Supersampling Mode on PS4 Pro, what difference?

[FlySwat]

I am a PS4 Pro owner ... and LOVE Elite Dangerous !
The recent System Software Update Version 5.50 introduced a new “Supersampling Mode” into Settings > Sound and Screen > Video Output Settings.

Available only on PS4 Pro, Supersampling Mode supposedly “improves the image quality of some games when using a 2K resolution TV or lower.”
”Results may differ depending on the games. In some games, image quality may not improve or the frame rate may change.”

So after ticking the box “Enable Supersampling Mode” and launching Elite Dangerous, you will see a message displayed momentarily saying “Supersampling Mode is enabled”.

Oooohh .... Aahhhhh !

The graphics are nice and frame rate smooth. But I cannot really say they are any better than before.

Can the FDev technical team please advise us PS4 Pro players if “Supersampling Mode” will improve Elite Dangerous graphics performance in any way at all ?

Much appreciate your advice about that.

 

[stormyuk]

Probably none, I couldn't notice any. I am confused why it even says 'supersampling mode enabled' when launched although other 1080p games also do with no visual impact either.

I am not sure if it's just a bug in the 5.5 release or just an error as FDev have always stated 1080p only on PS4 Pro. That would mean supersampling is useless with Elite. If it magically is internally at a higher resolution FDev haven't told us about it and to be honest I can't tell a difference on my 4K or 1080p screens.

There was discussion here about it. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/413108-PS4-Pro-Supersampling-and-Elite-Dangerous

FDev have not commented. Maybe we need Digital Foundry to do a furher analysis. To see what it's doing. They posted this last month.

https://youtu.be/RYxJDrKmlRs

I've tweeted them.

https://twitter.com/stormy_uk/status/974188557375037440?s=19

 

[Old Duck]

IMO, if you can't see the difference, then there is no difference. What I would expect people to see if it was working is less aliasing, because supersampling is a commonly-used antialiasing technique.

 

[Unconsumable]

The supersampling mode is only useful if the game supports improved rendering with 4K.
If you enable it in the settings, then the game will think an 4K Display is attached.

1) request 1080p resolution. Business as usual.
2) request 4K, but dont improve graphics ("upscale" the same pictures that are used with 1080p).
3) request 4K and improve rendering.

the PS4 can't know the difference between 2 and 3, just would know the requested resolution.

TLDR: if Elite Dangerous has no special sauce when detecting 4K, then you wont see a difference. arguable if ED behaves like in 2) then the up- and down-scaling could reduce quality.

 

[Lloyd Morgan-Moore]

This is very odd as Elite runs at 1080p on the Pro so there's no higher resolution to downsample from! Theoretically it won't make any difference, and this seems to match up with what is being reported. I have mentioned it to the console team in case there's anything triggering it but it may just be to do with how the Pro handles 1080p inputs after the last console update.

 

[stormyuk]

This is very odd as Elite runs at 1080p on the Pro so there's no higher resolution to downsample from! Theoretically it won't make any difference, and this seems to match up with what is being reported. I have mentioned it to the console team in case there's anything triggering it but it may just be to do with how the Pro handles 1080p inputs after the last console update.

Thanks Lloyd, that would be useful. I have noticed that Elite Dangerous is not the only 1080p game which triggers the "Supersampling Mode Enabled" message.

 

[Myrm]

I am a PS4 Pro owner ...
Can the FDev technical team please advise us PS4 Pro players if “Supersampling Mode” will improve Elite Dangerous graphics performance in any way at all ?

You say you have a PS4 Pro and Elite, then you ask FD if supersampling will make any difference to the game. Why don't you test it out for yourself? You have the console and the game. Why ask somebody else if there will be an improvement when you can find out a lot quicker by doing it yourself.

I have super-sampling set and have noticed no difference whatsoever.

 

[FlySwat]

”Supersampling Mode is enable“

It was a technical question about a new PS4 Pro feature.

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

The supersampling mode is only useful if the game supports improved rendering with 4K.
If you enable it in the settings, then the game will think an 4K Display is attached.

1) request 1080p resolution. Business as usual.
2) request 4K, but dont improve graphics ("upscale" the same pictures that are used with 1080p).
3) request 4K and improve rendering.

the PS4 can't know the difference between 2 and 3, just would know the requested resolution.

TLDR: if Elite Dangerous has no special sauce when detecting 4K, then you wont see a difference. arguable if ED behaves like in 2) then the up- and down-scaling could reduce quality.

Basically though color tv's have been out for almost forever now, if one inserts an old black and white video, it will still be viewable in black and white. Until FDev changes the parameters, having the technolgy will not improve their current version of ED. Hence the reason behing the new remastering technique that various company's utilize to play old games on new devices.