Start with the game’s Performance or high-frame-rate mode, set the PS5 to Resolution: Automatic, VRR: Automatic, and 120 Hz Output: Automatic when your display supports them. This combination prioritizes responsive controls and smooth camera movement. Switch to Fidelity or Resolution mode when sharper detail, ray tracing, or a steadier image matters more than reaction speed. The exact result depends on the game, its patch, your display, and the selected visual mode.
Choose the right goal before changing a setting
Action games expose frame-rate differences quickly. Fast camera turns, parries, aiming, driving and platforming all feel easier when the game presents frames consistently and responds quickly to controller input. A high-frame-rate mode usually reduces visual detail to achieve that responsiveness. Fidelity or Resolution mode generally spends more rendering power on image quality, higher output resolution, ray tracing or other effects.
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There is no universal best mode for every new release. Sony notes that performance varies with the game, television or monitor and visual mode. Treat the following as a starting point, then use the game’s own descriptions and patch notes to confirm what its modes actually do.
| Your priority | Starting choice | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Fast reactions, smooth pans and aiming | Performance or high-frame-rate mode | The game targets a higher frame rate, often with reduced resolution or effects. |
| Maximum image detail, ray tracing or resolution | Fidelity or Resolution mode | Sharper or richer visuals, usually with a lower frame-rate target. |
| Variable frame delivery on a compatible screen | Performance mode plus VRR | The display can follow changing output timing and reduce tearing or uneven pacing. |
| Older 60 Hz television or monitor | Choose the mode that feels stable at 60 Hz | A 120 Hz-only benefit is unavailable, so judge motion and image quality directly. |
Check what your TV or monitor can actually do
Before enabling advanced output, identify three capabilities in the display manual or settings menu:
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- Refresh rate: A 60 Hz panel cannot show a 120 Hz signal. A display advertised as 120 Hz may also have restrictions on which HDMI input, resolution or picture mode supports that rate.
- VRR: Variable refresh rate must be supported by both the display and the game or system path. Sony describes VRR as synchronizing the display refresh rate with PS5 output to reduce frame-pacing problems and screen tearing, and it may also reduce input lag.
- HDMI 2.1 input: For 4K at 120 Hz, the PS5 should be connected directly to an HDMI 2.1 input. Other inputs on the same television may have different bandwidth.
Use the display’s gaming or low-latency picture preset if it is required for its advertised response time. Keep the PS5 connected directly to the screen while troubleshooting; a receiver, switch or capture device can change the signal path and complicate 4K/120 Hz detection.
Set the PS5 video output
On the console, open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. The following sequence gives the console permission to use capabilities that the display and game support without forcing an unsupported signal.
- Set Resolution to Automatic. Sony recommends this so the PS5 selects the highest resolution supported by the connected display. Manually forcing a resolution can prevent the console from selecting a compatible combination of resolution, refresh rate and HDR.
- Set VRR to Automatic if the display supports VRR. This enables synchronization for compatible games. Leave Apply to Unsupported Games off initially. Sony warns that forcing VRR on games without official support can produce unexpected effects; enable it only as a deliberate experiment after confirming that the particular title behaves correctly.
- Set 120 Hz Output to Automatic when both the display and game support 120 Hz. If the screen flickers, loses signal or reports an unsupported format, turn this option off and retest at 60 Hz.
- Check ALLM behavior. Auto Low Latency Mode lets a compatible television switch into its low-latency picture mode during gameplay. Sony notes that VRR can trigger low-latency mode even when ALLM is set to Off. Completely disabling ALLM requires VRR to be Off, so do not treat those two controls as fully independent.
- Choose the HDR behavior. On When Supported leaves non-HDR games and apps in SDR. Always On converts non-HDR games and apps to HDR. For predictable color, use On When Supported unless you specifically prefer the television’s conversion of SDR content.
- Run Adjust HDR. Complete the PS5’s Adjust HDR procedure for this particular display, and repeat it if you move the console to another television or change the display’s HDR picture mode.
- Leave Video Transfer Rate on Automatic. Sony’s 4K/120 Hz troubleshooting guidance specifically includes this setting. If a display is losing the signal, test Automatic before trying other combinations.
Pick Performance or Fidelity in the game
When Performance mode is the better choice
Choose Performance when the game’s combat depends on timing or when camera movement is a major part of play. A higher frame-rate target gives the controller and screen more frequent updates, making quick turns and moving targets easier to follow. It can also make frame-time variation less distracting, particularly when combined with VRR on a compatible display.
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Read the mode description carefully. “Performance,” “High Frame Rate,” “Action” and similar labels are not standardized. One game may target 60 frames per second; another may offer a 120 Hz mode with a variable output. The title’s current in-game menu and patch notes are the authority for its target, resolution and effects.
When Fidelity or Resolution mode is the better choice
Use Fidelity or Resolution when you sit close to a large 4K screen, value fine environmental detail, or want effects such as ray tracing that the faster mode reduces or removes. Slower exploration, photo-focused play and scenes where image stability matters more than rapid input can make the trade-off worthwhile.
Fidelity is not automatically “better.” It is a different allocation of the console’s rendering budget. If camera motion looks uneven or combat feels delayed, return to Performance and compare the two modes in the same scene rather than judging from a menu screenshot.
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How VRR changes the decision
VRR does not turn a 30-fps mode into a 60-fps mode, and it cannot create frames the game does not render. It adjusts the display’s refresh timing to the console’s changing output, reducing tearing and some frame-pacing issues. Support can require a game patch, and Sony emphasizes that results vary by title, display and visual mode.
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Insomniac Games’ November 19, 2025 support guidance illustrates why the combination can matter. In its PS5 games, when current game and system updates are installed, a 120 Hz display mode is active and VRR is enabled, the variable uncapped frame rate can exceed the selected Graphics Mode’s 30- or 60-fps target by 50% or more, depending on gameplay. That statement applies to the conditions and games described by Insomniac; it is not a universal PS5 guarantee or a target for every new action game.
Use 120 Hz and VRR without creating signal problems
For a 120 Hz mode, connect the PS5 directly to the display’s HDMI 2.1 input. Use the cable supplied with the console or an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable, the class Sony recommends for 4K/120 Hz troubleshooting. A cable can be labeled “high speed” yet fail at the bandwidth required by a particular 4K/120 signal, so replacing it with an Ultra High-Speed model is a practical diagnostic step.
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Update the television or monitor firmware before diagnosing intermittent black screens. Then verify that the display’s HDMI input is configured for its enhanced, 4K, high-bandwidth or 120 Hz mode if the manufacturer provides such a switch. On the PS5, keep Resolution and Video Transfer Rate on Automatic while testing. If the display still drops the signal, disable 120 Hz Output, test at 60 Hz, and re-enable features one at a time.
Configure HDR for consistent brightness and color
HDR settings affect the whole system, not just one game. With On When Supported, HDR-capable games can use HDR while SDR games remain SDR. Always On converts SDR games and apps, which may look different from the creator’s intended SDR presentation depending on the television’s tone mapping.
After selecting your preferred behavior, run Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Adjust HDR. Follow all three screens of the calibration and use the display picture mode you intend to keep for games. If highlights are clipped or dark areas disappear after changing the television’s HDR mode, run the adjustment again rather than compensating with unrelated brightness controls.
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Recommended presets by setup
| Setup | PS5 settings | Game setting | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4K, 120 Hz, VRR-capable display | Resolution Automatic; VRR Automatic; 120 Hz Output Automatic; Video Transfer Rate Automatic | Start with Performance or the game’s high-frame-rate mode | Uses the display’s adaptive refresh capability for responsive action and smoother motion. |
| 4K, 120 Hz display without VRR | Resolution Automatic; 120 Hz Output Automatic; VRR Off | Use Performance if its motion is stable; otherwise compare with Fidelity | 120 Hz can be used, but the display cannot adapt to changing frame timing through VRR. |
| 4K, 60 Hz display | Resolution Automatic; 120 Hz Output Off or Automatic; VRR Automatic only if supported | Compare Performance and Fidelity in a combat scene | The screen cannot present 120 Hz, so image quality and 60 Hz consistency decide the preference. |
| Signal drops or unsupported-format message | 120 Hz Output Off temporarily; Video Transfer Rate Automatic | Run the game at its 60 Hz option | Establishes a stable baseline before checking cable, HDMI input and firmware. |
Troubleshoot by symptom
Black screen, flicker or “no signal” at 4K/120
- Move the cable directly to the display’s HDMI 2.1 input.
- Use the supplied PS5 cable or an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable.
- Install available display firmware updates.
- Set Video Transfer Rate to Automatic and temporarily set 120 Hz Output to Off.
- Once 60 Hz is stable, enable 120 Hz again before changing other options.
Tearing or uneven motion
- Confirm that VRR is set to Automatic and that the display’s own VRR or adaptive-sync control is enabled.
- Check whether the game has a current patch that adds or improves VRR support.
- Leave Apply to Unsupported Games off while diagnosing. If the issue disappears with it off, the title may not support forced VRR reliably.
- Compare the game’s Performance and Fidelity modes; VRR can reduce pacing problems but cannot remove a mode’s underlying frame-rate limit.
Controls feel sluggish
- Use the television’s low-latency or game picture mode.
- Try Performance mode instead of Fidelity.
- On a compatible display, keep VRR Automatic; Sony says synchronization can potentially lower input lag.
- Check that ALLM or the display’s equivalent has not been disabled by a custom picture preset. Remember that VRR itself may trigger low-latency mode.
HDR looks too dark, too bright or washed out
- Decide between On When Supported and Always On based on whether you want SDR content converted.
- Run Adjust HDR again for the current display picture mode.
- Check the television’s HDR picture preset and input-specific settings before changing in-game brightness.
What remains game-specific
The game’s name, developer, patch version and exact menu labels determine details that PS5 system settings cannot answer. The title may offer separate toggles for motion blur, ray tracing, 120 Hz display mode, uncapped frame rate or dynamic resolution, and those options can change after an update. Check the game’s current official patch notes or settings guide for its exact frame-rate targets and feature requirements.
Use the PS5 settings above as a controlled baseline: change one option at a time, test a repeatable combat or traversal section, and keep the mode that matches how you play. Performance mode with supported VRR is the sensible first test for action, while Fidelity is the deliberate choice when visual detail takes priority.
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