ARC Raiders gets sharper visuals on PS5 Pro with its Riven Tides update

ARC Raiders is getting a major update, and PS5 Pro players are receiving one of its most important technical upgrades. Embark Studios has confirmed that update 1.26, called Riven Tides, adds support for the upgraded version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, also known as PSSR. The update is available from April 28.

PSSR is Sony’s machine-learning upscaling technology for PS5 Pro. In simple terms, it helps the game produce a sharper image without needing to render everything at a higher native resolution. Embark says the upgraded version should make ARC Raiders look cleaner and more stable on PS5 Pro, especially in busy environments with lots of small details, motion, particles, and lighting effects.

Riven Tides gives ARC Raiders players a new map and PS5 Pro owners a cleaner image without lowering performance

The visual upgrade is focused on image quality. According to Embark, the improved PSSR reduces flickering, shimmering, and ghosting. That should help in a game like ARC Raiders, where players often move through detailed outdoor areas while fighting machines, watching drones, and dealing with effects like rain, dust, and explosions.

Embark’s technical art director Mikael Linderholm said the improved PSSR increases image quality and stability while reducing visual noise, without reducing performance. Engine lead Robert Kihl also said the technology needed little fine-tuning and worked well across the game’s wide range of complex scenes.

The update is not only about graphics. Riven Tides also brings a new map, a new map condition, new items, a new ARC enemy, a limited-time event, and new cosmetics. For players who have been waiting for more content, this is likely the bigger reason to return.

The new enemy is called the ARC Turbine, while the new items include the Powered Descender and Crash Mat. Both are designed to help players deal with vertical movement challenges when going Topside. The Last Resort event also starts with the update and runs until May 25, giving players Merits for finding small Ship Models and letting them trade those Merits for rewards.

Base PS5 owners are not getting the new PSSR upgrade because it is a PS5 Pro feature. However, Embark says the regular PS5 version will continue using TSR upscaling, which remains unchanged in this patch.

For PS5 Pro players, this update should make ARC Raiders look cleaner without forcing a performance trade-off. For everyone else, Riven Tides still looks like a strong content update. It gives players a new place to explore, new tools to use, and a new threat to fight, which is exactly what the game needed after months of players asking for more content.