PS5 Pro upgrade actually delivers Sony’s 8K gameplay promise

Every PlayStation 5 console boasts an “8K” logo on the box, an unkept promise of 8K gameplay that simply can’t be handled by the current generation of hardware. However, the new PS5 Pro does have a single 8K game running on the enhanced console, finally delivering on Sony’s 2020 promise.

PS5 Pro can handle 8K gameplay

Following the PS5 Pro announcement, the reveal of PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced games and the backlash of its price, the new console does have at least one launch upgrade to show off its improvements. While the PS5 vs PS5 Pro specs sheet may not be impressive at first glance, first-party studio Polyphony Digital has broken out all the stops.

In an article by CNET, it’s revealed that Gran Turismo 7 on the new PlayStation console has an 8K mode that takes full advantage of the PS5’s 8K support. While it wasn’t explained how the console manages to output at such a high resolution, we’re pretty sure it uses Sony’s new PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) to upscale its 4K visuals to an 8K frame.

Alongside its 4K mode with extra ray-tracing, volumetrics, lighting and more, GT7 on the Pro also has a 120Hz output mode and its 8K output option. With the extra power of the system, players will have lots of choices for how they want to play, as long as developers spend extra time to deliver them.

Will other games be playable in 8K?

With the power of PSSR, many games could be playable in upscaled 8K, but that doesn’t mean every game will be able to. As games get more intensive over the course of the generation, even PSSR won’t be able to make every game 8K ready.

Nevertheless, if Gran Turismo 7’s upgrade is anything to go by, official 8K gaming is here on console, it’s just going to be an extreme rarity. Astro Bot 8K, anyone?