PlayStation AI Frame Generation Confirmed by Mark Cerny
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- Mark Cerny, lead architect of the PS5 and PS5 Pro, told Digital Foundry that ML-based frame generation is coming to 'PlayStation platforms' in the future.
- The AI technique imagines new frames between rendered ones to create smoother perceived image quality, though it typically introduces some lag and critics on PC call them 'fake frames.'
- Cerny declined to specify whether the tech will land on the PS5 Pro — which recently got an upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling technique — or wait for the possibly-delayed PS6, and said there are 'no more releases planned for this year.'
- The PS6 is already teased to include next-gen dedicated ray tracing hardware called Radiance Cores, and Cerny previously suggested it wouldn't arrive before 2027 at the earliest.
- The PS5 already offers AMD FSR3 frame generation in some games, but FSR3 interpolates between real frames rather than using machine learning to imagine them, making Cerny's ML-based version a distinct next step.
- Nvidia and AMD typically warn that frame generation isn't a fix for low frame rates — it requires a relatively stable base frame rate to work properly, limiting where the technique is useful.
Why it matters: For PlayStation gamers, the timing is the tension: if the PS6 is delayed, Sony may need to squeeze more performance out of the PS5 Pro, but Cerny confirmed no releases this year. Frame generation is also a marketing and technical gamble, since it can introduce lag and critics call AI-imagined frames 'fake' — meaning Sony is betting that ML interpolation becomes the next competitive battleground, not just a PC-side feature.
