Sony’s proprietary PSSR replaced
- by Sammy Barker
PS5 Pro is supposed to be the best place to play console games, and it often is – assuming devs support it properly.
Unfortunately, The Outer Worlds 2 released in a disappointing state on Sony’s supercharged system, with a shaky frame rate and an awful implementation of the Japanese giant’s proprietary upscaling technology, PSSR.
Obsidian has taken temporary measures to address that, swapping PSSR for TSR in a patch to “address blurry grass on Paradise Island and unexpected lighting noise across the game”.
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For those who aren’t Digital Foundry regulars, TSR effectively uses past frames to reconstruct a higher resolution image. PSSR, meanwhile, uses machine learning to achieve a similar outcome.
In best case scenarios, PSSR should achieve better results, but TSR is a more familiar toolset which devs may feel more comfortable with.
Obsidian’s Already Trying to Improve The Outer Worlds 2’s Poor Presentation on PS5 Pro
Addressing Performance Issues on PS5 Pro: What Went wrong?
The Outer Worlds 2, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, has garnered importent attention since its release. However, despite the anticipation, many PS5 pro players reported a disappointing experience related to the game’s presentation on this particular console. Issues ranging from inconsistent frame rates to graphical glitches and long loading times have led to widespread frustration among fans.
Obsidian has acknowledged these problems and is actively working to improve the gaming experience specifically for PS5 Pro users. the poor performance has sparked conversations about optimization and technical refining, both of which are key to meeting player expectations on next-gen consoles.
Key Presentation Problems on PS5 Pro Version
- Frame Rate drops: Frequent dips below the target 60 FPS, causing noticeable stuttering during gameplay.
- Texture Pop-ins: Visual disruptions where textures take too long to load, impacting immersion.
- Extended Loading Times: Despite the PS5 Pro’s SSD architecture,some sequences experience slower then expected load speeds.
- Graphical Glitches: Flickering shadows, lighting inconsistencies, and clipping issues more apparent on PS5 Pro hardware.
Obsidian’s Response and Improvement plan
Obsidian’s developers have publicly addressed these presentation shortcomings and conveyed their commitment to a patch cycle that aims to fix these issues as a priority. Here’s a breakdown of their ongoing and planned initiatives:
- Performance Optimization: Enhancing the game’s engine to stabilize and maintain consistent frame rates on PS5 Pro.
- Texture and Asset Management: Streamlining how textures load and reducing pop-in occurrences through better asset streaming.
- Bug fixes for Visual Glitches: Identifying recurring graphical errors and deploying targeted updates to remedy shadow and lighting bugs.
- Load Time Refinements: Leveraging PS5 Pro’s SSD capabilities more effectively by optimizing data retrieval and caching mechanisms.
Technical Deep Dive: What Makes PS5 Pro Optimization Challenging?
Optimizing games for the PS5 Pro requires balancing enhanced hardware capabilities with efficient use of system resources. While the PS5 Pro delivers improved GPU and CPU power over the base PS5 model, its unique architecture means developers must fine-tune performance differently. Obsidian has identified several technical hurdles:
- Enhanced Ray Tracing: Although ray tracing enriches graphical fidelity, it demands more GPU cycles, impacting performance if not optimized.
- VRAM Utilization: PS5 Pro’s increased VRAM capacity allows for better textures but requires careful management to avoid bottlenecks.
- CPU Threading: Efficient use of multiple CPU cores is crucial for maintaining smooth AI behaviour and physics without compromising frame rates.
Player Feedback and Community Reaction
Since the release, players have actively voiced their concerns on forums and social media, highlighting specific problems they face exclusively on PS5 Pro hardware versions. This feedback loop has been essential for Obsidian to prioritize fixes and understand the real-world impact.
Many community members appreciate Obsidian’s transparency and ongoing efforts. In response, some players have shared practical tips to temporarily improve the game experience on PS5 Pro, which we outline below.
Practical Tips to improve The Outer Worlds 2 on PS5 Pro
- Enable Performance Mode: Toggle settings in the PS5’s options menu to favor performance over resolution.
- Close Background Applications: Free up system resources by quitting unnecessary apps during play sessions.
- Regularly Update the Game: Make sure the latest patches are installed to benefit from ongoing optimizations.
- Rebuild PS5 Database: Performing this maintenance step can improve load times and reduce glitches.
Case Study: Early Patch Impact Analysis
Obsidian released an initial patch within weeks of launch aimed at addressing frame rate stability and texture loading. Early player reports and benchmarks reveal promising improvements:
| Metric | Pre-Patch | Post-Patch | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Frame Rate | 45 FPS | 56 FPS | +11 FPS |
| Loading Time (Boot to Gameplay) | 65 seconds | 48 seconds | -17 seconds |
| Texture Pop-ins | High Frequency | Moderate Frequency | Improved |
| Graphical Glitches | Common | Rare | Reduced |
Looking Ahead: What to Expect From Obsidian’s Future Updates
Obsidian’s roadmap indicates that multiple incremental patches will continue to focus on refining The Outer Worlds 2 for the PS5 Pro ecosystem:
- enhanced Visual Fidelity Options: More graphical settings tailored for PS5 Pro’s hardware.
- Advanced Performance Modes: Including ultra-performance profiles for competitive gameplay.
- Ongoing bug Hunts: Community-driven bug tracking with faster turnaround times for fixes.
- Compatibility Enhancements: Wider support for accessories and adaptive hardware features on PS5 Pro.
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Given the PSSR solution implemented in The Outer Worlds 2 had very specific issues resolving “busy” scenes, we suspect TSR should deal with these situations much better.
The patch also includes various bug and progression fixes, but there’s no word on performance improvements to the PS5 hardware family, where it can be a bit mixed.
Nevertheless, we’ve included the full list of patch notes below. We have removed two spoilers from the list of fixes, but you can find that on Obsidian’s website if you’d like to.
The Outer Worlds 2 v1.0.4.1 Patch Notes
Critical Fixes
- Fixing saves crashing on load 100% of the time if bad data gets into the favorited item data.
- Fixed several rare crashes.
- (PS5 only) Fixed crash when game was started with only PlayGo chunk installed, and user progressed past Horizon point station.
- Plug Puller Perk no longer prevents encounters from advancing.
- Players will no longer have their conversation history reset at unexpected times during gameplay.
- Cleared out portions of the map will no longer be reset.
Quests/Progression: (Contains Spoilers)
- Players who encountered problems with Inez after meeting her at the Ministry of Accuracy should be able to progress her argument with Milverstreet now, even if they could not before.
- Inez will now reliably play her intro dialogue lines when first encountering her in the Ministry of Accuracy, instead of on rare occasions playing her standard companion conversation.
- OA Troopers no longer appear in the ACHQ at an unintended time. Loading a save from before fighting these units will allow players to progress the quest as intended.
- Note: Players must load a save before the bug occurred. We are investigating solutions for a retroactive fix.
- Otto’s Lock in Free Market Station is now working as intended and can be solved.
Audio/Visual
- PS5 Pro now uses TSR for upscaling to address blurry grass on Paradise Island and unexpected lighting noise across the game.
- Double jump boots no longer play audio at double volume.
- (Xbox only) Fixed an issue that can cause some blue noise on the edges of grass and computer monitors.
[source outerworlds2.obsidian.net]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.
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