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Short answer: In the original 4.0 next-gen release, Ray Tracing Mode prioritized ray-traced lighting at a 30 FPS target on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, while Performance Mode targeted 60 FPS. That is not the current PS5 comparison. The 2026 Remastered version lists a 60 FPS target for both PS5 modes: Ray Tracing Mode emphasizes enhanced lighting, while Performance Mode uses higher resolution and can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display. Xbox Series X and Series S Remastered targets are not stated in the published notes reviewed here, so do not assume the old figures still apply.
The answer depends on your platform and version
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has had more than one set of graphics-mode descriptions. The December 12, 2022 version 4.0 notes established the original next-generation console baseline. CD PROJEKT RED’s September 28, 2026 Remastered notes then changed the published PlayStation 5 descriptions, and patches through October 8, 2026 addressed additional console behavior.
That history matters because the familiar phrase “30 FPS Ray Tracing versus 60 FPS Performance” is accurate for the original PS5 and Xbox Series X release, but it is not an accurate description of the current PS5 Remastered choice. Treat every frame-rate figure below as an official target, not as an independently measured average or a guarantee in every scene.
Performance Mode vs. Ray Tracing Mode at a glance
| Platform and release | Ray Tracing Mode | Performance Mode (or equivalent) | What is established |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5, original version 4.0 | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion; dynamic resolution; 30 FPS target. | Dynamic resolution; 60 FPS target. | Historical 2022 description, not the current Remastered PS5 specification. |
| Xbox Series X, original version 4.0 | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion; dynamic resolution; 30 FPS target. | Dynamic resolution; 60 FPS target. | Patch 4.02 improved Performance Mode and fixed a Series X memory-related Ray Tracing Mode crash. These figures should not be carried forward as current Remastered targets. |
| Xbox Series S, original version 4.0 | No ray-tracing features. | Performance Mode targeted 60 FPS; Quality Mode targeted 30 FPS with higher resolution and image fidelity. | Series S had a Quality/Performance split rather than the same Ray Tracing/Performance choice as the other consoles. |
| PS5 Remastered, 2026 | Enhanced lighting; 60 FPS target. | Higher resolution; 60 FPS target, up to 90 FPS on VRR-capable displays. | These are the current publisher-described PS5 targets. Patch 5.01 later fixed incorrect frame-rate limits in different base-PS5 graphics modes. |
| Xbox Series X Remastered | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | Do not present the 2022 30/60 figures as current specifications without newer platform-specific confirmation. |
| Xbox Series S Remastered | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes; the original version had no ray tracing. | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | The current notes do not supply revised Series S targets. |
What the original 4.0 modes did
Ray Tracing Mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X
In the original next-gen update, Ray Tracing Mode added ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. Those effects change how indirect light, contact shadows and shaded areas appear, so scenes can have more convincing light bounce and depth. Both consoles used dynamic resolution, and the published target was 30 FPS.
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The 30 FPS figure describes the mode’s intended operating target. It does not establish that every location held a locked 30 FPS, nor does it provide a scene-by-scene average. It is also a description of the 4.0-era software, not a current Remastered Xbox or PS5 promise.
Performance Mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X
Performance Mode also used dynamic resolution, but its defining goal was a higher frame-rate target of 60 FPS. The trade-off was that it did not foreground the ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion features listed for Ray Tracing Mode. For the original release, this was the smoother-control option: camera movement, horseback travel and combat were intended to update more frequently, while image detail could vary with the dynamic-resolution system.
Why dynamic resolution matters
Dynamic resolution allows the game to change internal rendering resolution as the workload changes. It is not the same as a fixed native resolution, and the 4.0 notes did not provide a single pixel count for either mode. A mode can therefore look sharper in a relatively light scene and softer during a demanding one. The original descriptions identify dynamic resolution in both PS5 and Series X modes, so a simple “quality equals fixed high resolution” assumption would be wrong for that release.
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What changed on PS5 in the 2026 Remastered version
Remastered Ray Tracing Mode
The Remastered PlayStation-specific notes say: “Ray Tracing Mode now brings enhanced lighting while targeting 60 FPS.” The important change is the target: ray tracing no longer implies the old 30 FPS target in the published PS5 Remastered description. Its visual priority remains lighting, but the stated target is now 60 FPS.
“Enhanced lighting” is the current publisher wording; it does not establish a particular resolution, a measured frame-rate floor, or identical behavior in every area. Use it as a description of the mode’s emphasis rather than as a benchmark result.
Remastered Performance Mode
On PS5, the Remastered notes describe Performance Mode as offering higher resolution while targeting 60 FPS and “up to 90 FPS on VRR-capable displays.” This makes the current choice primarily a lighting-versus-clarity decision, with an additional display-dependent frame-rate ceiling, rather than the old 30-versus-60 decision.
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The phrase “up to 90 FPS” is conditional. The source does not state a typical frame rate, a guaranteed rate, an exact resolution at 90 FPS, or results for a particular television or monitor. A compatible display and an enabled VRR path are prerequisites for that stated possibility, but they do not turn it into a guaranteed result in every scene.
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Someone choosing between the two current PS5 modes should first decide whether enhanced lighting or higher resolution is more valuable. Both have a 60 FPS target in the published description. If the display supports VRR, Performance Mode has the additional “up to 90 FPS” possibility; if it does not, that part of the specification does not apply.
Does Ray Tracing Mode run at 60 FPS?
On the original PS5 and Xbox Series X version: no 60 FPS target was published for Ray Tracing Mode; the 4.0 target was 30 FPS.
On PS5 Remastered: yes, the publisher’s current description gives Ray Tracing Mode a 60 FPS target. That is a target rather than an independent measurement or a guarantee that every scene will remain at 60 FPS.
On Xbox Series X Remastered: the reviewed Remastered notes do not state a new target. The safest accurate answer is that the current target is unresolved in the published material cited here. Do not label it 30 FPS or 60 FPS by simply copying the 2022 table.
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Does Performance Mode look worse?
“Worse” depends on what you notice. In the original 4.0 release, Performance Mode and Ray Tracing Mode both used dynamic resolution on PS5 and Series X. Ray Tracing Mode’s stated advantage was ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion; Performance Mode’s stated advantage was the 60 FPS target. The visual difference is therefore not just a resolution slider: lighting character and motion response are different priorities.
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On PS5 Remastered, the publisher explicitly assigns higher resolution to Performance Mode and enhanced lighting to Ray Tracing Mode. A player sitting close to a large, sharp display may value the higher-resolution presentation, while a player who pays more attention to indirect light and shadow depth may prefer enhanced lighting. Neither description proves that one mode is universally better-looking, and no independent comparison test establishes a universal winner.
Which mode should you use?
If you have the original PS5 or Xbox Series X release
- Choose Performance Mode if responsive camera movement and the 60 FPS target matter more than ray-traced lighting.
- Choose Ray Tracing Mode if you prefer the lighting effects and accept the 30 FPS target.
- Expect dynamic resolution in both modes; neither original console description promises a fixed native resolution.
If you have PS5 Remastered
- Choose Ray Tracing Mode when enhanced lighting is your top visual priority and a 60 FPS target meets your needs.
- Choose Performance Mode when higher resolution is more important, or when you have a VRR-capable display and want the possibility of up to 90 FPS.
- Do not use the old 30 FPS rule to judge the current PS5 modes; both are described with 60 FPS targets.
If you have Xbox Series S
The original next-gen notes explicitly state that the Series S version does not feature ray tracing. Its choices were Quality Mode, targeting 30 FPS with higher resolution and image fidelity, and Performance Mode, targeting 60 FPS. The reviewed Remastered notes do not provide revised Series S targets, so current owners should treat those newer specifications as unstated rather than assume the old values remain unchanged.
If you are deciding mainly by display capability
VRR is relevant to the PS5 Remastered Performance Mode specification because the “up to 90 FPS” figure is expressly tied to a VRR-capable display. Without that display capability, use the stated 60 FPS target as the meaningful published figure. VRR also needs to be supported by the console-to-display setup; the Remastered notes do not claim that every television or monitor will produce the same result.
How to switch modes and verify what you are running
Menu names can vary slightly by platform and update, but the normal console workflow is to pause the game or open its title-screen options, enter the display or graphics settings, select the available graphics mode, and apply the change. On PS5, check that the game is identified as the Remastered release before interpreting the two modes using the 2026 descriptions.
- Confirm the installed game version and platform. A PS5 copy running the original 4.0-era build is not the same comparison as PS5 Remastered.
- Install the latest available game update for your platform. Patch history has changed performance behavior and frame-rate limits.
- Open the game’s graphics or display options and note whether the choices are Ray Tracing/Performance or Quality/Performance. Series S’s original menu did not offer a ray-tracing option.
- Select the mode that matches your priority, then return to gameplay and judge camera movement, lighting and clarity in the types of scenes you play most.
- If you are testing the PS5 Remastered “up to 90 FPS” possibility, enable VRR on the display and in the console’s display settings before treating that figure as relevant to your setup.
Do not infer a measured frame rate from the mode name. The publisher’s figures are targets, and the available notes do not include an independent benchmark for a particular quest, city, weather condition, display or patch combination.
Patch history that affects the comparison
| Date and update | Relevant change | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| December 12, 2022 — version 4.0 announcement | Defined the original PS5, Series X and Series S graphics modes, dynamic resolution behavior and the Series S ray-tracing limitation. | Use this as the historical 4.0 baseline. |
| February 2, 2023 — Patch 4.01 | Added an optional PC performance setting for ray-traced global illumination and optimized ray-traced lighting on next-generation consoles. | Console ray-tracing behavior was optimized after launch; the patch did not turn the old 30 FPS target into a new measured guarantee. |
| March 13, 2023 — Patch 4.02 | Improved next-generation console Performance Mode and fixed a memory-use problem that could crash Xbox Series X in Ray Tracing Mode. | Later 4.0 builds were not identical to launch behavior, especially for Series X stability and Performance Mode. |
| September 28, 2026 — Remastered upgrade notes | Described the current PS5 mode changes, VRR support and other platform updates. | Use these notes for the current PS5 60 FPS targets and the conditional up-to-90-FPS statement. |
| September 29, 2026 — Remastered availability | Remastered became available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. | Prior physical and digital owners can upgrade free within the same platform ecosystem. |
| October 1, 2026 — Patch 5.00b | Rolled out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Play Anywhere PC, including a PC Xbox Play Anywhere DLSS fix and lighting/parity adjustments. | Platform-specific fixes continued after Remastered launch. |
| October 8, 2026 — Patch 5.01 | Added console optimizations and fixed incorrect frame-rate limits in different graphics modes on base PS5. | Update before judging base-PS5 mode limits; earlier behavior may not reflect the corrected build. |
What is and is not known for Xbox Remastered
The 2026 notes reviewed for this comparison provide updated mode targets in the PlayStation-specific section. They do not provide updated Xbox Series X targets, and they do not provide revised Series S targets. That is a documentation limit, not evidence that Xbox modes are identical to PS5 modes.
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For Xbox Series X, the defensible current statement is that the original 4.0 release targeted 30 FPS in Ray Tracing Mode and 60 FPS in Performance Mode, while the Remastered target is not stated in the cited notes. For Xbox Series S, the original release lacked ray tracing and used Quality and Performance modes, while the Remastered target is likewise not stated. If your purchase decision depends on a current Xbox frame-rate number, look for a newer Xbox-specific specification from the publisher rather than treating the historical table as current.
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The Remastered upgrade became available on September 29, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. CD PROJEKT RED says owners of a physical or digital version can upgrade free within the same platform ecosystem. Existing owners therefore should not be told to repurchase the game merely to obtain the Remastered upgrade. A physical-copy upgrade can still depend on using the matching platform ecosystem and a compatible console drive, but the cited announcement’s central condition is same-ecosystem ownership.
New buyers need the game on a supported platform, the appropriate Remastered build and the updates required by that platform. The mode descriptions in this article do not apply identically across PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch 2; the clearest current target figures supplied here are for PS5.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Applying the old 30/60 shorthand to PS5 Remastered. The current PS5 description gives both modes a 60 FPS target.
- Calling a target a lock. “Targeting 60 FPS” and “up to 90 FPS” are not independent measurements or guarantees for every scene.
- Assuming Series S has a ray-tracing toggle. The original notes explicitly say the Series S version does not feature ray tracing.
- Carrying PS5 figures over to Xbox Series X Remastered. The reviewed 2026 notes do not state current Xbox targets.
- Ignoring patches. Versions 4.01, 4.02, 5.00b and 5.01 changed optimization, stability, lighting parity or frame-rate-limit behavior.
- Assuming VRR alone guarantees 90 FPS. The PS5 Remastered figure is “up to 90 FPS” on a VRR-capable display; no typical rate or scene-by-scene result is specified.
Practical decision examples
You own an original PS5 copy on a 60 Hz television
Use Performance Mode if smooth movement is your priority and you accept the original 4.0 trade-off. Use Ray Tracing Mode only if the lighting effect is more important to you than the 30 FPS target.
You own PS5 Remastered and a VRR monitor
Start with Performance Mode if you value higher resolution and want to make use of the published possibility of up to 90 FPS. Try Ray Tracing Mode if enhanced lighting matters more; its current published target is also 60 FPS.
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For the original release, select Performance Mode for the 60 FPS target or Quality Mode for the 30 FPS target with higher resolution and image fidelity. For Remastered, do not claim a current target from the reviewed notes because they do not state one.
You own Xbox Series X and are upgrading
The historical choice is clear, but the current Xbox Remastered target is not documented in the cited material. Install the current build and consult a platform-specific publisher update before presenting a 30 FPS or 60 FPS figure as current.
Bottom line
For the original 4.0-era PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, Performance Mode was the 60 FPS-target option and Ray Tracing Mode was the 30 FPS-target lighting option. Series S instead offered Quality at 30 FPS and Performance at 60 FPS without ray tracing. On PS5 Remastered, that old binary no longer applies: Ray Tracing Mode targets 60 FPS with enhanced lighting, while Performance Mode targets 60 FPS with higher resolution and can reach up to 90 FPS when paired with a VRR-capable display. Keep the platform and patch version attached to every frame-rate claim, and treat Xbox Remastered figures as unstated until the publisher provides them.
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