Constrained Options
The reality for Xbox is stark. Hardware sales have declined significantly for three consecutive years, and while Game Pass provides a recurring revenue base, it doesn’t offset the audience reach lost by avoiding PlayStation. Polygon noted that Sharma has very few strategic levers to pull, and that the design for the next Xbox — described as a premium, PC-like system — is already locked in, with new hardware expected as early as 2027.
Major upcoming titles like Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 5, and the full Activision pipeline need broad audiences to turn a profit — making true exclusivity an expensive gamble. Sharma has said AI will be integrated cautiously into the ecosystem, with “no tolerance for bad AI,” but concrete plans beyond that remain undefined.
The contrast with Sony’s position is clear: while Xbox is recalibrating its identity under entirely new leadership, Sony is actively improving the hardware millions already own — a move that directly benefits its existing user base. For more on big gaming developments this week, check out our roundup of Battlefield 6 REDSEC’s Solos Mode and Nightfall update and Pokémon Pokopia’s record-breaking Metacritic score.
