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Choose Performance Mode if responsive swordplay, aiming and camera movement matter most. On the 2022 next-generation build for base PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, it targets 60 frames per second; Ray Tracing Mode targets 30 FPS but adds ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. Choose Ray Tracing when you prefer richer, more atmospheric lighting and can accept the slower response.
That advice changes for the September 2026 Remastered release. On PS5, Ray Tracing Mode targets 60 FPS, while Performance Mode targets 60 FPS at higher resolution and can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR display. PS5 Pro also offers 60-FPS ray tracing with PSSR. Xbox Series S has no ray tracing: its choice is 30-FPS Quality or 60-FPS Performance. Identify your edition and console before changing the setting.
Quick recommendation by console and version
| Platform and build | Performance option | Ray Tracing or Quality option | Best default |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 or Xbox Series X, 2022 next-generation build | Dynamic resolution, 60-FPS target | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, dynamic resolution, 30-FPS target | Performance for combat and camera responsiveness; Ray Tracing for lighting |
| Xbox Series S, 2022 next-generation build | 60-FPS target | Quality, higher resolution and image fidelity at a 30-FPS target; no ray tracing | Performance unless you deliberately prefer a steadier cinematic 30 FPS |
| PS5, September 2026 Remastered | Higher resolution, 60-FPS target, up to 90 FPS with VRR | Enhanced lighting, 60-FPS target | Performance for sharper resolution; Ray Tracing for lighting if your display supports the mode well |
| PS5 Pro, September 2026 Remastered | Higher-resolution 60 FPS with VRR support | 60-FPS ray tracing with PSSR | Ray Tracing is now a practical 60-FPS choice; select Performance for maximum resolution |
| PC | Depends on GPU, resolution, settings and upscaler | Depends on the same variables; no console-style guarantee | Use an FPS overlay and tune for the frame rate your system actually sustains |
These are official targets, not guarantees that every scene will hold the number. Crowded cities, weather, combat effects and travel can produce fluctuations.
What the two modes actually change
Frame rate and control response
Frame rate determines how often the game updates its image. A 60-FPS target presents a new frame about every 16.7 milliseconds; a 30-FPS target presents one about every 33.3 milliseconds. The lower interval does not make Geralt faster, but it makes camera movement, parries, dodges and menu navigation feel more immediate. It also reduces the visible judder when you turn the camera.
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On the 2022 PS5 and Xbox Series X build, CD PROJEKT RED and PlayStation describe Performance Mode as prioritizing 60 FPS and Ray Tracing Mode as aiming for 30 FPS. The 30-FPS figure is an operating target, not a claim that every frame is perfectly even. A stable 30 can look better than an uneven 40, while a stable 60 is generally easier to control in fast fights.
Lighting, shadows and ambient occlusion
Ray Tracing Mode’s defining features are ray-traced global illumination and ray-traced ambient occlusion. Global illumination models how light bounces through a scene, so interiors, streets and outdoor areas can receive more plausible indirect light. Ambient occlusion adds contact shading where surfaces meet, helping objects appear grounded instead of floating.
You will notice the difference most in dusk, night and indoor scenes, around torchlight, under foliage, and where characters stand close to walls or objects. Ray tracing is not a universal texture-quality upgrade: it changes lighting behavior. A Performance image can still look sharp and attractive, especially when you are moving, but its lighting may be less physically detailed.
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Both 2022 modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X use dynamic resolution. The game can lower internal resolution during demanding moments to protect its frame-rate target and raise it again when there is spare performance. Fine geometry, distant foliage and hair can therefore appear softer in motion than in a static screenshot.
The 2026 Remastered Performance mode is described as offering a higher resolution while targeting 60 FPS. On PS5 Pro, PSSR reconstruction is used with 60-FPS ray tracing. Reconstruction can improve apparent detail without rendering every pixel natively, but the result still depends on the scene, display and movement.
The 2022 next-generation build on PS5 and Xbox Series X
Performance Mode
- Target: 60 FPS.
- Resolution behavior: Dynamic resolution adjusts to workload.
- Strengths: Faster camera response, more immediate dodges and attacks, and smoother traversal.
- Trade-off: It does not provide the ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion available in Ray Tracing Mode.
Performance is the safest starting point for a first playthrough. The Witcher 3 has frequent horseback travel, quick camera swings and timing-sensitive combat; those activities expose a 30-FPS cadence more than a slow conversation does. Choose it when you would rather have consistent control than inspect lighting differences.
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Ray Tracing Mode
- Target: 30 FPS.
- Lighting: Ray-traced global illumination and ray-traced ambient occlusion.
- Resolution behavior: Dynamic resolution.
- Strengths: More convincing indirect light and contact shading, particularly in interiors, at night and around artificial light sources.
- Trade-off: The lower frame-rate target makes panning and combat feel less immediate.
Ray Tracing is worthwhile for a slower, cinematic play style: exploration, screenshots, dialogue and a large television viewed from a normal distance. It is less attractive if 30 FPS causes you to miss parries, over-correct the camera or feel motion judder.
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Xbox Series S: do not look for a ray-tracing toggle
The Series S version of the 2022 build does not include ray-tracing features. Its relevant choices are Quality and Performance:
| Mode | Target | What changes | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 30 FPS | Higher resolution and better image fidelity than Performance | You prefer a steadier cinematic presentation and do not need rapid camera response |
| Performance | 60 FPS | Lower rendering load to raise frame rate | You value combat timing, traversal and smooth camera motion |
Calling Series S Quality “ray tracing” would be inaccurate. The 30-FPS option improves fidelity within the console’s feature set; it does not add the ray-traced lighting available on the larger consoles.
What changes in the September 2026 Remastered
CD PROJEKT RED’s September 28, 2026 Remastered feature article changes the old 30-versus-60 decision on PS5. Confirm that your title screen and installed product are the Remastered release before applying 2022 advice.
PS5 Remastered modes
| Mode | Official target | Main benefit | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing Mode | 60 FPS | Enhanced lighting at a 60-FPS target | Players who want ray-traced atmosphere without dropping to the old 30-FPS target |
| Performance Mode | 60 FPS; up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display | Higher resolution and optional extra smoothness with VRR | Players who prioritize image sharpness or own a 120-Hz/VRR display |
Because both modes target 60 FPS, the choice is now primarily lighting versus resolution, not responsiveness versus a cinematic frame rate. “Up to 90 FPS” applies to the Remastered Performance mode on a suitable VRR setup; it is not a promise that every scene reaches 90.
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The Remastered PS5 Pro configuration supports 60-FPS ray tracing with PSSR. Performance Mode remains a higher-resolution 60-FPS option and can use VRR. If your priority is seeing the new lighting while retaining responsive controls, Ray Tracing Mode is the logical PS5 Pro starting point. Pick Performance when maximum spatial detail matters more than ray-traced illumination.
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How to decide in five questions
1. Which build are you running?
Check the product name in your console library and the version information on the title screen. If it is the 2022 next-generation build on base PS5 or Series X, the central trade-off is 60 FPS versus 30 FPS with ray tracing. If it is the September 2026 Remastered, PS5 ray tracing targets 60 FPS and the old advice is no longer accurate.
2. Do you notice frame-rate differences?
Start a demanding fight or rotate the camera rapidly in a busy settlement. If 30 FPS looks juddery or makes aiming and parrying uncomfortable, use Performance on the 2022 build. If you barely notice the change and value moodier lighting, Ray Tracing may be more satisfying.
3. What do you look at most?
- Choose Performance for combat, horseback travel, quick camera turns and a high-refresh display.
- Choose Ray Tracing for interiors, night scenes, light sources, screenshots and visual atmosphere.
- On the Remastered PS5, choose between lighting and higher resolution because both primary modes target 60 FPS.
4. Does your display support VRR and 120 Hz?
VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh to changing frame times, which can make fluctuations appear less distracting. It cannot turn a 30-FPS target into 60 FPS. Sony notes that enhanced-frame-rate features can require a compatible television or monitor and an HDMI 2.1 cable. A 120-Hz panel alone does not create extra frames; the console and game must provide them.
5. Are you playing on Series S or PC?
On Series S, select between 30-FPS Quality and 60-FPS Performance; there is no ray-tracing choice. On PC, ignore the console labels and measure your own result because hardware and settings determine the outcome.
Changing the mode and checking the result
- Pause the game and open Options.
- Open the display or graphics section and locate the mode selector. The exact label can differ between the 2022 build and Remastered release.
- Select Performance, Ray Tracing or Quality, then apply the change if the game asks for confirmation.
- Return to a repeatable test area: a busy settlement, an interior with mixed lighting and a short combat encounter.
- Move the camera horizontally, sprint, ride and perform a dodge or parry. Judge motion consistency and control response separately from lighting quality.
- If you enabled VRR, verify it in the console and display settings and use the correct HDMI input and cable. Compare with VRR disabled only if you are diagnosing flicker or an unstable image.
Switching modes is reversible. Use the one that feels best for the activity rather than treating the setting as a permanent technical commitment.
Does Performance Mode look worse?
It can look different, but “worse” depends on what you value. Dynamic resolution may soften fine detail during heavy scenes, and the lighting lacks the ray-traced bounce and contact shading of the 2022 Ray Tracing preset. In return, motion is clearer and camera judder is reduced. At normal viewing distance, smoother movement can make the entire image easier to read than a sharper but slower frame sequence.
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On the 2026 Remastered PS5, Performance explicitly targets higher resolution, so the comparison is not simply “pretty mode versus ugly mode.” Ray Tracing supplies enhanced lighting; Performance supplies higher spatial detail and, with VRR, the possibility of frame rates up to 90 FPS.
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For the 2022 base-console build, choose Ray Tracing only when its lighting benefits outweigh the control cost for you. It is a good fit for exploration-focused sessions, cinematic play and players who are comfortable with 30 FPS. It is a poor fit when you play on higher difficulty, rely on precise parries, or are sensitive to camera judder.
For the 2026 Remastered PS5 and PS5 Pro, there is no need to surrender the 60-FPS target to obtain ray tracing. The remaining question is whether enhanced lighting or higher resolution is more visible on your screen. On PS5 Pro, PSSR and 60-FPS ray tracing make the lighting-first choice especially compelling.
PC: why the preset name is not a frame-rate promise
CD PROJEKT RED’s PC support guidance cautions that expected FPS can fluctuate with scene complexity, hardware configuration, graphics settings and output resolution. Its RT measurements use DLSS, FSR or XeSS on Auto, so those figures are configuration-specific rather than universal guarantees.
A practical PC selection process
- Set your monitor resolution and refresh rate first.
- Enable the upscaler supported by your GPU, then leave it on Auto initially if you are following the developer’s documented RT configuration.
- Choose a frame-rate cap your system can sustain in demanding settlements, not only in an empty field.
- Test ray-traced lighting separately from other settings. If the frame rate falls below your cap, lower resolution or reconstruction quality before assuming the preset is defective.
- Use an on-screen frame-time or FPS overlay during combat, traversal and weather. A brief peak FPS number is less useful than consistent frame pacing.
There is no defensible single “Performance Mode FPS” for all PCs. GPU model, CPU load, resolution, upscaler, ray-tracing options and the scene being rendered all matter.
Common problems and fixes
The game still feels like 30 FPS after selecting Performance
- Confirm you are not running the 2022 Ray Tracing or Series S Quality mode.
- Check that the mode change was applied and restart the game if the version requires it.
- Disable display-side motion processing while testing; television interpolation can mask the actual game cadence.
- On PC, check frame-time data rather than relying on the preset name.
VRR is unavailable or the image flickers
- Confirm the television or monitor supports VRR over the connected input.
- Use a compatible HDMI 2.1 cable and the display’s enhanced-bandwidth input when required.
- Enable VRR in both the console and display menus.
- If flicker persists, disable VRR temporarily and compare; VRR improves variable frame delivery but is not mandatory for a 60-FPS mode.
Ray Tracing looks too dark, soft or distracting
Evaluate it in several locations rather than one screenshot. Ray tracing changes indirect light and contact shading, while dynamic resolution can respond to scene load. If the lighting gain is not visible from your seating distance or the lower frame rate bothers you, switch to Performance. On Remastered PS5, try the other 60-FPS mode before accepting a 30-FPS compromise that no longer applies.
Recommended defaults
| Your situation | Recommended mode | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Base PS5 or Series X, 2022 build, first playthrough | Performance | 60-FPS target suits combat and exploration |
| Base PS5 or Series X, 2022 build, visual showcase | Ray Tracing | 30-FPS target buys ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion |
| Xbox Series S | Performance | 60-FPS target; Series S has no ray tracing |
| PS5 Remastered with a standard 60-Hz display | Performance or Ray Tracing according to priority | Both target 60 FPS; choose resolution or lighting |
| PS5 Remastered with VRR/120 Hz | Performance if you want up to 90 FPS; Ray Tracing if enhanced lighting matters more | Display can take advantage of the Remastered performance range |
| PS5 Pro Remastered | Ray Tracing for lighting, Performance for maximum resolution | Both are 60-FPS-class choices, with PSSR supporting ray tracing |
| PC | Whichever setting sustains your chosen frame-time target | Results vary by hardware, resolution, scene and upscaling |
The shortest rule is version-specific: use Performance for responsiveness on the 2022 base-console build; use Ray Tracing when atmosphere matters more than 30-FPS control. On the 2026 Remastered PS5 and PS5 Pro, ray tracing no longer automatically means 30 FPS, so choose between lighting and resolution instead.
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