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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For most action RPGs on PS5, start with Performance Mode if smoother movement and responsive combat matter most. Choose Quality Mode if you prefer richer visuals and are comfortable with a lower frame-rate target. The best setting depends on the game, your display, and what feels better to you: “Performance” and “Quality” are broad labels, not fixed technical standards.
What Performance and Quality modes change
PlayStation describes Performance Mode as making game motion smoother and Resolution Mode as providing higher graphic quality. Those presets apply only to games that offer them, and each game can implement and name its options differently. A mode label alone does not guarantee a particular resolution or frame rate.
In an action RPG, smoother motion can make dodging, parrying, aiming, and camera movement easier to follow. Quality mode may better suit players who value image detail and visual presentation over a higher frame-rate target. These are trade-offs to judge on your own screen, not a universal ranking of which mode is best.
Compare the options the game actually offers
Official PS5 game listings illustrate why it is useful to check each title’s specifications rather than assume the labels mean the same thing everywhere.
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| PS5 game | Quality or Graphics | Balanced | Performance | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wuchang: Fallen Feathers | 30 FPS | 40 FPS | 60 FPS | Balanced requires a 120Hz-compatible display. These are the rates listed on the PlayStation game page. |
| Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered | 4K/30fps | 4K/40fps | 4K/60fps | PlayStation identifies these as target frame rates; 4K requires a compatible 4K screen. See the PlayStation game page. |
| Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | Graphics Mode emphasizes 4K | Not specified in the cited interview | Performance Mode emphasizes 60 FPS | Director Naoki Hamaguchi describes the options as selectable in the menu; the PlayStation.Blog interview does not give a Balanced target. |
These examples describe specific PS5 implementations, not a rule for every title. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered explicitly calls its listed rates targets, so they should not be read as a promise that every scene will remain at those rates.
How to choose a mode for an action RPG
Start with Performance for movement and combat
Choose Performance first if you want motion to look smoother or find it easier to track combat when the image updates more frequently. Play for a while in the situations that matter to you—such as a crowded fight or a fast camera turn—and decide whether the difference improves your experience.
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Choose Quality for visual detail
Try Quality if image detail, resolution, or the game’s visual presentation matters more to you and its lower frame-rate target feels acceptable. Quality does not automatically mean native 4K; check the individual game’s description for what its mode emphasizes.
Try Balanced when the game and display support it
A Balanced option can offer a middle ground, but its target and display requirements vary by title. For example, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers lists 40 FPS for Balanced on PS5 and specifies a 120Hz-compatible display requirement. That requirement applies to this option in this game; it is not a general requirement for Performance Mode.
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Do you need a 120Hz display?
Not simply to choose between Performance and Quality. A higher-refresh-rate display matters only when a particular game option or output feature requires and supports it. PlayStation’s guidance says 120Hz output requires a game that supports that frame rate, while VRR requires support from both the TV and the game. Wuchang’s Balanced mode is one specific example with a 120Hz-compatible-display requirement.
On PS5, the console’s resolution setting can be left at Automatic, which selects the highest resolution supported by the connected TV. Console output settings do not replace a game’s own graphics-mode implementation. Check the title’s options and its PS5 video-output guidance when you are unsure which display features are available.
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Check the game’s menu before deciding
- Open the game’s settings or options menu and find its graphics, display, or video section.
- Read the description for each mode. Look for stated frame-rate targets, resolution or image-quality priorities, and any compatible-screen requirement.
- Pick the mode that best matches your preference, then try it during movement and combat. Switch modes if the visual trade-off does not feel worthwhile.
- If you are considering 120Hz output or VRR, confirm that both the game and your display support the feature; console output settings alone cannot add game support.
PlayStation’s general description of the presets is in its guide to customizing game presets on PS5. Some games use other labels: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth calls its higher-detail option Graphics Mode, while the director describes it as emphasizing 4K and Performance Mode as emphasizing 60 FPS.
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