On PS5, Fidelity usually favors visual detail or effects, Performance usually favors a higher or steadier frame rate, and Balanced aims for a compromise. These labels are not fixed Sony-wide specifications: each game’s developer decides what the modes change, so check the description in the game you’re playing.
What Fidelity, Performance, and Balanced mean
Think of the names as broad priorities, not guaranteed resolution-and-frame-rate combinations. A mode may adjust more than image resolution: developers can change visual effects, including ray tracing, as well as frame-rate behavior. Exact results vary by game and can differ between base PS5 and PS5 Pro.
| Mode | Usual priority | What to check in the game |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | Visual detail and/or effects | Which visual features it adds or preserves, and its frame-rate target or behavior. |
| Performance | Higher or steadier frame rates | The target or behavior, and any visual changes made to achieve it. |
| Balanced | A middle ground between image quality and speed | The specific compromise the developer describes. The label does not guarantee a particular frame rate. |
There is no universal rule that Fidelity means 4K at 30 frames per second or Performance means 1080p at 60. Resolution may be native, dynamic, or reconstructed, and the game’s own documentation is needed to establish which applies. Sony’s developer examples illustrate variation: one cited game pairs 30 FPS Fidelity with 60 FPS Performance, but those figures describe that title’s modes, not a PS5-wide standard. Sony’s PS5 FAQ likewise says developers have many ways to use the console’s hardware-based ray-tracing acceleration.
How to choose a mode
- Choose Performance if responsive motion and a higher frame rate matter most. Check the game’s description to see what its mode actually delivers and what visual settings change.
- Choose Fidelity if visual detail or effects matter more to you, and you are comfortable with the game’s lower frame-rate target or behavior, if it has one.
- Try Balanced if you want a compromise. Read its description rather than assuming it means 40 FPS or any other specific target.
When comparing options, look at three things together: frame-rate target or behavior, image clarity or resolution, and effects such as ray tracing. If a mode is marked for PS5 Pro, confirm that your console supports it.
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What PS5 Pro changes
PS5 Pro does not impose one extra graphics mode across games. Developers decide how to use its capabilities, and a game may offer enhanced versions of existing modes or a distinct option.
Sony’s PS5 Pro feature page gives Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as an example: its Performance Pro mode combines the crisp 4K resolution and ray-tracing features of Fidelity mode with 60 frames per second. In a separate developer example, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s 60 FPS Performance mode includes ray-traced ambient occlusion. These title-specific examples show that performance and visual effects are not always an either-or choice; they do not guarantee the same combinations in other games. Sony’s PS5 Pro enhanced-games coverage also discusses enhancements to Fidelity and Performance modes.
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Do you need a 120 Hz TV?
No—not simply to choose a mode called Fidelity, Performance, or Balanced. A 120 Hz-capable display is relevant when a game and its chosen option support a high-refresh feature; having that display does not make a game offer one. PlayStation’s 4K and 120 Hz support guide explains that 120 Hz video output is for TVs and games that support 120 Hz. The mode names alone do not indicate a 120 Hz requirement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to verify a specific game’s modes
The labels cannot tell you a game’s exact resolution, frame-rate behavior, visual settings, or whether an option is exclusive to PS5 Pro. For those specifics, check the game’s own in-game mode descriptions and official support information or patch notes. Mode availability and behavior can depend on the title and its updates, so avoid applying one game’s figures to another.
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