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Start with Enhance PSSR Image Quality for supported PS5 Pro games, then choose the game’s own Pro, Fidelity or Performance mode based on whether you value resolution, ray tracing or steadier motion. Enable 120 Hz output and VRR only when both your display and the game support them. For HDR, On When Supported preserves native SDR output, while Always On converts SDR content to HDR. There is no universal best combination, because developers control the in-game modes and Sony says PSSR results vary by title.
A practical PS5 Pro setup
Use this order when configuring a new PS5 Pro or a new display. It prevents a system option from being mistaken for a game-specific performance switch.
- Turn on Enhance PSSR Image Quality: Open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Leave Enhance PSSR Image Quality enabled for games that support PSSR.
- Check the game’s graphics menu: Select the title’s Pro, Fidelity, Performance or high-frame-rate mode after reading its stated resolution and frame-rate targets.
- Enable 120 Hz output if appropriate: In Video Output, set 120 Hz Output to Automatic when your display and the game support 120 Hz.
- Enable VRR: Set VRR to Automatic for a compatible television or monitor. Test Apply to Unsupported Games only if a particular title benefits from it.
- Choose HDR behavior: Select On When Supported for native HDR and SDR presentation, or Always On if you deliberately want the console to convert SDR content to HDR.
- Use Video Transfer Rate only to cure problems: If 4K output flickers, try -1 or -2 rather than changing it as a routine quality setting.
These options enable capabilities; they cannot add a 120-frames-per-second mode, ray tracing or PSSR support to a game that does not provide it.
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What Enhance PSSR Image Quality actually does
Enhance PSSR Image Quality is a system-level option for supported PS5 Pro games. Sony describes it as improving image stability in PSSR-compatible titles, not as a universal resolution multiplier. Its location is Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output, and Sony’s support information says it is on by default.
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PSSR is Sony’s machine-learning reconstruction technology. Mark Cerny, lead architect for PS5 and PS5 Pro, describes it as “an AI library that analyzes game images pixel by pixel as it upscales them.” The visible result depends on the game’s implementation, its selected graphics mode and later patches. Sony’s current PS5 Pro product page lists more than 100 enhanced PS5 titles; in a February 27, 2026 announcement, Sony said PSSR had been used to boost effective resolution in over 50 titles at that point. Those are Sony’s dated or current-page counts, not independent benchmark totals, and supported lists can change.
Keep the option enabled unless a specific game shows an image artifact or other unexpected behavior after an update. If a title has no PSSR support, this toggle will not turn it into a PSSR game.
Choose graphics modes inside each game
The game’s own menu determines the main image-quality/performance trade-off. Names are not standardized: one developer’s “Performance Pro” can differ substantially from another’s “Pro” or “Fidelity” mode. Compare the details the game provides instead of selecting Performance or Fidelity by habit.
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| What to compare | Why it matters | Questions to ask in the game menu |
|---|---|---|
| Frame-rate target | Higher or steadier frame rates make camera movement and controls feel smoother. | Is the target 30, 40, 60 or 120 fps? Is it a target or a locked rate? |
| Resolution or reconstruction | More pixels or a stronger reconstruction setting can make distant geometry, text and fine edges clearer. | Does the mode render at a fixed resolution, use dynamic resolution, or upscale with PSSR? |
| Ray tracing and effects | Reflections, shadows, lighting and foliage can look richer but may consume performance headroom. | Are ray-traced reflections, shadows or other effects enabled in this mode? |
| Image stability | Temporal shimmer, flicker and fine-detail breakup can be more noticeable than a resolution number. | Does the mode advertise improved stability or a different reconstruction method? |
| Display requirements | Some modes only reach their stated benefit on a 120 Hz or VRR display. | Does the mode require 120 Hz, VRR or a particular output setting? |
How Sony’s developer examples illustrate the trade-off
Naughty Dog described a Pro-specific mode that renders at 1440p, upscales to 4K with PSSR and targets 60 fps. Vincent Marxen, the studio’s lead programmer, said: “This mode maintains the 60 fps target, offering an ideal balance of framerate and resolution.” Insomniac has described a Performance Pro mode that combines crisp 4K resolution and ray-tracing features with a 60-fps target. These are examples from named games, not specifications for every PS5 Pro title.
If a game offers both a 30-fps high-detail mode and a 60-fps mode, choose the former for maximum effects and the latter for more responsive movement. If it offers a 40-fps mode, that option generally requires a 120 Hz display and should be evaluated using the game’s own description. Save the setting, then pan the camera across foliage, fine geometry and reflective surfaces; those areas reveal differences more clearly than a static menu.
120 Hz output: when it helps
Open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output and leave 120 Hz Output on Automatic when your television or monitor accepts 120 Hz at the resolution you use. Sony specifies two requirements: the display must support 120 Hz, and the game must support a 120-Hz or high-frame-rate mode.
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The setting only permits compatible output. It does not make an unsupported game run at 120 fps, and it does not force every game to render at 120 fps. A title may use a 120-Hz signal for a 40-fps quality mode, offer a selectable 120-fps performance mode, or ignore the capability entirely. Check the game’s graphics menu and your display’s input information.
- Use the display’s HDMI input that supports its full 4K/120-Hz specification; some screens have one high-bandwidth port and others label ports differently.
- If 120 Hz is unavailable, verify the cable, the selected HDMI input mode and the display’s firmware before lowering image-quality settings.
- Do not confuse a 120-Hz signal with a guaranteed 120-fps render rate; the game engine remains the limiting factor.
VRR: smoother output with a compatible display
Variable Refresh Rate lets a compatible display adjust its refresh timing to the console’s changing frame rate. Set VRR to Automatic under Video Output when both the display and game support it. Sony notes that results vary by television.
The console also includes Apply to Unsupported Games. Sony says this may stabilize frame rate in games without explicit VRR support, but it is an optional compatibility experiment, not a guaranteed improvement. Turn it off if you see flicker, brightness changes, judder or other unexpected behavior. Compare the same scene with the option enabled and disabled before keeping it.
VRR cannot raise a game’s frame-rate ceiling or add missing visual effects. Its value is reducing visible unevenness when a supported game fluctuates within the display’s VRR range.
HDR settings and calibration
On When Supported versus Always On
In Video Output, Sony provides two distinct HDR behaviors:
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| On When Supported | HDR-compatible games and apps output HDR; unsupported content remains SDR. | Readers who want each title presented in its native format. |
| Always On | The console converts even non-HDR games and apps to HDR output. | Readers who prefer a consistent HDR signal and accept conversion of SDR content. |
For native HDR behavior without forced conversion, choose On When Supported. Then run Adjust HDR and follow the three calibration screens. Do not copy universal brightness or paper-white values from another display: the correct result depends on your panel, room lighting and viewing position. If SDR menus look washed out or too dim after selecting Always On, return to On When Supported and recalibrate.
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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.
Use Video Transfer Rate only when 4K output flickers
Video Transfer Rate is a troubleshooting control, not a picture-quality preset. Sony recommends adjusting it when 4K video flickers. Selecting -1 or -2 limits some output modes, which can improve signal stability over a marginal cable, receiver or display connection. Sony’s support documentation lists the specific 4K modes limited at each value.
- Confirm that the display, HDMI cable and any audio/video receiver are set for the desired 4K mode.
- If flicker persists, open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Video Transfer Rate.
- Try -1, test the same game or menu, and use -2 only if necessary.
- Restore Automatic when the connection is stable, because the lower values intentionally remove some output combinations.
Enhance Image Quality for PS4 games is a separate feature
Do not confuse the PS4 enhancement switch with Enhance PSSR Image Quality. Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games applies to PS4 games played on PS5 Pro. Sony places it at Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output.
- It is available only on CFI-7000 model-group consoles.
- Your screen must support 2160p or 1440p at 60 Hz.
- Turn it off if a PS4 game exhibits unexpected behavior.
This feature does not add PSSR to PS5 Pro-enhanced PS5 games, and enabling the PSSR option does not replace it.
Do you need a new television or monitor?
No. A new display is optional and matters only when your existing screen lacks a mode you want to use. PS5 Pro image-quality settings, PSSR support and most game graphics modes work on a compatible 4K display without 120 Hz or VRR.
Before buying a screen for a particular mode, verify the exact model’s supported resolution and refresh rates, its VRR range, the HDMI port that carries those signals and whether an intervening receiver supports the same bandwidth. Sony’s requirements are capability-based: 120 Hz needs a compatible display and game, and VRR needs a compatible display and game. A larger or newer panel is not automatically a sharper or smoother result if the title itself does not offer the corresponding mode.
Recommended settings by priority
If image quality is your priority
- Keep Enhance PSSR Image Quality enabled for supported games.
- Choose the game’s Fidelity or Pro mode when it adds resolution, ray tracing or other effects you can see and accept its frame-rate target.
- Use On When Supported for HDR and calibrate with Adjust HDR.
- Enable VRR if your display and game support it, especially when the quality mode has an uneven frame rate.
If responsiveness is your priority
- Choose the game’s Performance or Performance Pro mode, checking whether it targets 60 fps or higher.
- Enable 120 Hz Output when the display and title support a high-frame-rate mode.
- Enable VRR to smooth supported frame-rate fluctuations.
- Keep PSSR enabled where supported, because some performance modes use reconstruction to retain detail at a higher frame rate.
If you are troubleshooting a problem
- For 4K flicker, test Video Transfer Rate at -1 and then -2.
- For VRR artifacts in an unsupported game, disable Apply to Unsupported Games.
- For SDR content that looks unnaturally processed, switch HDR from Always On to On When Supported.
- For a PS4 game behaving strangely, disable Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games and confirm the 2160p/1440p-at-60-Hz display requirement.
What to check after a game update
Game patches can add a Pro mode, change a frame-rate target or alter PSSR behavior. Re-open the game’s graphics menu after updates instead of assuming the previous choice still represents the same rendering path. Also check Sony’s current PS5 Pro supported-game information when a title is newly labeled Pro enhanced; support lists and behavior can change with system and game software.
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