For most remastered PS4 games, set PS5 Resolution to Automatic (or 2160p after confirming a 4K display), Video Transfer Rate to Auto, HDR to On When Supported, and enable VRR, 120 Hz Output and ALLM only when both your display and the game support them. Choose Performance or Quality/Resolution inside each remaster; the PS5 Game Presets menu does not reliably control PS4 software. On a PS5 Pro (CFI-7000 model group), test Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games with a 4K or 1440p screen.
Recommended PS5 settings at a glance
The best starting point is a neutral system configuration that lets the console and display negotiate their highest compatible signal, while leaving artistic choices to the remaster itself. Use these values before changing individual game options:
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| PS5 setting | Recommended value | What it does | When to change it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Automatic; use 2160p when a 4K display is confirmed | Lets PS5 select the highest resolution the connected TV or monitor supports | Choose a fixed value only to diagnose a display handshake or to match a known screen capability |
| Video Transfer Rate | Auto | Uses the display’s available 4K, 120 Hz and RGB modes | If the image flickers, try -1, then -2; these settings limit some 4K/120 Hz and RGB combinations |
| HDR | On When Supported | Outputs HDR for HDR-enabled games and video | Use Always On only if you deliberately want non-HDR software converted to HDR |
| VRR | On when the TV and game support VRR | Allows the display refresh rate to follow changing frame rates | Disable Apply to Unsupported Games if a title shows instability or visual errors |
| 120 Hz Output | On when the display and game support 120 Hz | Enables 120 Hz video output for compatible titles | Turn it off if the screen loses signal or behaves incorrectly |
| ALLM | Enabled when supported | Allows the TV to switch to its low-latency game mode; VRR can trigger this automatically | Disable only if your display’s automatic mode switching causes an unwanted picture preset |
These are capabilities, not guarantees. A PS5 can output 4K and HDR, but the actual result depends on the remaster, the display’s HDMI specification, the selected HDMI port, the cable and the TV’s own picture settings.
Set the PS5 video output correctly
Resolution: let the display negotiate first
Open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Set Resolution to Automatic. Sony describes this mode as detecting the TV’s capabilities and selecting the best available resolution. If you have confirmed that the connected screen is a 4K display and want an explicit target, 2160p is the fixed equivalent.
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Automatic does not upscale a remaster beyond what its game engine renders. It sets the console’s output signal; a title may still render internally at a lower resolution and reconstruct or upscale it. Conversely, selecting 2160p cannot create detail that the game does not produce. Leave the setting on Automatic unless you are troubleshooting a handshake or have a specific reason to lock the output.
Video Transfer Rate: start with Auto
Keep Video Transfer Rate on Auto. This allows the console to use the color and refresh combinations that the complete HDMI chain reports as available. If the picture repeatedly flickers, disappears, or reconnects, return to this menu and try -1. If that does not cure the problem, try -2. Sony says those reductions limit some 4K/120 Hz and RGB output modes, so they are compatibility fallbacks rather than image-quality upgrades.
After changing the value, launch the same game and reproduce the scene that caused the failure. A stable lower-bandwidth signal is more useful than a nominally higher mode that drops out. If -1 or -2 fixes the issue, inspect the cable, port and receiver path before accepting the compromise as permanent.
Confirm the output information
Use the Video Output Information screen to see what the PS5 and display are actually negotiating. Check it after connecting a different HDMI port, receiver or switch box; an apparently identical television port may support different refresh or HDR capabilities. Treat the reported mode as the ceiling for that connection, not as a promise that every game will render at that resolution or frame rate.
HDR: use predictable switching rather than forced conversion
Why On When Supported is the safe default
Set HDR to On When Supported. HDR-enabled remasters can then send HDR, while SDR games and applications remain SDR. This avoids asking the TV to interpret every menu and older title as HDR and makes comparisons between a game’s own graphics modes more consistent.
What Always On changes
Always On converts non-HDR games and apps to HDR output. It can be a deliberate preference if you like the appearance of the TV’s HDR processing for SDR material, but it is not a universal quality improvement. Conversion changes the signal before the display applies its tone mapping, so a picture that looks too dim, too bright or oversaturated is a reason to return to On When Supported.
Calibrate the console and display together
When HDR looks wrong, first check the television’s HDR mode and make sure the input is configured for the full signal supported by that port. Then run Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Adjust HDR on the PS5. Sony documents HDR as dependent on both an HDR-capable display and HDR-enabled content; the console calibration cannot make an SDR remaster produce native HDR.
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Do not judge HDR from the PS5 menu alone. Test a remaster that explicitly offers HDR, allow the TV to switch into its HDR picture mode, and compare the same scene after changing only one setting. If the game has its own peak-brightness, paper-white or tone-mapping controls, follow that title’s instructions rather than copying values from another game.
Performance versus Quality/Resolution in a remaster
Choose the mode inside the game
A remastered PS4 title may expose two graphics choices, often labelled Performance and Quality or Resolution. Select them from the game’s own options menu. Performance generally prioritizes smoother motion and more consistent frame delivery; Quality/Resolution generally prioritizes rendering detail, effects or a higher image target. The exact resolution, frame rate and compromises are specific to that title.
Do not assume that the PS5’s Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Game Presets selection will enforce this choice. Sony states that Performance Mode and Resolution Mode presets apply only to PS5 games and may not apply to every title. A remastered PS4 game therefore needs its in-game setting whenever it provides one.
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Use motion, detail and display features as the decision test
| Question | Performance option tends to favor | Quality/Resolution option tends to favor |
|---|---|---|
| How does camera movement feel? | Smoother motion and easier tracking during pans, combat and driving | Potentially less fluid movement if the title targets a lower frame rate |
| What is visible in a still image? | May reduce rendering resolution or selected effects to sustain speed | More fine geometry, texture clarity or effects when the title allocates resources to them |
| How does HDR look? | Uses the title’s HDR implementation at its performance target | Uses the same title-specific HDR pipeline; a higher resolution target does not automatically mean better HDR |
| How do VRR and 120 Hz interact? | May provide more headroom for a high-refresh target, if the game supports it | May hold a detail-focused target instead of pursuing the highest refresh rate |
There is no universal winner. If you notice judder during camera turns or find aiming easier with fluid motion, start with Performance. If you sit close to a large 4K screen and value distant texture and geometry detail more than motion, try Quality/Resolution. Compare the same locations, lighting and camera movement, because a mode can look sharper in a static scene but feel better in motion in the other.
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Check the game’s documentation for its actual targets
Mode names are not standardized. One remaster may use Performance for a higher frame-rate target and another may use it for a dynamic-resolution compromise. Look for the developer’s mode description or an in-game information panel. Do not attach a numerical frame-rate or resolution claim to a title unless that game’s documentation states it or you have measured it under defined conditions; official information does not establish a cross-game percentage improvement or a universal frame-rate gain.
VRR, 120 Hz and ALLM: enable only when the chain supports them
Variable Refresh Rate
Turn on Enable VRR only when the display supports VRR and the remaster can use it. VRR lets the panel refresh in step with changing frame delivery, which can reduce tearing and make fluctuations less distracting. It cannot raise a game’s maximum frame rate and does not replace a game’s own Performance mode.
PS5 also offers Apply to Unsupported Games. This can stabilize the presentation of some titles that do not advertise VRR support, but Sony advises turning it off if unexpected behavior appears. Symptoms worth testing include flicker, brightness pulsing, a shifted black level or a title that becomes less stable after VRR is forced. Change this one toggle, relaunch the game and compare before deciding.
120 Hz Output
Enable 120 Hz Output when both the display and the game support a 120 Hz mode. The setting turns on 120 Hz video output; it does not convert a 30- or 60-frame title into a 120-frame game. If the monitor or TV loses signal, shows a distorted picture or refuses to wake correctly, disable 120 Hz Output and retest at the stable mode reported by Video Output Information.
ALLM and low-latency mode
Leave ALLM enabled when the television supports it. ALLM allows the TV to switch automatically to its low-latency game mode. Sony notes that VRR can trigger ALLM automatically, so behavior may change when VRR is enabled even if you did not change the TV’s picture menu. If your display’s game preset disables a picture control you use for HDR or calibration, turn off automatic switching on the TV or disable ALLM rather than changing the game’s graphics mode.
PS5 Pro: Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games
Who can use it
On PS5 Pro consoles in the CFI-7000 model group, enable Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games to try higher video quality in compatible PS4 software. The option is not available on other PS5 model groups. Sony requires a 4K or 1440p display, so a lower-resolution screen cannot meet the stated requirement.
How to test it safely
- Connect the PS5 Pro directly to a confirmed 4K or 1440p display.
- Open the system setting for PS4-game image enhancement and switch it on.
- Launch the remaster and compare a repeatable scene with the option off, changing no other graphics setting.
- Keep it enabled only if the title remains stable and the image improves on your screen; turn it off if you see unexpected behavior, as Sony advises.
The option is a compatibility enhancement, not a guarantee that every remaster will change visibly. It also does not override the title’s Performance or Quality/Resolution menu. Evaluate the two settings independently: first establish whether enhancement behaves correctly, then choose the game’s mode based on motion and detail.
What you need for 4K at 120 Hz
For a 4K/120 Hz signal, every link must support the target: the PS5, the television or monitor, the selected HDMI input, the cable and any equipment between them. A display advertised as 4K may still have HDMI inputs limited to lower refresh rates, and a receiver or switch box can impose a narrower mode than the TV itself.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Use the HDMI port specified by the display for HDMI 2.1 when seeking 4K/120 Hz.
- Connect the PS5 directly to the TV or monitor while diagnosing the signal; bypass receivers and switch boxes first.
- Use the cable included with the PS5 or an Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable rated for 4K/120 Hz.
- Update the television’s firmware, then confirm PS5 Resolution is Automatic or 2160p and Video Transfer Rate is Auto.
- Verify that the game’s own mode actually supports 120 Hz; the console toggle alone cannot add that mode.
If direct connection works but the receiver path does not, the receiver, its firmware or its HDMI bandwidth is the likely bottleneck. Reconnect one component at a time so you know which link changes the negotiated output.
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Troubleshoot a remaster that looks wrong or loses signal
Flicker, black screen or repeated HDMI renegotiation
- Reproduce the problem with the PS5 connected directly to the display.
- Check that the cable is the included lead or an Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable rated for 4K/120 Hz.
- Move the cable to the display’s HDMI 2.1-capable port when targeting 4K/120 Hz.
- Set Video Transfer Rate to Auto; if flicker persists, test -1 and then -2.
- Temporarily disable 120 Hz Output and VRR to identify which capability triggers the failure.
- Update the TV firmware and reconnect the receiver or switch box only after the direct path is stable.
HDR is washed out, too dark or never appears
- Use On When Supported rather than Always On unless forced conversion is intentional.
- Confirm the input’s HDR mode and the display’s supported HDMI signal options.
- Run Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Adjust HDR again.
- Test with a game that explicitly supports HDR; an SDR remaster cannot produce native HDR.
- If only one title is affected, inspect that game’s HDR or tone-mapping controls before changing global PS5 output.
VRR makes one title unstable
Turn off Apply to Unsupported Games first. If the issue remains, disable VRR for the test and relaunch. A title-specific problem does not mean VRR is defective across the system; keep it enabled for supported games that behave correctly.
PS5 Pro enhancement causes unexpected behavior
Confirm that the console is in the CFI-7000 model group and that the display is 4K or 1440p. Then disable Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games and retest the same scene. If the fault disappears, leave enhancement off for that software rather than changing unrelated HDR or refresh settings.
Practical setups by display type
4K television limited to 60 Hz
Use Automatic resolution, Auto Video Transfer Rate, On When Supported HDR and leave 120 Hz Output off because the panel cannot use it. Enable VRR only if the TV and the remaster support it. Choose Performance or Quality/Resolution according to the game’s documented trade-off; a 60 Hz panel does not make a 120 Hz mode available.
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Use Automatic resolution, Auto transfer rate, On When Supported HDR, VRR on, 120 Hz Output on and ALLM enabled. Confirm the PS5 is in the HDMI 2.1 input and test the game’s own high-refresh or Performance option. If flicker appears, follow the direct-connection and -1/-2 transfer-rate checks before abandoning 4K/120 Hz.
1440p monitor
Automatic resolution should select the monitor’s highest supported output. VRR and 120 Hz remain conditional on both the monitor and title. On PS5 Pro, a 1440p display satisfies Sony’s stated requirement for Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games; on other PS5 models that Pro-only option is unavailable.
Receiver or soundbar in the HDMI path
Diagnose with the PS5 connected straight to the display. Once the desired signal is stable, add the receiver or switch box and verify the output again. If the mode changes, that intermediate device or its cable path does not pass the same capability, even though the TV itself does.
A repeatable method for choosing a remaster’s mode
- Reset the system to the baseline values in the first table.
- Confirm the display, cable and HDMI port can deliver the mode you want.
- Run the title’s HDR calibration or graphics setup if it provides one.
- Play a repeatable sequence with camera movement, combat and a detailed distant view.
- Compare Performance with Quality/Resolution without changing HDR, VRR or TV picture settings.
- Keep the mode that best matches your priority: motion consistency or image detail.
- If a mode behaves differently after enabling VRR, 120 Hz or PS5 Pro enhancement, isolate that option and retest rather than changing everything at once.
This process separates a game’s rendering choice from an HDMI negotiation problem. It also avoids treating labels as specifications: the meaningful comparison is what the individual remaster actually delivers on your display.
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System settings expose output capabilities; they do not rewrite a remaster’s engine. Resolution labels such as 2160p and 1440p describe the signal or supported display target, while 120 Hz describes an output refresh capability. HDR depends on compatible content and a compatible display. VRR depends on the display and title. PS5 Pro enhancement is restricted to CFI-7000 consoles and 4K/1440p screens.
Official information does not establish a universal latency figure, cross-game benchmark percentage or frame-rate improvement for these settings. For that reason, any claim that one mode is always sharper, faster or better is too broad. The reliable choice is title-specific: read the game’s mode description, verify your display chain and compare the scenes you actually play.
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