Cyberpunk 2077’s messy launch is a distant memory, and while public opinion on it has mostly changed, CD Projekt Red isn’t ready to move on from the game just yet. Case in point: today’s free PS5 Pro update.
This comes as a surprise because, when asked in late 2024 whether it would take advantage of the extra PS5 Pro horsepower, CD Projekt Red said it had no plans to.
According to CD Projekt Red‘s overview of what to expect in the patch, PSSR and ray tracing are top of the agenda.
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), the PS5 Pro’s own DLSS-like upscaling technique, boosts the resolution output of the game to deliver the sharpest visuals of Cyberpunk 2077 running on console. The game was already handsome on PS5 and Xbox Series X, but with the recent improvements PSSR has received, this was a key enhancement the game needed.
Of course, more available power also translates into better performance profiles. This time around, CDPR is delivering three different options for PS5 Pro owners:
- ‘Ray Tracing Pro’ mode “enables all available ray tracing enhancements” while targeting 30 FPS (or 40 if you have a variable refresh rate-compatible display)
- ‘Ray Tracing’ features “select ray tracing enhancements” while targeting 60 FPS
- ‘Performance’ targets 60 FPS without ray tracing and extends beyond that limit on VRR displays. By removing the pressure of ray tracing, it also delivers a crisp final 4K image
According to the official post, CDPR’s favourite mode is the second one, which finds a sweet spot between visuals and fluid performance that greatly helps Cyberpunk 2077’s first-person action. That said, all three modes on offer here are attractive and a notable update over the base PS5 experience.
Digital Foundry has provided a deeper dive into the update and underlines that CDPR has prioritised image quality over extra ray tracing improvements like path tracing, which simulates how lights interact with materials and further grounds the visual presentation. While impressive, this PS5 Pro version doesn’t quite reach the maximum height of its PC counterpart.
