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For a PS5 Pro, start with Ray Tracing mode if you want the Witcher 3’s most advanced lighting: the Remastered version uses PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) for a 60-FPS target with ray tracing enabled. Choose Performance mode when response, frame-rate headroom and lower latency matter more; on a compatible VRR display it can reach up to 90 FPS. Both figures are targets, not a promise that every scene will hold one exact frame rate.
Before judging either mode, update the game through patch 5.01 or later, configure the complete 4K/120-Hz/VRR signal chain, and calibrate HDR on your own display rather than copying slider numbers from another television.
PS5 Pro mode comparison at a glance
The PS5 Pro Remastered release changes the practical choice compared with the original PlayStation 5 version. PlayStation’s December 2022 description said the original next-generation Performance Mode prioritized 60 FPS while Ray Tracing aimed for 30 FPS. That historical description still appears in older guides, but it does not describe the newer PS5 Pro behavior documented by CD PROJEKT RED.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing | Ray-traced lighting and the highest visual emphasis | 60-FPS target on PS5 Pro with PSSR and ray tracing enabled | Helpful for smoothing variation, but the mode is not described as requiring VRR | Players who notice lighting, reflections and atmosphere before input latency |
| Performance | Prioritizes frame-rate headroom over ray-traced lighting | 60-FPS target; up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display | VRR is the clearest way to use the advertised high-refresh headroom | Fast combat, lowest perceived latency and high-refresh displays |
Use Ray Tracing first if you bought the PS5 Pro primarily for visual quality. Switch to Performance if camera movement, parrying, horse riding or menu response feels better with a steadier high-refresh presentation. There is no universally superior choice: your display, viewing distance and sensitivity to latency determine which compromise you notice.
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Update the game before changing graphics settings
Install the latest Witcher 3 update before comparing modes or calibrating HDR. Patch 5.01 added Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field controls, along with optimizations and visual adjustments affecting tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing. A setting comparison made on an older patch may not match the current image or performance.
What to check after the update
- Confirm the title has finished downloading and installing the patch before launching a save.
- Open the graphics menu and verify that the new Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field options are present.
- Note your current mode and HDR calibration so you can return to them if a change looks worse.
- Change one option at a time. Simultaneous changes make it difficult to tell whether a visual adjustment or a mode switch caused a difference.
Prepare the TV or monitor for 4K, 120 Hz and VRR
VRR and 120-Hz output work only when every part of the chain supports the requested signal: the PS5 Pro, the HDMI cable, the selected display input and the television or monitor’s firmware and settings. A 120-Hz panel with an HDMI input limited to lower bandwidth will not deliver the same result as its advertised gaming input.
Display-side setup
- Open the display’s settings and enable its Game, HDMI Enhanced, Input Signal Plus or equivalent mode for the HDMI port connected to the PS5 Pro. The exact label varies by manufacturer.
- Enable VRR or Adaptive Sync for that input. If the display offers a choice between a broad and narrow VRR range, start with the manufacturer’s normal gaming setting.
- Select the display input that explicitly supports 4K at 120 Hz. Some televisions reserve their highest bandwidth for only one or two HDMI sockets.
- Turn off processing modes that add latency, such as motion interpolation, when using the display’s game preset. Keep filmmaker or cinema processing for non-game inputs instead of mixing it with the console’s low-latency path.
PS5 Pro output check
- On the PS5 Pro, open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output.
- Review the information shown for resolution, HDR, 120-Hz output and VRR. The console should identify the capabilities of the connected display rather than showing them as unavailable.
- Use the built-in test options for SDR and HDR at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, plus the VRR test where supported. Sony’s output screen is the quickest way to find a missing capability before troubleshooting the game itself.
- Set 120-Hz Output to Automatic unless you have a specific compatibility reason to force another value. Leave VRR on when the display reports support.
- Reconnect the cable directly to the display if an AV receiver, soundbar or HDMI switch prevents the console from detecting 4K/120-Hz or VRR. Verify each intermediate device’s specifications before adding it back into the chain.
Use a suitable high-bandwidth HDMI connection and the display input rated for the features you intend to use. No particular cable brand or model is required by the documented setup guidance; the important result is that the PS5 Pro’s Video Output screen detects 4K, HDR, 120 Hz and VRR as applicable.
Choose Ray Tracing or Performance mode
Ray Tracing mode: the visual-first choice
On PS5 Pro, Ray Tracing mode is the starting point for ray-traced lighting without accepting the original console version’s 30-FPS target. CD PROJEKT RED describes PSSR as enabling a smooth 60 frames per second with ray tracing turned on. PSSR reconstructs the image so the console can pursue that target while rendering the more demanding lighting features.
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Expect the biggest benefit in scenes where illumination defines the mood: interiors with several light sources, wet surfaces, night scenes and foliage or architecture that gains depth from indirect lighting. A 60-FPS target does not mean a locked 60 in every combat encounter, weather state or dense settlement. VRR can make deviations less distracting if your display supports it, but it cannot create frames the game does not render.
Performance mode: the response-first choice
Performance mode targets 60 FPS and is the mode with the clearest official high-refresh benefit: CD PROJEKT RED lists up to 90 FPS when VRR is available. The exact result depends on the scene and the display’s VRR window. On a 60-Hz-only screen, you should not expect the advertised 90-FPS headroom to appear; the panel cannot refresh at that rate.
Choose this mode for rapid camera turns, precision dodges, parries and a consistently responsive controller feel. It is also the safer choice if you sit close to a large screen and are more sensitive to uneven frame pacing than to differences in lighting. With VRR enabled, the display follows the console’s changing output rate instead of presenting a fixed refresh cadence, reducing visible tearing and judder within its supported range.
How to decide in a repeatable way
- Load the same save in a visually busy area, preferably one with interior lighting and a nearby exterior transition.
- Play for several minutes in Ray Tracing mode, including combat and a fast camera pan. Pay attention to lighting depth, reflections and any perceived hitching.
- Switch to Performance mode without changing the display preset. Repeat the same movement and combat actions.
- Keep the mode whose compromise bothers you less. If both look similar on your screen, Performance is the practical default because it provides more frame-rate headroom; if the lighting difference is obvious and motion remains comfortable, keep Ray Tracing.
Configure HDR without copying a universal slider value
The Remastered feature list confirms HDR support, and a documented fix addressed consoles where HDR settings sometimes failed to appear. HDR controls remain display-dependent: there is no official universal number that produces correct brightness on every OLED, LCD or monitor.
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Set the signal path first
- Enable HDR on the display’s gaming input, using its automatic or enhanced HDR option if available.
- On the PS5 Pro, open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output and confirm HDR is detected. Run the console’s HDR adjustment screens before entering the game.
- Launch Witcher 3 and open its HDR calibration screen. If the game does not show HDR controls, recheck the display’s HDR mode, the HDMI input and the console’s detection result before changing other graphics options.
Calibrate for shadow detail and highlights
Use the game’s calibration pattern as a visual reference rather than a memorized number. Lower the black or brightness control until the darkest symbol is barely distinguishable without turning black areas gray. Raise it slightly if near-black details disappear in caves, interiors or dark clothing.
For paper-white or peak-brightness controls, start from the television’s measured peak value or the manufacturer’s specification when the game requests one. Then make small adjustments while viewing both a dark scene and a bright outdoor scene. Clouds, snow and intense light sources should retain texture; if they become flat white shapes, highlights are clipping. Conversely, an image that preserves every highlight but makes the whole scene dim can be set too low for comfortable play.
Recheck calibration after changing the display picture preset, enabling a different HDR tone-mapping option or moving the console to another HDMI input. Those changes alter the signal path, so a slider value that looked correct previously may no longer be appropriate.
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Use the graphics toggles added in patch 5.01
Patch 5.01 exposes three additional controls: Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field. Their purpose is to let you choose how strongly certain post-processing effects appear, rather than forcing every player to use one presentation.
Bloom
Bloom spreads a soft glow around bright objects such as lamps, flames and strong sunlight. Keep it enabled if you like a luminous, cinematic image. Reduce or disable it when halos obscure small details, make text harder to read or exaggerate bright areas after HDR calibration. Judge Bloom in both a dark interior and a sunny outdoor scene; a setting that looks restrained in daylight may still overwhelm candlelight.
Light Shafts
Light Shafts, sometimes called god rays, make beams visible through fog, dust or foliage. They add atmosphere in forests and interiors with windows, but the effect is most noticeable when the scene contains a strong directional light. Leave the option on for an enveloping presentation, or lower it if you prefer a cleaner image with less visible volumetric structure. Compare the same location in motion because stationary screenshots can overstate or understate the effect.
Depth of Field
Depth of Field blurs parts of the image outside the camera’s focus plane, particularly during dialogue, close-ups and some cinematic moments. Keep it on if you want a film-like separation between Geralt and the background. Turn it down or off when you want distant environmental detail to remain sharp or when blur causes eye strain. This preference is independent of HDR brightness and does not replace the game’s broader graphics-mode selection.
A sensible tuning order
- Choose Ray Tracing or Performance first, because that decision changes the overall rendering and frame-rate target.
- Calibrate HDR with Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field at their preferred baseline.
- Adjust Bloom, then Light Shafts, then Depth of Field while viewing representative gameplay scenes.
- After every change, revisit one dark HDR scene and one bright outdoor scene so a pleasing effect does not hide crushed shadows or clipped highlights.
Recommended presets by priority
| Your priority | Mode | Display setup | HDR approach | Effect controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most advanced lighting | Ray Tracing | 4K-capable display; VRR is useful but not mandatory | Calibrate until dark detail remains visible and clouds, snow and lamps retain texture | Keep Bloom and Light Shafts on if you enjoy a cinematic image; set Depth of Field to taste |
| Lowest latency and smoothest motion | Performance | 120-Hz display with VRR enabled and detected by the PS5 Pro | Use the same scene-based calibration; do not raise brightness to compensate for motion preferences | Reduce effects that distract from fast movement, especially excessive Bloom or Depth of Field |
| 60-Hz television | Ray Tracing or Performance, based on lighting preference | Confirm 4K and HDR detection; 120-Hz and up-to-90-FPS benefits are unavailable on a 60-Hz panel | Use the panel’s own HDR behavior as the reference | Choose the clearest image at normal seating distance |
| VRR troubleshooting | Performance is the easiest mode in which to observe high-refresh headroom | Game/HDMI enhanced mode, correct high-bandwidth input, VRR on, console detection verified | Calibrate only after the signal is stable | Leave effects unchanged while diagnosing connection problems |
Troubleshoot common results
The game looks capped at 60 FPS
Check the display’s refresh rate and the PS5 Pro’s Video Output detection. A 60-Hz panel cannot show 90-FPS output, and a television may require its enhanced HDMI mode before it reports 120 Hz. If VRR is not detected, inspect the HDMI input and any receiver or switch between the console and display.
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VRR is enabled but motion still tears or judders
Confirm VRR is enabled both on the display and in the console’s output settings. Make sure the game is running on the display input that supports VRR and that the output rate remains within the panel’s VRR range. VRR smooths supported variations; it does not guarantee a fixed frame rate or compensate for every processing mode on the television.
HDR controls are missing
Verify that the display is in HDR mode and that the PS5 Pro identifies HDR in Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Recheck the cable and HDMI port, then update the game. Patch documentation records a fix for cases where HDR settings failed to appear, so an outdated installation can produce a different menu.
The HDR image is gray or loses detail
Re-run calibration after returning the display to its normal game HDR preset. Lower the black-level or brightness control if dark areas look lifted; raise it only enough to reveal near-black detail. If clouds, snow or lamps have no texture, reduce the peak or highlight setting. Avoid copying values from another model because panel brightness and tone mapping differ.
Ray Tracing feels less smooth than expected
The published figure is a 60-FPS target, not a guarantee for every scene. Test Performance mode in the same location. If the higher response is more valuable than ray-traced lighting, keep Performance; if the difference is occasional and your display’s VRR makes it unobtrusive, Ray Tracing remains a valid choice.
Quick Recap
What to remember
- Ray Tracing on PS5 Pro is the visual-first starting point, with PSSR supporting a 60-FPS target while ray tracing is enabled.
- Performance targets 60 FPS and can reach up to 90 FPS with VRR on a compatible display.
- 120-Hz and VRR benefits require a working end-to-end chain: the display input, its gaming settings, the HDMI connection and PS5 Pro detection must all agree.
- HDR has no universal slider value. Calibrate for visible shadow detail and textured highlights on your own panel.
- Install patch 5.01 or later before comparing modes; Bloom, Light Shafts, Depth of Field and several rendering adjustments can change the result.
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