Ubisoft dropped a new trailer for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced meant to show off how the game performs on PS5 Pro. The result? Blurry tree leaves five seconds in, sand that looks like it was rendered on a potato, and compression artifacts at multiple points throughout the clip. The game itself probably looks great. The trailer does not.
Why the trailer looks worse than the game probably does
Here's the thing: this isn't Ubisoft's fault. YouTube compresses every video uploaded to its platform, squashing file data to reduce bitrate demand and keep streams accessible to users on slower connections. The side effect is that footage which looks sharp on a PS5 Pro connected to a 4K display turns into a muddy mess by the time it reaches most viewers.
The compression problem is especially visible in motion-heavy scenes. Fast-moving objects like hair, sand particles, and distant foliage lose definition because compression struggles most with rapid pixel changes across frames. In the Black Flag Resynced trailer, protagonist Edward Kenway's hair blurs noticeably at certain timestamps, and background details dissolve into vague shapes.
YouTube does allocate meaningfully higher bitrates to 4K uploads: between 45 and 68 mbps depending on frame rate, compared to just 12 mbps for 1080p content. That gap is enormous, and it's exactly why the upload resolution choice matters so much for trailers trying to sell a premium visual experience.
The 4K upscaling workaround studios aren't using
Black Flag Resynced on PS5 Pro runs at 4K through upscaling, the same approach the standard PS5 uses. Ubisoft hasn't confirmed the game's target internal resolution. But whatever that resolution is, there's a smarter path to a better-looking trailer.
Uploading footage upscaled to 4K, even if the source is 1080p or 1440p, tricks YouTube into applying the higher 4K bitrate allocation to the file. That extra breathing room means less degradation during compression, which means fewer artifacts in fast-moving scenes. The blurry sand and indistinct background objects that make the current trailer look rough would likely disappear entirely with that approach.
Alternatively, downscaling higher-resolution footage to 1080p before upload also produces better results than a straight 1080p capture. The image retains more detail from the higher-resolution source even after YouTube's compression pipeline processes it.
What this actually means for players watching trailers
The practical takeaway is that the trailer is not an accurate representation of how Black Flag Resynced will look running on PS5 Pro hardware. If you're trying to judge the visual upgrade before launch, a compressed YouTube trailer is genuinely one of the worst ways to do it.
This matters because PS5 Pro exists specifically to deliver a visual premium over the base console. Trailers are the primary marketing tool for communicating that premium to consumers. Releasing footage that actively undersells the hardware's output works against the entire point of the exercise.
The game launches July 9, so there's still time for Ubisoft to put out cleaner footage before release. If you want to know what's actually new in the game beyond the visual side, the every new feature explained guide covers the confirmed changes coming with Resynced, from dual-wield combat to the three new officers joining the roster.
For everything else you need before picking up the game, including platform availability and how long a full playthrough takes, the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced guide collection has you covered ahead of launch.
