This $10 upgrade for current-gen consoles needs work.
(And in fact, the same is true for the PS4 edition running on a PS5 system.)
Grass is more abundant, trees are redrawn and textures are reworked.
From the word go, it results in a more densely layered opening area.
It’s perhaps less of an objective improvement, and more of an artistic side-step.
Not all textures are radically changed, mind you, but certainly enough to hold up to closer scrutiny.
Another obvious change is the addition of volumetric lighting to the world.
Interior areas now have a satisfying density to the air when populated with dust, mist, or steam.
Materials and lighting are radically overhauled at points, but it’s not a universal success.
For example, shadow draw is pruned back.
We also spotted missing dynamic shadows below characters and objects in some indoor scenes.
It’s a very mixed turnout then.
And oddly enough, Series S sticks to its native 972p presentation in performance mode too.
In addition to the frame-pacing problems, there are also drops below 30fps, especially on PS5.
Even VRR displays will struggle to hide such huge fluctuations between 30 and 60fps.
The state of performance puts a huge damper on the Spacer’s Choice Edition.
They certainly feel much nicer to play, with a more consistent 60fps.
As a paid upgrade, The Spacer’s Choice Edition is best avoided for now.
