PS5 Pro Rumors Heat Up as GTA 6 Sparks Digital-Only Debate

There are many talks about next-gen performance upgrades, system-level improvements, and one of the most anticipated games of all time. There's a lot for players to think about, from rumors about PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) 2.0 on PS5 Pro to a new firmware update that actually adds features and a Grand Theft Auto 6 launch plan that could be controversial.

These talks are part of a larger conversation about how players choose to buy and play games, as the industry continues its slow move toward digital distribution. The debate over physical vs. digital ownership is still very heated, especially since platform owners and authors are rethinking how they release big hits.

Sony's hardware plan for 2026 and beyond is at the heart of everything. Now that everyone knows the PS5 Pro will offer faster frame rates and better visual quality, they want to know when and where PSSR 2.0 will make its first real showing.

Resident Evil 9 and Marathon are said to be in PSSR 2.0.

Right now, one of the most talked-about topics is which games will be the first to use PSSR 2.0 on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Sony has stated that a better version of its upscaling technology will be released this year, but it hasn't said which new games will support it.

When people talk about the first game, they usually bring up Resident Evil 9, which comes out next month. Capcom has stated that the game will run on PS5 Pro in upscaled 4K at 60 frames per second with ray tracing enabled. Players will also be able to access a 120 FPS mode by turning off ray tracing. 

Capcom has been very careful with its words, which stands out. The resolution has been confirmed to be 4K upscaled, but it hasn't been made clear whether PSSR is being used (let alone PSSR 2.0) or if the game uses its own internal upscaler. Native 4K hasn't been said either, so there's still room for.

It's also worth noting that Resident Evil 9 wouldn't be the first PS5 Pro game to offer 4K60 with ray tracing. Ghost of Yōtei already has an RT Pro mode that uses PSSR to give upscaled 4K at 60 FPS, and sometimes it even goes faster. Still, many fans hope that Resident Evil 9 will quietly release PSSR 2.0, which will improve graphics without slowing the game.

In the end, proof might not come until technical breakdowns after the launch from several reports and reviews, unless Sony or Capcom decides to make things clear ahead of time.

Why Marathon might be Sony's first real PSSR 2.0 show

Many people talk about PSSR 2.0 and Marathon simultaneously. Marathon is Bungie's new shooter and Sony's first big first-party release of the year. Many people think Sony's newest graphics technology should be showcased in Marathon, since it's a Sony-owned game coming out in 2026.

There have been some misunderstandings about Marathon's supposed internal settlement. Some people think PSSR 2.0 is involved because developers have talked about an internal image that was scaled down from 5K to 4K. On the other hand, standard upscaling methods might not work if the image is being rendered at that resolution and then downsampled.

However, timing is a stronger reason to back PSSR 2.0 than technical speculation. Sony will want its own games to show off the best features of the PS5 Pro, and Marathon, which comes out this year, is the right game to do just that.

Also, Saros is about to come out, another game many players are looking forward to and hope will support PSSR 2.0 at launch. Some people are worried that PSSR 2.0 might come out right after Saros, making early players wish they had waited for a visual update patch. It would be great if Sony released PSSR 2.0 early enough so that new games could use it right away. We don't know if that will happen through a big PS5 Pro system update or an announcement aimed at developers.

A new update for the PS5 finally adds real features.

There has been a lot of talk about new technology lately. Still, Sony has also quietly given players what they've been asking for: a PS5 system update that goes beyond vague "stability improvements."

The new system software update 26.01-12.60, which is now live, adds several features that make life better. One of the best new features is that you can now go straight from the Friends Activity window in the Welcome Hub to the games your friends are playing, which makes it easier to hang out with them.

Read receipts for messages are another long-requested feature that lets users see when their messages have been read. This feature was first added to the PlayStation App and is now available on the device as well.

Along with the normal performance and stability improvements, Sony has also made it easier to read messages on some screens. Even though these changes aren't revolutionary, they are a big step forward from the last few small updates that didn't do much more than tweak the backend.

Interestingly, this update comes out right before people thought the next big PS5 system software test would be announced next month. Some fans are cautiously hopeful that bigger features, like folders on the home screen, might finally be on the way, but others are not so sure.

GTA 6 rumor says digital-only launch could push back physical copies.

This week's most controversial story is about Grand Theft Auto 6 and a rumor that has fans who still like real media angry. Industry talk credited to PPE sources says that GTA 6 might only be available digitally at first, with physical copies coming out weeks later or maybe not at all until 2027.

That this approach was chosen has something to do with stopping leaks. Rockstar has had to deal with big leaks before games even came out. Usually, this is because stores got physical copies early. A digital-only release would make it much less likely that story spoilers would show up online before the book comes out.

This method wouldn't change much for people who mostly buy internet games. But PlayStation and Nintendo still have strong physical markets, which means a later disc release could be bad for some fans.

The report also says Rockstar might discuss GTA 6 in more detail in the middle of February. It's still not clear whether that update will specifically address the real vs. digital situation or just provide general news.

As always, you should be careful with unconfirmed claims.

The launch plan for GTA 6 is still up in the air until Rockstar makes a public announcement. The PlayStation is about to reach a turning point. Improvements to the PS5 Pro are on the way, and important system updates are finally here. Meanwhile, GTA 6 is still making news even before it comes out. The next few months are not going to be quiet, with the release of PSSR 2.0, new features on consoles, and the future of owning real games.