On PS5, Fidelity, Performance, and Balanced are game-specific presets, not fixed Sony-wide specifications. Fidelity usually favors image detail or visual effects, Performance usually favors a higher or steadier frame rate, and Balanced aims for a compromise. The exact trade-off depends on the game—and on whether you are playing on PS5 or PS5 Pro—so check the game’s own mode description before choosing.
What do Fidelity, Performance, and Balanced mean on PS5?
The labels describe a developer’s priorities, not guaranteed resolution or frame-rate targets. A mode can adjust more than image resolution: developers may also change ray tracing and other visual settings. Sony’s guidance and developer examples illustrate the broad conventions, but each game decides what its presets actually do.
Fidelity
Fidelity commonly prioritizes visual detail, image clarity, or effects, sometimes at the cost of a lower frame-rate target. It does not automatically mean native 4K or 30 frames per second; those details vary by title.
Performance
Performance commonly prioritizes a higher or steadier frame rate, which can make movement and controls feel more responsive. A game may achieve that by changing resolution, effects, or both. It does not universally mean 1080p at 60 frames per second.
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Balanced
Balanced generally aims for a middle ground: more visual quality than a performance-first choice while running faster than a fidelity-first choice. The name does not establish a standard frame rate such as 40 FPS. Read the game’s explanation to learn what the compromise actually changes.
How should you choose a graphics mode?
Start with what matters most to you, then compare the game’s stated frame-rate behavior, image clarity, and effects such as ray tracing. If a mode is available only on PS5 Pro, account for that as well.
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- Choose Performance if responsive motion and a higher frame rate are your priority, provided the game’s implementation delivers the behavior you want.
- Choose Fidelity if visual detail or effects matter more and you are comfortable with the game’s lower frame-rate target, if it has one.
- Try Balanced if you want a compromise and the game offers it. Check its description rather than assuming a particular frame rate or image-quality benefit.
If you are unsure, try each available option in the same scene. Pay attention to motion smoothness, clarity while moving, and visible effects; the best choice is the one whose trade-off suits you.
What changes on PS5 Pro?
PS5 Pro does not impose one universal graphics mode or guarantee that every game adds the same option. Developers decide how to use the hardware and which modes to support. Sony says hardware-based ray-tracing acceleration is integrated into the PS5 GPU and that developers can use it in different ways (PlayStation’s PS5: The Ultimate FAQ).
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Sony’s developer examples show why the labels need to be read title by title. One example describes a game’s Fidelity mode targeting 30 FPS and Performance mode targeting 60 FPS. For Dragon’s Dogma 2, a PlayStation developer article discusses a 60 FPS Performance mode with ray-traced ambient occlusion. On PS5 Pro, Sony describes Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s Performance Pro mode as combining Fidelity mode’s crisp 4K resolution and ray-tracing features with Performance mode’s 60 frames per second (PlayStation’s PS5 Pro enhanced games article). These are specific examples, not targets to expect from every game.
For a particular title, consult its official support information or patch notes for the current mode options and behavior. There is no comprehensive official matrix here that establishes every game’s current resolution, frame rate, or PS5 Pro differences.
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Do you need a 120 Hz TV?
No—not simply to use modes called Fidelity, Performance, or Balanced. The mode names alone do not indicate a 120 Hz requirement. A 120 Hz-capable display is relevant when a game and its selected option support a high-refresh feature; having that display does not make a game offer one.
PlayStation’s support guide explains how to enable 4K and says 120 Hz video output can be turned on for TVs and games that support 120 Hz (PlayStation’s PS5 4K resolution guide). Check the game’s requirements and your display’s capabilities if you want to use a supported high-refresh option.
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