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What the mode labels mean
Quality or Fidelity
These modes generally favor rendering quality, image detail, or effects such as ray tracing. The trade-off may be a lower frame-rate target—often 30 frames per second, depending on the game.
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PlayStation 5 Pro with 2TB SSD Storage, Console Only - PS5 Pro Gaming System, White (Renewed) | $1,399.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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Performance
Performance modes generally favor smoother motion and responsiveness, commonly targeting 60 frames per second or higher. A game may reduce its internal rendering resolution or visual effects to reach that target. PS5 Pro can help some games improve image quality while keeping a high frame-rate target, but results depend on the game.
PS5 Pro Enhanced
Sony uses “PS5 Pro Enhanced” to identify games with features that use the console’s hardware. It does not specify one resolution, frame rate, or menu option: Sony says enhancements vary by game. A supported title might keep its existing Quality and Performance choices, add a Pro-specific mode, or implement its improvements without a mode called “Enhanced.” Sony’s explanation of PS5 Pro enhancements describes the game-by-game approach.
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- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
Names such as Enhanced, Performance Pro, and Balanced are also developer-defined. Don’t assume two games use the same name for the same resolution, effects, or frame-rate target.
Why PS5 Pro can narrow the graphics-versus-frame-rate trade-off
PS5 Pro adds an upgraded GPU, advanced ray tracing, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s AI-driven upscaling technology. PSSR reconstructs an image from a game’s rendered output to improve apparent clarity, which can give developers more flexibility in balancing rendering resolution, visual effects, and frame rate.
In its 2024 announcement, Sony Interactive Entertainment claimed PS5 Pro had 67% more GPU compute units, 28% faster memory, and up to 45% faster rendering than the then-current PS5. These are Sony’s manufacturer figures, not independent comparative measurements. Sony also said Game Boost could apply to more than 8,500 backward-compatible PS4 games. Those specifications explain the platform’s capabilities; they do not guarantee a particular result in any one game. Sony’s PS5 Pro announcement provides the figures and feature details.
Sony announced an upgraded PSSR rollout for supported games on March 16, 2026, citing improvements in image stability, fine-detail clarity, and performance. The update is optional for supported titles through a system setting. Sony cautions that results vary by game and says players can turn it off if they encounter unexpected visual effects. Sony’s upgraded PSSR announcement explains the rollout.
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The Last of Us and Insomniac games
Sony said The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II Remastered would receive a PS5 Pro-specific mode rendering at 1440p and upscaling to 4K with PSSR while targeting 60 frames per second. Their existing Performance and Fidelity modes remain available; a higher frame rate may be possible with a compatible display.
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- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
Insomniac’s Performance Pro mode for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 combines Fidelity-mode features—4K resolution and ray tracing—with Performance mode’s 60 fps target. Insomniac Core Technology Director Mike Fitzgerald described it as a mode that “marries the crisp 4K resolution and ray tracing features of Fidelity mode with the speedy 60 frames per second of Performance mode.” These are examples of specific implementations, not promises about other games. Sony’s developer feature covers these titles and modes.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Sony’s March 6, 2025 specification for Assassin’s Creed Shadows lists three PS5 Pro options. The figures below apply to that game, not to PS5 Pro modes generally.
| Mode | Resolution | Frame-rate target | Ray tracing | Display requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2160p upscaled | 60 fps | Standard | No special requirement stated in Sony’s specification |
| Fidelity | 2160p upscaled | 30 fps | Extended | No special requirement stated in Sony’s specification |
| Balanced | 2160p upscaled | 40 fps | Standard in the final listed specification | 120/240 Hz display and HDMI 2.1 |
Sony defines standard ray tracing here as diffuse-light global illumination throughout the world. Extended ray tracing adds reflective surfaces throughout the world. The published table’s Balanced-mode ray-tracing entry was struck through; the final listed specification is standard ray tracing. Sony’s game-specific specifications provide the mode details and display requirement.
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How to choose a mode on PS5 Pro
- Start with what you notice most. Choose Performance if smooth motion and responsiveness matter most; choose Quality or Fidelity if visual detail and effects matter more.
- Look for a game-specific Pro or hybrid option. Check the game’s graphics menu and its official mode descriptions for options such as Performance Pro, Enhanced, or Balanced. The name alone does not tell you the trade-off.
- Compare the specifications that affect your setup. Check the frame-rate target, whether the resolution is native or upscaled, ray-tracing features, and any required display refresh rate or HDMI capability. Display prerequisites vary by title; Assassin’s Creed Shadows Balanced mode, for example, specifies a 120/240 Hz display and HDMI 2.1. Sony’s PS5 Pro overview discusses supported display features and setup.
- Compare during representative gameplay. If the game lets you switch modes, try a section with movement and effects rather than judging only from a still screenshot. Motion clarity and image stability can look different in action.
What to compare when a game offers several modes
- Frame rate: Is the figure a target, and is the mode aimed at 30, 40, 60, or more frames per second?
- Resolution and reconstruction: Is the listed resolution rendered natively or upscaled, and does the game use PSSR?
- Effects: Does a mode add ray tracing or other visual features, and what does the developer mean by those terms?
- Display compatibility: Does the mode require a particular refresh rate, VRR support, or HDMI capability?
- Motion and image stability: How do movement, fine detail, and effects appear during play on your display?
No mode is best for every player or every game. PS5 Pro’s hardware and PSSR can make hybrid choices possible, but the mode descriptions and requirements for the specific title are what determine the actual trade-off.
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