Several PS4 owners have started receiving their invitations to download and try the beta version of PlayStation 4 firmware version 5.50. The beta just started to roll out early this morning to select users all over the world, and so we’ve been waiting anxiously for pictures and impressions to pour in from the internet. We still don’t know everything new in update 5.50, but one of the biggest new features that has been uncovered is system-wide supersampling.
Videos by ComicBook.com
This has been a long-requested feature from PS4 Pro owners, and will definitely be one of the biggest selling points of this new system update; hell, it will be a big selling point for the PS4 Pro going forward. So what is supersampling, and why are so many people so excited about it?
So here’s simple version. If you have a PS4 Pro, then you have a powerful console capable of rendering games at 1440p and above. Some games can even render at a native 4K using the Pro. But what if you don’t own a 4K tv? For those of you still using a 1080p display, supersampling is going to allow you to reap the benefits of the PS4 Pro’s extra horsepower. The console will render the game at the higher resolution, say 1440p, and display it on your 1080p display. The result will be a dramatic reduction in aliasing, or “jaggies,” and a much smoother picture overall. It just makes things very sharp, and it looks really nice.
Of course, only games that support PS4 Pro graphics options will be able to take advantage of the supersampling, and that list is still growing. Unfortunately there are still many system exclusives that do not have a Pro patch (we’re looking at you Bloodborne), so don’t expect every game you own to suddenly start looking much sharper and running more smoothly.
We’re still waiting to hear more about what update 5.50 has in store for us. ReserEra user “Hockeyguy412” is keeping a log in this thread with features that he sees reported from different users, and so far this is what he’s seen and heard:
- still can’t change our PSN name
- you can delete all notifications
- notification toggles for when friends sign on
- you can now hide “bought” items from your library, clearing away all of those demos and betas
- you can create teams to attend in events
- system wide supersampling
It’s a great start, and we’re still discovering new features. It won’t be long before we have an official change-log from Sony, so stay tuned!
