Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Enables Upgraded PSSR and Extended Ray Tracing Across Every PS5 Pro Mode

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is approaching its July 9, 2026 launch, and Ubisoft has now detailed how the rebuilt pirate adventure will use the additional graphics capabilities of PlayStation 5 Pro. Through a new technical trailer and an official PlayStation Blog post, the publisher confirmed support for the latest upgraded version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, alongside expanded ray traced global illumination and specular reflections.

The game has been rebuilt from the ground up using the latest version of Ubisoft’s Anvil Engine rather than being treated as a conventional resolution and texture remaster. The modernized release includes 60 FPS gameplay options, HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, DualSense haptic feedback, updated rendering systems, dynamic weather, improved water simulation, and new geometry technology designed to reduce visible transitions between environmental detail levels. These upgrades build on the broader gameplay and visual changes previously covered in our Black Flag Resynced reveal report.

“We rebuilt the game from the ground up on the latest version of the Anvil engine, modernizing nearly every system while preserving the spirit and the identity of the original game. The result is an experience tailored for modern PlayStation hardware, with 60 FPS options, HDR support, Dolby Atmos, DualSense haptic feedback, and plenty of other improvements.”
— Nicolas Lopez and Jussi Markkanen, Ubisoft

Both PlayStation 5 models will offer Performance, Fidelity, and Balanced graphics modes, with every option producing an upscaled 2160p output. Performance mode targets 60 FPS, Fidelity mode targets 30 FPS, and Balanced mode targets 40 FPS. The Balanced option requires a compatible high frame rate display and an HDMI 2.1 connection. On the standard PlayStation 5, ray traced global illumination is enabled across all 3 modes, while ray traced specular reflections are limited to Balanced and Fidelity. PlayStation 5 Pro enables both ray traced global illumination and specular reflections across Performance, Balanced, and Fidelity modes.

The PlayStation 5 Pro version also uses upgraded PSSR across every graphics mode to reconstruct a sharper and more stable 4K image. Sony officially refers to the technology as upgraded PSSR, describing it as its next generation machine learning based reconstruction system. The technology is designed to improve fine detail, motion clarity, temporal stability, and image consistency, potentially reducing the visible quality gap between Performance and Fidelity modes.

Ubisoft is also taking advantage of the Pro console’s additional processing headroom to improve strand based hair rendering. Edward Kenway receives individual strand simulation across every PS5 Pro graphics mode, while nearby crowd characters gain the feature during gameplay in Fidelity mode. Cinematic sequences use strand based hair across the wider character cast regardless of the selected mode.

Lighting is another major focus of the remake. Instead of depending primarily on precomputed solutions, the rebuilt Caribbean reacts dynamically to changing weather, time of day, interiors, storms, and environmental conditions. Ray traced diffuse lighting allows light to bounce between surfaces and produce more natural shading, while specular reflections improve the appearance of wet timber, metallic objects, ocean spray, and reflective surfaces. Ubisoft’s Atmos system also simulates temperature, humidity, wind, and vapor density, allowing weather conditions to influence clouds, vegetation, sails, clothing, particles, and character hair.

“When rebuilding Assassin’s Creed Black Flag on the latest version of Anvil, our goal wasn’t only to modernize technology. We wanted to strengthen the sense of immersion, adventure, and discovery that made Edward Kenway’s journey so memorable in the first place. PlayStation 5 hardware has given us the opportunity to push that experience further than ever before, from the way the world looks and sounds, to how it feels.”
— Nicolas Lopez and Jussi Markkanen, Ubisoft

These technical improvements arrive alongside major changes to parkour, stealth, combat, naval systems, and mission design. Ubisoft has already confirmed more responsive movement, unrestricted crouching, updated Eagle Vision features, redesigned takedowns, revised defensive mechanics, and new officer systems for the Jackdaw, which we explored in our gameplay modernization report. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Ubisoft Connect, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.

Ubisoft appears to be using PlayStation 5 Pro intelligently rather than simply increasing resolution or enabling a single premium graphics preset. Providing extended ray tracing across all 3 modes gives players meaningful flexibility, especially for those who prioritize 60 FPS without completely sacrificing advanced lighting and reflection effects. The real test will be whether upgraded PSSR can preserve fine foliage, hair, ship rigging, ocean detail, and distant geometry during fast camera movement, which are precisely the visual elements that can expose weaknesses in reconstruction technology.

Black Flag remains one of Ubisoft’s most visually distinctive open worlds, and its combination of dense tropical vegetation, reflective water, rapidly changing weather, large naval battles, and detailed cities makes it a demanding showcase for modern rendering. Should these systems perform consistently at launch, Resynced could become one of the strongest technical demonstrations available on PlayStation 5 Pro while still delivering a scalable experience for players on the standard console.

Would you choose the 60 FPS Performance mode with full PS5 Pro ray tracing, or would you prefer Fidelity mode for the highest possible visual quality?