Quality Mode vs. Performance Mode: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Performance Mode first if you care most about responsive controls and smooth motion. Choose Quality or Resolution Mode if you prefer sharper images, ray tracing, and extra visual detail. Neither option is always better. The right choice depends on the game, your display, and which tradeoff you notice more.

Graphics-mode names are not universal standards. One game may use “Fidelity,” another may use “Quality,” and a third may offer several custom choices. Always read the description in the game because the exact resolution, frame-rate target, and visual effects can change.

Quality and Performance modes compared

Mode	Common priority	Common tradeoff	Often best for
Performance	60 fps or 120 fps, smoother motion, faster visual response	Lower or changing render resolution; fewer advanced effects	Action games, shooters, racing, fast combat
Quality / Resolution / Fidelity	Sharper image, higher detail, ray tracing, richer lighting	Often targets 30 fps; motion may feel less smooth	Slower games, cinematic play, exploration, photo mode
Balanced / 40 fps	A middle point between detail and smoothness	Usually needs a compatible 120 Hz display	Players who want visual features without dropping to 30 fps
High frame rate / 120 fps	Very smooth motion and shorter frame time	Can reduce resolution or visual effects more aggressively	Competitive play and games with rapid camera movement

What Performance Mode changes

Performance Mode gives the console less time to draw each frame. A 60 fps target provides about 16.7 milliseconds per frame, compared with about 33.3 milliseconds at 30 fps. A shorter frame time can make camera movement look smoother and help on-screen action respond sooner to your input.

Frame rate	Approximate time per frame	Typical display requirement
30 fps	33.3 ms	60 Hz or higher
40 fps	25 ms	Usually 120 Hz support
60 fps	16.7 ms	60 Hz or higher
120 fps	8.3 ms	120 Hz support

Games usually create that extra speed by reducing other work. A performance mode may render at a lower internal resolution, adjust resolution while you play, lower shadow or crowd detail, or remove expensive effects such as ray-traced reflections. Upscaling can rebuild the lower-resolution image for a 4K display, so the console’s output resolution does not always reveal the resolution used to render every frame.

The tradeoff differs by game. Insomniac’s official settings for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, for example, describe a 60 fps Performance Mode without the extra ray tracing, enhanced lighting, and visual effects found in its 30 fps Fidelity Mode.

What Quality or Resolution Mode changes

Quality Mode gives the game more time to build each frame. Developers can spend that time on a higher render resolution, denser effects, longer drawing distances, improved shadows, or ray tracing. Ray tracing can improve reflections, shadows, or lighting by tracing how simulated rays interact with a scene, but the work can be demanding.

A higher-resolution image can look cleaner on a large 4K screen, especially in fine geometry, distant objects, hair, and text. Extra lighting and reflection features may also change the look of a scene more than a resolution number suggests.

Quality Mode often targets 30 fps, but that is not a rule. Some games offer 40 fps or 60 fps quality options, while newer hardware may combine effects that required separate modes on the original console. Developers can also change modes through updates, so current in-game descriptions matter more than an old comparison.

Why 40 fps modes usually need a 120 Hz display

A 40 fps mode is more responsive than 30 fps while leaving more rendering time than 60 fps. The unusual number works neatly on a 120 Hz screen because every game frame can remain visible for three display refreshes. A 40 fps frame does not divide evenly across a 60 Hz refresh cycle.

Remedy’s official breakdown for Control Resonant shows the idea clearly. On PS5 Pro, its Balanced Mode targets 40 fps at 2160p with ray tracing and requires a 120 Hz-compatible display. Its other modes target 60 fps for Performance or 30 fps with ray tracing for Quality.

Your TV or monitor can limit the result

A game and console cannot show 120 distinct frames each second on a 60 Hz display. To use a 120 fps mode as intended, the display must accept a 120 Hz signal at the resolution you want. The correct HDMI port and cable may also matter for 4K at 120 Hz.

PlayStation’s display guide says PS5 owners can check the connected device’s supported resolution, variable refresh rate, and HDR under Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. The same page notes that 120 Hz output only affects TVs and games that support a 120 Hz frame rate.

What VRR does

Variable refresh rate, or VRR, lets a compatible display adjust its refresh rate in real time to match the console’s changing output. It can make small frame-rate drops look smoother and reduce visible tearing. VRR does not turn a 30 fps mode into 60 fps, and results still depend on the game and display.

How to pick the right graphics mode

Read the game’s description. Check the target frame rate, resolution language, ray tracing, and any display requirements.
Start with Performance Mode for fast play. Use it first in shooters, racing games, fighting games, and action titles where camera motion and timing matter.
Test Quality Mode in the same area. Look at reflections, shadows, distant detail, foliage, and image stability instead of judging a still menu.
Keep the change you notice during play. If 30 fps feels heavy or uneven, return to Performance. If the motion difference fades but the visual upgrade remains obvious, use Quality.
Try Balanced Mode when available. A 40 fps option on a 120 Hz display can provide a useful middle ground.

PS5 can also apply a preferred mode to supported games. Go to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Game Presets, then choose Performance Mode or Resolution Mode. Sony notes that the preference only applies to games that offer those modes, and some games may not use every preset.

Quality Mode vs. Performance Mode FAQ

Does Quality Mode always mean native 4K?

No. A game may use dynamic resolution, temporal reconstruction, or another upscaling method while outputting a 4K signal. Read the developer’s mode details when the exact rendering method matters to you.

Does Performance Mode always stay at 60 fps?

No. “Targets 60 fps” is not the same as a locked 60 fps. Busy scenes can still run below the target, and VRR may help smooth smaller changes on compatible displays.

Should you use 120 fps whenever it is available?

Use it when smooth motion and response matter more than image detail. A 120 fps mode can make a clear difference in fast games, but its resolution or visual cuts may not be worth it in a slower single-player experience.

Can you switch modes after starting a game?

Usually, yes, but each game controls the option. Some games allow instant changes, while others reload the scene or require a restart. Save before switching if the game displays a warning.

A mode label is only the starting point. Try both choices during real gameplay, confirm what your display supports, and keep the setting that improves the parts of the game you actually notice.