We've been reviewing dozens of updated games for PS5 Pro, but the one that caught my attention the most is Stellar Blade. This game impressed when it launched for PS5 in April of this year, but its slick action and impressive settings were somewhat let down by inconsistent performance and poor image quality. On PS5 Pro, developers Shift Up have delivered a simple but extremely effective update that addresses both concerns.
Interestingly, this update takes the form of two PS5 Pro-specific graphics modes for the game, but the original Performance, Balance, and Quality modes are still available. Pro max is the simplest of the new additions, as it's essentially the quality mode that runs without limits, perfect for VRR displays. The pro mode is more interesting, however, as it uses a higher internal resolution and PSSR upscaling to achieve a significant jump in image quality.
PSSR isn't a magic bullet (we've seen it in some slightly problematic appearances in Silent Hill 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), but fortunately it works well in Stellar Blade. Sony's upscaler produces a temporally stable image without pixel creep or glare evident in TAA modes, even in native 4K quality mode. Both edges and surfaces are simply cleaner and more stable.
When comparing Performance, Balanced, and Pro modes and looking first at transparency, all three modes have their limitations, but the PSSR enhancement in Pro mode reduces artifacts and makes it easier to distinguish distant details. That said, it also introduces artifacts in some scenarios, making the deliberate flickering of the sun more prominent and even causing the sun flare to flicker as well. I don't think this is the intended behavior.
Despite the trade-offs, the overall image quality with PSSR is excellent on the Stellar Blade. It's arguably the best image quality we've seen in the technology yet. The high input resolution certainly helps, but the output is super clean and (mostly) artifact-free. Admittedly, the comparison is helped by the poor image quality in the base game.
Performance was also an issue in the original version, so it's worth checking if that has also been fixed with the new pro and pro max modes. In the original, only the performance mode offered a fixed 60fps experience, but now the balanced mode also manages to consistently hit 60fps thanks to the additional GPU power available. The new pro mode is also locked to 60fps based on the areas I've tested, a perfect fit for a 60Hz display even if it lacks VRR.
To view this content, please enable targeting cookies.
There's also a high frame rate toggle mode that unlocks the 120Hz output when activated. This actually reduces input lag, making it easier to perform the game's necessary blocks and dodges, so it's worth using. Pro max mode doesn't hit 60fps, outputting between 50 and 60fps requiring a VRR display for best results. By contrast, Pro mode caps the frame rate at 80fps when HFR mode is active, an odd choice but one that further reduces input lag. Cutscenes stay at 60fps and in-game performance can dip into the 70s, but this is still my favorite way to play.
Fortunately, despite the countless mode options available now, the recommendation here is pretty simple: choose pro mode instead of pro max, whether you're using high frame rate mode or not. This provides the best balance between performance and image quality.
In addition to PS5 Pro support, the recent patch added a photo mode, some small but thoughtful gameplay tweaks, and Nier Automata crossover DLC. The photo mode is great, it requires pressing R1 and the left directional button to activate it and allows you to take stills or even cool panning clips for videos, great. The frame rate here is lower than the actual game, for what that's worth, but it's still a cool inclusion.
With this new update and support for PS5 Pro, now is a great time to try Stellar Blade if you haven't already, or revisit it if you've already played it. It's one of my favorite titles of 2024, so I recommend giving it a try.