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Start with Ray Tracing mode on PS5 Pro if you want the best lighting and image quality: the remastered PS5 Pro version uses PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) and targets 60 frames per second with ray tracing enabled. Choose Performance mode instead when response time and frame-rate headroom matter more; CD PROJEKT RED says it targets 60 FPS and can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display. Those are targets, not a promise that every scene will hold one exact frame rate.
For either mode, update the game first, enable your television or monitor’s game and enhanced-HDMI features, turn on VRR where supported, and verify the PS5 detects 4K, HDR, 120 Hz and VRR. Calibrate HDR on your own panel rather than copying slider values from another television. Patch 5.01 also adds Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field controls and changes several visual systems, so comparisons made on an older patch can be misleading.
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What the PS5 Pro version changes
The PS5 Pro Remastered release is not simply the original PS5 mode selector running at a higher resolution. CD PROJEKT RED’s 2026 availability information describes PSSR being used to support ray tracing at a 60-FPS target, while Performance mode is described as a 60-FPS target with up to 90 FPS on VRR-capable displays. PSSR is Sony’s reconstruction technology: the console renders a game image and uses machine-learning-based reconstruction to produce a sharper output than a conventional lower-resolution upscale. The practical result is that the Pro can pursue ray-traced lighting without accepting the original console’s 30-FPS target.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11These descriptions are targets and feature behavior, not a frame-time guarantee for every location. Novigrad crowds, dense foliage, weather, combat effects and rapid camera movement can place different loads on the renderer. Your display also changes what you perceive: a 120-Hz VRR television can show additional frames and smooth variations, while a fixed 60-Hz panel cannot.
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Do not confuse this current Pro behavior with the original PS5 next-generation mode descriptions. A PlayStation Blog article dated December 13, 2022 described Performance Mode as prioritizing 60 FPS and Ray Tracing as aiming for 30 FPS on the then-current console version. The newer PS5 Pro Remastered figures come from CD PROJEKT RED’s later announcement and should be treated as a separate, dated specification.
Ray Tracing or Performance mode?
| Mode | Lighting and image priority | Published frame-rate target | Best display situation | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing | Ray-traced lighting and reflections with PSSR reconstruction | 60 FPS target on PS5 Pro | 4K HDR display, especially if you value scene lighting and can tolerate normal target variation | Less frame-rate headroom than Performance mode in demanding scenes; exact frame pacing depends on the scene and display |
| Performance | Prioritizes frame rate over ray-traced lighting | 60 FPS target; up to 90 FPS with VRR according to CD PROJEKT RED | 120-Hz VRR television or monitor, or any setup where input response is more important than ray-traced effects | Reduced or differently configured ray-traced lighting compared with Ray Tracing mode |
Choose Ray Tracing when lighting is the reason you upgraded
Use Ray Tracing mode for a slower, more cinematic play style, exploration, screenshots and scenes where indirect lighting, reflections and shadow behavior matter more than the lowest possible latency. PSSR is specifically part of the Pro implementation that allows the mode to target 60 FPS rather than the original PS5’s 30-FPS ray-tracing target. A target still allows dips, so judge smoothness over a representative quest rather than a single courtyard or menu.
Choose Performance when control and headroom come first
Performance mode is the safer default for fast combat, horseback travel and players sensitive to controller latency. Its official description gives it the clearest high-refresh advantage: up to 90 FPS when VRR is available. At 90 FPS on a 120-Hz display, each frame is presented roughly every 11.1 milliseconds, compared with 16.7 milliseconds at 60 FPS; the game may not hold 90 in every scene, and VRR is what keeps those changing intervals from becoming obvious judder or tearing.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIf your display is limited to 60 Hz and has no VRR, the headline “up to 90 FPS” cannot be shown as additional refreshes. Performance can still feel responsive, but your screen will present no more than its supported refresh rate.
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Update and prepare before judging the picture
- Install the current game update. Patch 5.01 adds Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field controls and includes optimization and visual changes affecting tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing. Record the patch number if you are comparing screenshots or discussing settings with someone on another system.
- Use the PS5 Pro version. Confirm that the installed edition is the Remastered PS5 release rather than an older PS4 build running through backward compatibility. The PSSR and Pro-specific mode descriptions apply to the remastered version.
- Put the display in its game-oriented input mode. Enable the television or monitor’s game mode and its enhanced or high-bandwidth HDMI option for the input connected to the PS5. Menu names differ by manufacturer; the requirement is that the port accept the advertised 4K, HDR and 120-Hz signal.
- Connect the correct input. Use a high-bandwidth HDMI connection and the display input that supports its advertised 4K/120-Hz and VRR features. The capability belongs to the complete chain: console, cable and that specific input, not just the panel’s headline specification.
- Restart after changing signal features. If HDR, 120 Hz or VRR was enabled after the game was already running, close the game and relaunch it so the display mode is negotiated again.
Set up 4K, HDR, 120 Hz and VRR on PS5
Use the console’s built-in output information before changing in-game sliders. Sony’s current PS5 menus provide capability detection and tests for SDR and HDR at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, plus VRR where supported.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select Screen and Video, then Video Output.
- Check the information shown for the connected display. Confirm that 4K, HDR, 120 Hz and VRR are detected when your television or monitor supports them.
- Run the available HDR and refresh-rate tests. The tests let you verify SDR/HDR output at 60 Hz and 120 Hz and test VRR where the display reports support.
- Leave VRR enabled when you have a compatible display. If a separate option allows VRR for unsupported games, treat it as a troubleshooting option rather than a Witcher 3 requirement; the important point is that the console and display both report VRR capability.
- Start The Witcher 3 only after the display has completed its signal handshake. If the game opens in SDR or 60 Hz despite the display’s capabilities, quit it, check the input’s enhanced mode, and relaunch.
What “120 Hz” actually does
A 120-Hz panel refreshes up to twice as often as a 60-Hz panel. That does not force The Witcher 3 to render at 120 FPS. It gives Performance mode room to present frames above 60 and gives VRR a wider refresh envelope in which to match the game’s changing output. The PS5’s Video Output screen is the authoritative check for what the connected chain currently supports; a television specification alone is not enough.
Calibrate HDR without copying someone else’s slider values
The Remastered feature list confirms HDR support, and the patch history records a fix for consoles on which HDR settings sometimes failed to appear. There is no official universal number for the game’s HDR sliders that works across every panel. OLED, mini-LED, edge-lit LCD and older HDR displays have different black levels, peak brightness and tone-mapping behavior, so a number that looks correct in one room can crush shadows or clip highlights in another.
- Enable HDR on the display. Turn on the input’s HDR or enhanced color mode, then confirm in PS5 Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output that HDR is detected.
- Run the PS5 HDR adjustment. Use the console’s HDR setup screens first. Follow the on-screen pattern until the symbol is barely visible at the specified point; do not increase brightness simply because the overall picture looks dim in a brightly lit room.
- Open The Witcher 3’s HDR calibration screen. Adjust while looking at both a dark scene and a bright scene. Keep shadow detail visible without turning black areas gray, and retain texture in snow, bright clouds, fire and other light sources without allowing them to become featureless white.
- Use measured display information when available. If the game exposes separate brightness, paper-white or peak-brightness controls, use your television’s measured peak or the manufacturer’s specification as the starting point, then make small changes while checking real gameplay. The specification is a starting point, not a guarantee of the panel’s tone mapping in Game mode.
- Recheck after changing picture modes. A display’s Game, Filmmaker or dynamic HDR modes can apply different tone curves. Calibrate with the mode you will actually use for the PS5, and avoid changing that mode’s contrast or black-level controls afterward without checking the game’s test screen again.
Symptoms and corrections
- Black foliage, caves or clothing lose texture: reduce the game’s brightness or black-level lift until the darkest details return without making the entire image gray.
- Clouds, snow and lamps look like flat white shapes: lower the relevant peak-brightness or highlight setting and recheck the brightest calibration pattern.
- HDR is missing from the game menu: verify that the PS5 detects HDR, that the display input is in its enhanced mode, and that the game is fully patched. The Remastered patch history specifically notes a fix for cases where HDR options failed to appear.
- The picture is too dim only in a bright room: improve room lighting or use the display’s accurate Game HDR mode before raising black levels. Lifting blacks to compensate can permanently reduce contrast in dark scenes.
Patch 5.01 graphics controls
Patch 5.01 adds three user-facing controls that were not present in the earlier configuration: Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field. The same patch also includes optimizations and visual adjustments to tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing.
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Bloom
Bloom spreads a soft glow around intense light sources. Keep it enabled if you want a more filmic presentation around torches, spells and bright windows. Reduce or disable it if halos obscure small objects, make the image look hazy or interfere with your own HDR evaluation. Bloom changes perceived brightness; adjust it before making a final judgment about HDR highlights.
Light Shafts
Light Shafts control visible beams through dust, fog or foliage. They can add depth in forests and interiors but may make volumetric effects busier during weather or combat. If you are diagnosing shimmering or visual noise, test with Light Shafts lowered before changing the display’s sharpness.
Depth of Field
Depth of Field blurs objects outside the camera’s focus plane, most noticeably during dialogue and close-ups. Disable it for a consistently sharp gameplay image, or leave it enabled for the intended cinematic look. It is a presentation preference, not a substitute for fixing a soft signal or incorrect 4K output.
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Because the patch changes tone mapping and lighting as well as adding toggles, keep Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field choices identical when comparing Ray Tracing and Performance. Otherwise you may attribute a post-processing change to the rendering mode.
Recommended setting profiles
| Player or setup | Mode | Display and console settings | Patch 5.01 starting choices | Why this profile fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image-quality-focused player with 4K HDR | Ray Tracing | HDR enabled; VRR optional but useful if available | Leave Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field enabled, then reduce only an effect that obscures detail | Preserves the Pro’s ray-traced lighting and PSSR-assisted 60-FPS target |
| Competitive or latency-sensitive player | Performance | 120 Hz and VRR enabled and detected | Use restrained post-processing if blur or glow interferes with target visibility | Prioritizes response and the mode with official up-to-90-FPS VRR headroom |
| 60-Hz non-VRR display | Performance for responsiveness, Ray Tracing for lighting | Confirm 4K and HDR; 120-Hz options will not apply without compatible hardware | Calibrate HDR carefully; choose effects by clarity | Mode choice is about rendering priorities because the display cannot show VRR-driven refresh changes |
| HDR-sensitive enthusiast | Either mode, evaluated after calibration | Run PS5 HDR tests and the game’s calibration in the final Game picture mode | Change one post-processing control at a time | Avoids mistaking panel tone mapping or patch changes for a mode advantage |
How VRR changes the decision
Variable Refresh Rate lets a compatible display change its refresh timing to follow the console’s delivered frame timing. Without VRR, a game that alternates between refresh intervals can show tearing or uneven cadence, depending on synchronization settings. With VRR, those variations are usually less conspicuous, which is why Performance mode’s published “up to 90 FPS” figure matters primarily on a 120-Hz VRR display.
VRR does not create frames, increase the game’s rendering target or guarantee 90 FPS. It cannot correct a faulty HDMI input, a display that reports no VRR support, or a console output mode that is still fixed at 60 Hz. It also does not make Ray Tracing and Performance visually identical: it smooths delivery differences while the two modes retain different lighting priorities.
Check the complete VRR chain
- The display must support VRR at the resolution and refresh rate you are using.
- The exact HDMI input connected to the PS5 must support that feature; some displays reserve high-refresh functions for specific ports.
- The cable and receiver path must carry the display’s advertised 4K/120-Hz signal. An older switch, soundbar or adapter in the middle can remove 120 Hz or VRR even when the television and console support both.
- The PS5’s Screen and Video > Video Output page must report the capability. If it does not, troubleshoot the connection before judging the game.
Troubleshooting common problems
The game stays at 60 Hz
- Confirm the display advertises 120 Hz at the selected resolution.
- Move the PS5 to the display input that supports the advertised high-refresh mode and enable that input’s enhanced setting.
- Remove an intermediate receiver, switch or capture device temporarily.
- Use a high-bandwidth HDMI connection appropriate for the display’s 4K/120-Hz specification.
- Recheck Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output, run the 120-Hz test, then restart the game.
VRR is enabled but the image tears or judders
First verify that VRR is reported by the PS5 rather than merely enabled in the television menu. Then check that the display is in Game mode, the correct HDMI input is selected and no intermediary device is forcing a fixed refresh rate. If the display’s VRR implementation is unstable, compare Performance at a fixed 60-Hz output; that removes VRR from the diagnosis and tells you whether the issue is synchronization or rendering.
Ray Tracing does not look like screenshots from another player
Compare patch versions, HDR state, display picture mode and Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field settings before comparing the rendering modes. Patch 5.01 changes tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing, and a television’s HDR tone curve can alter apparent contrast and highlight detail. A screenshot viewed on a non-HDR screen is not a reliable measurement of your own calibrated output.
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Performance mode feels no faster
Check whether the display is limited to 60 Hz and whether the PS5 detects VRR. The mode still targets 60 FPS, but the additional frames described by CD PROJEKT RED can only be presented on a compatible high-refresh display. Controller response can also be affected by the display’s processing mode, so make sure Game mode is active.
A practical way to compare modes
- Use the same save file in a demanding outdoor area, a crowded settlement and a dark interior.
- Keep HDR calibration, display picture mode and Patch 5.01 post-processing controls unchanged.
- Play each mode for several minutes while rotating the camera, riding, fighting and viewing bright and dark scenes.
- On a 120-Hz VRR display, watch for changes in motion clarity and input response rather than expecting a locked number in every location.
- Choose the mode that solves your actual annoyance: missing lighting detail and reflections point toward Ray Tracing; latency, uneven motion or a desire for extra refresh headroom point toward Performance.
This process is more useful than treating a menu label as a universal winner. Ray Tracing is the PS5 Pro starting point for players who upgraded for lighting quality, while Performance is the better fit for players whose priority is response and VRR-assisted frame-rate headroom.
Final recommendation
Update to Patch 5.01, verify the PS5 detects your display’s capabilities, and begin with Ray Tracing mode if you want the Pro’s defining lighting upgrade at a 60-FPS target through PSSR. Switch to Performance mode when you prefer lower latency or have a 120-Hz VRR display that can benefit from its published headroom of up to 90 FPS. Treat HDR as a calibration task specific to your panel, not a slider preset, and evaluate both modes only after the console, display input and HDMI path are correctly configured.
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