Sony has released PlayStation 5 system software version 26.06-14.00.00, and its most important change for PS5 Pro owners is easy to miss: the console now turns on Enhance PSSR Image Quality by default.
The change appeared in Sony’s official US release notes on September 22, 2026. It removes a manual setup step that had been required to apply the newer PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution model to compatible games built around the earlier version of PSSR. The update is available through the normal PS5 system-software process; it is not a paid upgrade.
What the PSSR default actually changes
PSSR is Sony’s machine-learning image-upscaling system for the PS5 Pro. A game can render internally at a lower resolution and use PSSR to reconstruct a sharper output image, leaving more graphics performance available for frame rate, effects or ray tracing.
Sony says version 26.06-14.00.00 automatically enables the enhanced PSSR setting after the system update is installed. When active, the newer model can also be used by compatible games that support the previous PSSR implementation. Sony describes the result as a “sharper and clearer visual experience.”
This does not mean every PS5 game receives an automatic graphics upgrade. The feature is limited to PS5 Pro, and the release notes specifically refer to games with PSSR support. Results can still vary by title, rendering mode and developer implementation. The base PS5 and PS5 Slim do not gain PSSR from this update.
Owners who prefer the earlier behavior can disable the setting under Settings → Screen and Video → Video Output → Enhance PSSR Image Quality. That option matters if a particular game produces unexpected artifacts or looks better with its original implementation.
The update adds clearer voice-chat feedback
The same release also adds an optional on-screen indicator showing who is speaking during a voice chat. Players can enable it from the voice-chat card by choosing More → Display Who’s Speaking → Display Names, then select where the indicator appears.
This is a modest interface change, but it should help in larger parties where voices are difficult to match with player names. Sony does not say that the feature changes microphone processing or chat audio quality.
A new Community Activity widget tracks popular games
Sony has also added a Community Activity widget to the PS5 Welcome Hub. Its Trending Now view lists ten multiplayer games or modes that are rising in popularity, while Top 10 shows the ten most-played games in the user’s country or region during the previous week.
The lists are discovery tools rather than live player-count dashboards. Sony has not published the exact methodology, update frequency or minimum activity required for a game to appear.
There are regional Bluetooth changes too
In certain countries and regions, the update changes how the specialist Turn Off Bluetooth option behaves. Sony says a console using that setting will no longer enter rest mode, and HDMI Device Link will not function. The company positions the option for esports venues that need to manage controller connections and warns regular users not to use it for other purposes.
Sony also includes its usual system-performance and stability improvements, but does not list specific fixes.
Why this update matters
The enhanced PSSR model itself is not new—the previous major system release introduced it as an optional setting. What changes now is the default. PS5 Pro owners are more likely to receive the newer reconstruction model without knowing that a separate switch existed, while retaining the ability to opt out if a game behaves poorly.
Sony’s full details are available in the official PS5 system-software release notes. The rollout was also reported by Engadget on September 22. Independent game-by-game testing will still be needed to measure image-quality and performance differences.
Image: Official PlayStation 5 Pro product image, Sony Interactive Entertainment. Disclosure: This article was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed against the cited sources. Gadget N Widget has not independently tested this update.