Embark Studios is readying a technical leap for its breakout extraction shooter, ARC Raiders, with the announcement of a free PlayStation 5 Pro upgrade scheduled to arrive on April 28. The upcoming 1.26 update will integrate an advanced version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s proprietary machine-learning upscaling technology, to sharpen the title’s visual output and stabilize performance on the mid-generation console.
While the base PlayStation 5 will continue to utilize Temporal Super Resolution (TSR), PS5 Pro owners will see a move toward more sophisticated pixel reconstruction. According to details shared via the PlayStation Blog, this specific iteration of PSSR is designed to mitigate common upscaling issues like flickering and shimmering, which often plague high-detail environments. The developers have highlighted significant improvements to the game’s rain system, noting that the AI-driven upscaling effectively reduces ghosting on translucent effects, providing a cleaner image during heavy weather cycles.
This technical refinement comes at a pivotal moment for the title, coinciding with the launch of the Riven Tides update. As the most substantial content drop since the game’s October 2025 debut, Riven Tides introduces a brand-new map and the ARC Turbine enemy. Since ARC Raiders helped solidify the extraction shooter genre as a mainstream pillar last year, maintaining a high visual standard is essential for player retention as competition in the space intensifies.
Embark Studios has indicated that this isn’t the final ceiling for the game’s presentation. The studio remains committed to exploring new hardware capabilities and upscaling techniques as they evolve. With the 1.26 update completing the objectives laid out in the 2026 roadmap, the focus now shifts to how the developer will sustain this momentum throughout the rest of the year. For now, the April 28 patch stands as a clear signal that the studio is prioritizing the high-end console experience for its growing player base.
