The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Yes. Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ PS5 Pro Performance mode targets 60 FPS and uses ray-traced global illumination (RTGI). That does not mean it also has ray-traced reflections: Ubisoft lists reflections in Balanced and Quality modes, not Performance. These are official mode targets and feature descriptions, not independent confirmation of a locked 60 FPS in every scene.
What ray tracing does the 60 FPS mode use?
Performance mode combines a 60 FPS target with RTGI, which adds ray-traced diffuse lighting across the game world. PlayStation’s launch specifications described the mode as 2160p upscaled at 60 FPS with “standard” ray tracing; that label refers to diffuse global illumination. Ubisoft’s later technical explanation identifies the PS5 Pro Performance feature as RTGI.
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Ray-traced reflections are a separate feature. Ubisoft says they are available in Balanced and Quality modes, but does not list them for Performance. So the accurate answer is that the 60 FPS-targeting mode has ray tracing for global illumination, not the reflections feature.
How the PS5 Pro modes compare
| Mode | Official frame-rate description | Ray-tracing features | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 60 FPS target | RTGI; no ray-traced reflections listed by Ubisoft | Relevant mode if you want the highest stated frame-rate target. |
| Balanced | 40 FPS target | RTGI and ray-traced reflections | PlayStation says it requires a compatible 120/240 Hz display and HDMI 2.1. |
| Quality | 30 FPS target | RTGI and ray-traced reflections | Lower frame-rate target than Performance. |
The modes use different internal resolutions and Dynamic Resolution Scaling, according to PlayStation’s 2026 PSSR article. Its launch table lists Performance at 2160p upscaled; it does not establish that every mode renders at native 2160p.
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Why some launch coverage described Balanced differently
At launch, PlayStation’s mode table used “extended” ray tracing for Balanced, a label that its correction note later flagged as incorrect. Ubisoft’s April 14, 2025 update clarifies the change: Title Update 1.0.2 added ray-traced reflections to Balanced. The original March 2025 mode plan described Balanced as RTGI without reflections, so the difference reflects a later update rather than the feature being present from launch.
For the current documented split, Ubisoft’s April 2025 explanation is the clearest source: Performance has RTGI, while Balanced and Quality have RTGI plus reflections. PlayStation’s original table remains useful for launch-era resolution and frame-rate descriptions, with its correction note in mind.
What changed with PSSR?
Ubisoft documented original PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) support for PS5 Pro in April 2025, alongside Title Update 1.0.2. PlayStation later reported that an upgraded PSSR version was scheduled to arrive April 7, 2026 with Title Update 1.1.9, across Performance, Balanced, and Quality modes. PlayStation says the updated system works with the modes’ different internal resolutions and Dynamic Resolution Scaling.
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Ubisoft Technical Art Director Robert Foriel characterized the upgrade as improving pixel sharpness and image stability. That is Ubisoft’s description of the technology, not an independent visual-quality assessment.
What Ubisoft’s “about 300%” figure means
In its April 14, 2025 technical article, Ubisoft said its PS5 Pro BVH8 implementation sped up GPU tasks involving hardware ray tracing by about 300%. This is a publisher-reported figure about specific GPU tasks; it is not a claim that the whole game runs 300% faster or that frame rate rises by that amount.
Quick Recap
Official sources
- PlayStation Blog: launch specifications and correction note (March 6, 2025).
- Ubisoft: Consoles Specs & Tech Q&A (March 6, 2025).
- Ubisoft: PS5 Pro update, Balanced reflections, and BVH8 details (April 14, 2025).
- PlayStation Blog: upgraded PSSR and supported modes (March 31, 2026).
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