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For a new action game on PS5, start with the game’s Performance or high-frame-rate mode. The steadier motion and lower control latency usually matter more during fast combat, aiming and camera turns. Switch to Fidelity or Resolution when you value sharper image quality, denser detail or ray tracing more than responsiveness.
On the console, use Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Leave Resolution on Automatic, set VRR to Automatic if your display supports it, and set 120 Hz Output to Automatic when both the display and game support 120 Hz. The exact modes, frame-rate targets, motion-blur defaults and ray-tracing choices depend on the game and its current patch, so confirm those in the developer’s current settings guide or patch notes.
Choose the right graphics mode first
Graphics modes change how the game spends its rendering budget. A performance-oriented mode generally prioritizes a higher or more stable frame rate, while Fidelity or Resolution mode gives the renderer more time per frame for resolution, lighting, shadows, reflections and ray tracing. Sony Interactive Entertainment cautions that the result varies with the game, the television or monitor and the selected visual mode.
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| Mode label | Best choice when | Typical trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Performance or high frame rate | Combat timing, camera smoothness and responsive controls are your priorities. | Image resolution or advanced lighting may be reduced. |
| Fidelity or Resolution | You play more slowly, sit close to the screen, or prefer maximum detail and ray-traced effects. | Motion can feel less fluid and controls can feel less immediate. |
Start a new game in Performance mode, then test a representative fight, traversal section and camera-heavy area. If the image looks too soft for your display or you value ray-traced effects more than response, change to Fidelity. Do not assume that every game’s Performance mode uses the same frame-rate target: the game name, developer and patch version were not specified here, and universal targets are not established by the cited official sources.
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Set the PS5 video-output options
These settings control what the console negotiates with your display. They do not replace the game’s own graphics menu.
- Open the output menu. From the PS5 home screen, go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output.
- Set Resolution to Automatic. This lets the console select the highest resolution supported by the connected display instead of forcing a lower fixed value.
- Set VRR to Automatic if the television or monitor supports variable refresh rate. VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh timing with the PS5’s output and can reduce frame-pacing problems and visible tearing.
- Leave Apply to Unsupported Games off initially. This optional override can produce unexpected effects in games that do not officially support VRR. Turn it on only if you have tested the specific title and prefer the result; turn it back off if you see flicker, brightness changes or other artifacts.
- Set 120 Hz Output to Automatic when the display and game support 120 Hz. If enabling it causes a blank screen, intermittent signal or other output problem, disable it and troubleshoot the connection before trying again.
- Keep Video Transfer Rate on Automatic. Sony’s support checklist recommends this setting when diagnosing 4K/120 Hz output.
VRR support may require a game patch, and its effect changes with the game, display and active graphics mode. A VRR-capable display can still show a title’s normal fixed output when the game has no VRR implementation.
When VRR helps—and when it does not
Variable refresh rate allows a compatible display to adjust its refresh timing to the console’s changing frame delivery. That alignment can reduce judder caused by uneven frame pacing, limit tearing and potentially lower input latency. It cannot create frames the game does not render, and it does not turn a 30-frame graphics mode into a 60-frame mode.
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Use supported-game VRR first
Leave VRR on Automatic and let an officially supported game control its behavior. If a title has a VRR option in its own menu, enable it there only when the developer’s instructions call for it. Update the PS5 system software and the game before judging performance, because support can be added or corrected in a patch.
Be cautious with the unsupported-game override
Apply to Unsupported Games is a compatibility experiment, not a universal improvement. An unsupported title can react with flicker, unstable brightness, an unusual image cadence or no visible benefit. Disable the override whenever those effects appear. Keeping the standard supported-game path avoids adding a variable that the developer did not test.
A documented 120 Hz and VRR example
Insomniac Games stated on November 19, 2025 that its PS5 titles support VRR with current game and system updates. When a 120 Hz display mode is active together with VRR, its games can use a variable, uncapped frame rate that exceeds the selected 30- or 60-frame graphics target by 50% or more, depending on gameplay. That statement applies to the conditions and games described by Insomniac; it is not a universal performance promise for every action game.
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Configure 120 Hz, HDMI 2.1 and the cable path
High-frame-rate output depends on the entire signal chain: the PS5, the cable, the display input and the display’s firmware. A 120 Hz panel alone is not enough if the console is connected through an incompatible input or intermediary device.
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- Connect the PS5 directly to the display while testing. Temporarily remove an AV receiver, soundbar switch or capture device so you can isolate the video link.
- Use the cable supplied with the PS5 or an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable. Sony specifically recommends that class of cable for 4K/120 Hz troubleshooting.
- Update the display firmware and the PS5 system software, then restart both devices.
- Return Video Transfer Rate to Automatic and set 120 Hz Output to Automatic.
- Verify the result. In Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Video Output Information, check what resolution and refresh capabilities the PS5 detects. The exact information shown varies by display.
Sony states that the PS5 supports the HDMI 2.1 specification and 4K 120 Hz video output. That capability does not mean every game renders at 120 frames per second; the game’s mode and workload remain the limiting factors.
Set HDR without changing SDR games unnecessarily
HDR behavior is separate from the Performance/Fidelity choice. In Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output, choose the option that matches how you want non-HDR content handled:
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- On When Supported: HDR is used when the game or app supports it, while non-HDR games remain in SDR.
- Always On: The PS5 converts non-HDR games and apps to HDR output as well as sending native HDR content.
For a predictable baseline, use On When Supported unless you have calibrated your display specifically for converted SDR. Then run Adjust HDR for the particular television or monitor. The calibration is display-specific, so repeat it after changing displays or altering the display’s HDR picture controls.
Fine-tune the game’s own action settings
The console can expose 120 Hz and VRR, but the game decides which renderer, frame target and visual effects to use. Because the title and patch were not supplied, exact menu labels cannot be stated reliably. Look for a Graphics, Display, Video or Accessibility section and check the developer’s current documentation.
Motion blur and camera effects
Motion blur can make camera pans look smoother in a lower-frame-rate mode, but some players find it reduces clarity during rapid turns. Test it during combat and traversal rather than judging from a static scene. If the game offers separate camera and per-object blur controls, change one at a time so you know which effect helped.
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Ray tracing and image reconstruction
Ray tracing can improve reflections, shadows or global illumination while consuming rendering time. If Performance mode offers a ray-tracing toggle, compare the same busy scene with it on and off. Image-reconstruction options may alter sharpness without changing the headline mode; use the clearest setting that remains stable during movement.
120 Hz display modes
Some games expose a separate 120 Hz, High Frame Rate or 120 Hz Display Mode switch. Enable it only after the PS5 and display are already negotiating 120 Hz correctly. A 120 Hz output setting on the console does not force a game to provide a 120-frame mode.
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60 Hz television or monitor
Use Performance mode if it offers a stable target your display can show cleanly; VRR is unavailable unless the display supports it. Fidelity is reasonable when you prefer detail and the game’s lower frame rate does not bother you. Leave 120 Hz Output on Automatic or turn it off if the display reports a signal problem.
120 Hz display without VRR
Enable 120 Hz Output and use the game’s high-frame-rate mode when available. Without VRR, uneven frame delivery can still be visible, so a locked, stable mode may look better than a mode that fluctuates widely. If you encounter handshake problems, verify the HDMI 2.1 input, cable and firmware.
120 Hz display with VRR
Set VRR and 120 Hz Output to Automatic, use a direct HDMI connection and start with Performance mode. This is the most flexible setup for a demanding action game because supported titles can synchronize changing frame delivery to the display. Keep Apply to Unsupported Games off until you have a specific reason to test it.
Troubleshoot common problems
The game feels less responsive than expected
- Confirm that the game is actually in Performance or High Frame Rate mode; console 120 Hz output alone does not change the renderer.
- Check whether the display switched to its low-latency game preset.
- Enable VRR only when the display and game support it, and update both system and game software.
- Disable extra motion blur if it obscures fast movement, then retest in the same combat encounter.
The display flickers or shows brightness changes
- Turn off Apply to Unsupported Games.
- Test the title with VRR disabled to determine whether the behavior is VRR-specific.
- Check the display’s firmware and use its HDMI 2.1 input with a supplied or Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable.
4K/120 Hz is not available
- Connect the PS5 directly to the display and select the correct HDMI 2.1 port.
- Set Resolution, 120 Hz Output and Video Transfer Rate to Automatic.
- Install display firmware updates and restart the PS5 after reconnecting the cable.
- Review Video Output Information to see what the console detects; a game may still lack a 120 Hz mode even when the connection is capable of it.
HDR looks washed out or too dark
- Try On When Supported instead of Always On so SDR games remain SDR.
- Run Adjust HDR again for this display.
- Check the display’s own HDR picture mode and avoid changing several tone or brightness controls at once.
A practical test routine for a new release
- Update the PS5 and the game, then restart the console.
- Record the display’s detected resolution, refresh rate and HDR capability in Video Output Information.
- Play the same short combat sequence in Performance and Fidelity modes.
- Repeat with VRR enabled, then disable only the unsupported-game override if artifacts appear.
- If the display and game advertise 120 Hz, test the game’s High Frame Rate or 120 Hz option with 120 Hz Output set to Automatic.
- Choose the mode that keeps camera motion and combat timing comfortable on your display; do not select a mode solely because its label contains “4K,” “120 Hz” or “ray tracing.”
The supplied information does not identify the action game, its developer or its patch version, so exact frame-rate targets, menu names and default motion-blur or ray-tracing settings must be verified against that game’s current official documentation. The settings above provide a safe PS5 baseline while preserving the choice between responsiveness and image quality.
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