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For the current The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered on PS5, start with Performance Mode. It is the better all-round choice for camera movement, traversal and combat response. Choose Ray Tracing Mode when enhanced lighting matters more to you than the most responsive feel. On PS5 Pro, Performance Mode can reach up to 90 FPS only when a VRR-capable display is connected; the publisher’s figures are targets, not a guarantee that every scene will remain at the ceiling.
If your console still has the earlier next-gen build, the choice is different: Performance Mode targets 60 FPS, while Ray Tracing Mode targets 30 FPS. HDR also needs to be calibrated in both the game and the display, but there is no single publisher-approved slider recipe that works for every television or monitor.
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First, identify which PS5 build you are running
Advice written for the original next-gen release can be wrong for the current Remastered version. The two versions have different ray-tracing expectations, so establish which build is installed before judging a mode.
Current Remastered version
In the current Remastered release, CD PROJEKT RED says Performance Mode targets 60 FPS on PS5 and can reach up to 90 FPS on PS5 Pro when the display supports VRR. Ray Tracing Mode is designed to target 60 FPS on PS5. Those are publisher targets: demanding scenes, traversal and scene changes can still vary, and a target should not be read as a promise that every frame will hit the maximum.
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Earlier next-gen build
The earlier next-gen version uses dynamic resolution scaling in both modes. Its Performance Mode targets 60 FPS and prioritizes smoother play. Its Ray Tracing Mode uses ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, with dynamic resolution and a 30 FPS target. If you are comparing old guides with what appears on your console, this 60-versus-30 distinction is the most important point to check.
Quick comparison: quality, performance and requirements
| Version and mode | Frame-rate target | Primary strength | Resolution behavior | Display requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Remastered, Performance Mode (PS5) | 60 FPS target | Smoother traversal, camera movement and combat response | Not stated as a fixed native resolution by the publisher | VRR is not required for the 60 FPS target |
| Current Remastered, Ray Tracing Mode (PS5) | 60 FPS target | Enhanced lighting presentation | Not stated as a fixed native resolution by the publisher | VRR is not required for the stated target |
| Current Remastered, Performance Mode (PS5 Pro) | Up to 90 FPS target when VRR is supported | Highest potential responsiveness and smoothness | Not stated as a fixed native resolution by the publisher | VRR-capable display required for the up-to-90-FPS behavior |
| Earlier next-gen, Performance Mode | 60 FPS target | Smoother gameplay | Dynamic resolution scaling | VRR not specified as a requirement |
| Earlier next-gen, Ray Tracing Mode | 30 FPS target | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion | Dynamic resolution scaling | VRR not specified as a requirement |
The table separates what is documented from what is not. In particular, neither version should be described as running at a permanently fixed native resolution on the basis of the available specifications.
Which mode should most players use?
Choose Performance Mode for playability
Performance Mode is the safest default when you want the game to feel consistent while riding, turning the camera, aiming signs or fighting groups of enemies. On the current Remastered PS5 release, its 60 FPS target is intended to make movement and input feel smoother than a 30 FPS presentation. On PS5 Pro, a compatible VRR display gives this mode room to reach the publisher’s up-to-90-FPS target.
This is the appropriate starting point if you notice uneven camera motion, if fast combat feels less immediate at lower frame rates, or if you spend more time exploring and fighting than stopping to inspect lighting. It does not mean the mode removes every performance fluctuation; it means the mode gives responsiveness priority.
Choose Ray Tracing Mode for lighting
Ray Tracing Mode is the visual-quality choice. The current Remastered release describes enhanced lighting while targeting 60 FPS on PS5, whereas the earlier next-gen build targets 30 FPS and adds ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. Select it when lighting depth and the overall presentation matter more to you than the most immediate camera and combat response.
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Do not apply the older 30 FPS assumption to the current Remastered version. That assumption describes the earlier next-gen build, not the current publisher target.
Use a simple decision rule
- Mostly combat, movement and exploration: start with Performance Mode.
- Mostly visual appreciation and slower play: try Ray Tracing Mode.
- PS5 Pro plus VRR: Performance Mode offers the highest stated frame-rate ceiling, up to 90 FPS.
- Earlier next-gen build: expect the traditional 60 FPS Performance versus 30 FPS Ray Tracing trade-off.
Spend several minutes in the same type of activity before deciding. Switching during a quiet conversation can make both modes seem similar; camera turns, horseback travel and a busy fight reveal the responsiveness difference more clearly.
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How PS5 Pro and VRR change the decision
VRR matters specifically to the current Remastered PS5 Pro Performance behavior. The publisher ties the “up to 90 FPS” figure to a VRR-capable display. Without that capability, you should not assume the console will deliver the same variable-refresh experience or that every display can show the higher ceiling.
What VRR does and does not promise
VRR allows a compatible display to adjust its refresh timing to the console’s changing frame output. That can make fluctuations look less jarring, but it does not turn a publisher target into a guaranteed frame rate. A scene can still fall below the target, and the display must actually support and be configured for VRR.
If you do not have VRR
You can still use either mode. On a standard PS5, compare the current Remastered targets—60 FPS for both modes—with your own preference for smoothness versus lighting. On PS5 Pro without a VRR-capable display, treat Performance Mode as the responsiveness option, but do not select it solely because you expect the up-to-90-FPS behavior described for VRR setups.
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HDR: a reliable setup process without invented slider numbers
The Remastered release updates the HDR calibration panel and fixes an issue that could prevent HDR settings from appearing on consoles. Start with the game’s own HDR calibration screen, then check the television or monitor’s HDR picture mode. Because display tone mapping differs by model, the publisher does not provide one universal set of numeric slider values.
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- Launch the game with the PS5 connected to the HDR-capable television or monitor.
- Open the game’s HDR calibration panel.
- Confirm that the display has switched into its HDR picture mode rather than remaining in an SDR preset.
- If the HDR controls are missing, update to the Remastered release and check again; the release specifically addressed console visibility of HDR settings.
Display menus use different labels, so the exact wording and location of HDR status information varies by model.
Step 2: choose a neutral display preset
- Select the display’s neutral or game-oriented HDR preset.
- Disable additional image processing that adds latency or clips bright highlights.
- Leave the display’s tone mapping at a moderate, controllable setting rather than using a processing mode that aggressively boosts brightness.
The goal is a faithful game image with low processing delay, not the brightest possible showroom picture.
Step 3: calibrate for shadow detail
- Adjust the game’s HDR controls until dark areas retain visible detail without turning black into gray.
- Check a scene containing both deep shadows and a light source before accepting the setting.
- If caves, interiors or night scenes look flat and gray, verify HDR mode on the display and repeat the in-game calibration.
Black-level appearance depends on the display, its current HDR preset and the room, so a value that works on one screen can be wrong on another.
Step 4: calibrate highlights
- Use bright clouds, illuminated windows and other strong highlights as your reference.
- Keep texture visible in bright areas instead of allowing them to become featureless white patches.
- If highlights are clipped, lower the display’s HDR tone-mapping intensity before changing unrelated game options.
Changing unrelated picture controls first can hide the real cause. Correct the display’s HDR behavior, then return to the game calibration panel if necessary.
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Step 5: check the result in more than one scene
HDR should remain readable in dark interiors and preserve texture in bright skies. A calibration that looks impressive in one bright scene can crush shadows elsewhere. Check at least one dark environment, one outdoor scene and one high-contrast transition before settling on the combination.
HDR troubleshooting by symptom
HDR looks gray or washed out
- Verify that the television or monitor is genuinely in HDR mode.
- Return to the game’s HDR calibration panel and repeat the adjustment after installing the Remastered update.
- Use the display’s neutral or game HDR preset instead of a heavily processed mode.
The source confirms the updated panel and console-visibility fix; exact control names and behavior vary by display model.
Bright areas lose all texture
- Lower the display’s HDR tone-mapping intensity.
- Recheck bright clouds and other highlight detail.
- Only then revisit the game’s calibration controls.
Dark areas are crushed
- Raise shadow visibility gradually in the game’s calibration panel.
- Check that the display is not applying an aggressive contrast or black-level process.
- Compare a dark interior with a normal outdoor scene so you do not solve one scene by washing out every other scene.
Keep the game updated before comparing modes
Patch 4.03 addressed several PS5-specific problems: dark inventory shadows in Performance Mode, autosave stutter on next-generation consoles, and performance drops while using Witcher Senses in Beauclair and Novigrad. These fixes matter when you are deciding whether a mode is intrinsically better or whether an older build is simply behaving badly.
Install the latest available game update before making a lasting judgment. If a problem disappears after updating, it was not useful evidence against the mode itself.
A practical comparison routine
Use the same display preset and HDR calibration while comparing modes. Otherwise, a change in television processing can be mistaken for a change in the game renderer.
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- Update the game, then restart it so the current build is active.
- Record whether you are on the current Remastered release or the earlier next-gen build.
- Calibrate HDR once with the display in its neutral or game HDR preset.
- Play a short route that includes camera turns, traversal and a combat encounter in Performance Mode.
- Repeat the same route in Ray Tracing Mode without changing display settings.
- Judge camera consistency, input response, lighting depth and distracting fluctuations separately.
- If you have a PS5 Pro and VRR-capable display, repeat the test with VRR enabled and remember that “up to 90 FPS” remains a target.
This approach prevents a bright but clipped HDR preset, an old patch or a different scene from deciding the result for you.
Recommended setups by player and hardware
Standard PS5, current Remastered release
Use Performance Mode as the default for a smoother 60 FPS target. Move to Ray Tracing Mode if enhanced lighting is your priority and the 60 FPS target in the current release meets your expectations.
PS5 Pro with VRR
Start with Performance Mode to take advantage of the publisher’s up-to-90-FPS target. Keep VRR active on the compatible display, but evaluate real play rather than assuming the ceiling is constant in every scene.
PS5 Pro without VRR
Choose between the modes on responsiveness versus lighting, not on the up-to-90-FPS claim, which is specifically tied to VRR-capable displays.
Earlier next-gen installation
Use Performance Mode for the 60 FPS target and smoother gameplay. Use Ray Tracing Mode for ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion if you accept its 30 FPS target. Dynamic resolution scaling applies to both modes.
Any setup with poor-looking HDR
Do not compensate by changing graphics mode first. Verify HDR output, select a neutral or game HDR preset, remove processing that adds latency or clips highlights, and recalibrate using shadow detail and highlight texture as your reference.
Quick Recap
Final settings checklist
- Confirm whether the installation is the current Remastered release or the earlier next-gen build.
- Install the latest update before judging performance; patch 4.03 fixed multiple PS5-specific issues.
- Use Performance Mode for the broadest recommendation: smoother movement and combat response.
- Use Ray Tracing Mode when enhanced lighting is worth prioritizing.
- Remember that the earlier build targets 30 FPS in Ray Tracing Mode, while the current Remastered release targets 60 FPS in that mode.
- On PS5 Pro, expect the up-to-90-FPS Performance target only with a VRR-capable display.
- Calibrate HDR in the game and on the display; there is no universal numeric slider recipe.
- If HDR is washed out, verify HDR mode and recalibrate. If highlights clip, lower tone-mapping intensity.
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