Forward-looking: Sony has revealed that ML-based frame generation will be coming to "PlayStation platforms" in the future, though the exact timeframe remains unclear. The company also confirmed that, despite speculation surrounding a patent for ML-based upscaling, it will not be incorporated into the PSSR/FSR implementations anytime soon.
Speaking to Digital Foundry about Project Amethyst, Mark Cerny confirmed that Sony is developing AI-powered frame generation for PlayStation, but noted that no new releases are planned this year. He also declined to reveal whether the feature will be rolled out to the PS5 and PS5 Pro or be exclusive to the PS6.
Cerny further confirmed that, like PSSR, FSR frame generation is based on technology co-developed by Sony and AMD as part of Project Amethyst. He added that he is satisfied with the progress of the collaboration so far and looks forward to upgraded frame generation technology being rolled out to PlayStation consoles in the future.
Machine learning – based frame generation uses AI to insert synthetically generated frames between natively rendered ones, boosting visual smoothness and enhancing the gameplay experience. The intermediate frames are created by analyzing motion vectors and pixel data from the native frames, effectively doubling or even tripling the FPS in supported titles. This allows demanding games with complex visual effects to run more smoothly at higher resolutions.
Both Nvidia and AMD have recently updated their respective frame generation technologies for PC. Nvidia shipped DLSS 4.5 in January to a generally positive response from media and gamers alike, while AMD's FSR 4.1 received a more lukewarm reception following its rollout last week as part of the Radeon Adrenalin 26.3.1 WHQL driver update.
It is worth noting that the PS5 already offers frame generation technology built on AMD's FSR 3, though it relies on interpolation between real frames rather than machine learning. While the new technology could enhance the gameplay experience in some titles, it is not a miracle fix for low native frame rates, as it still requires a decent input frame rate to generate new frames.