Short answer: the right mode depends on your console and which version you are playing. In the original 4.0-era update, Ray Tracing Mode prioritized ray-traced lighting at a 30 FPS target on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, while Performance Mode targeted 60 FPS. The 2026 Remastered upgrade changes the published PlayStation 5 comparison: both modes target 60 FPS, with Ray Tracing Mode emphasizing enhanced lighting and Performance Mode offering higher resolution plus up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display.
Those are CD PROJEKT RED targets, not independent measurements or guarantees for every scene, patch, console revision, or display. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S targets for the Remastered release are not specified in the current notes reviewed here, so the older specifications should not be presented as current Xbox Remastered figures.
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Performance Mode vs. Ray Tracing Mode at a glance
| Platform and version | Ray Tracing Mode | Performance Mode or equivalent | What the specification means |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5, original 4.0-era release | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion; dynamic resolution; 30 FPS target. | Dynamic resolution; 60 FPS target. | Historical launch comparison from CD PROJEKT RED’s December 12, 2022 notes. |
| Xbox Series X, original 4.0-era release | Ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion; dynamic resolution; 30 FPS target. | Dynamic resolution; 60 FPS target. | Patch 4.02 later improved Performance Mode and fixed a Series X memory-related crash in Ray Tracing Mode. |
| Xbox Series S, original 4.0-era release | No ray-tracing features. | Performance mode targeted 60 FPS; Quality mode targeted 30 FPS with higher resolution and image fidelity. | Series S did not offer the same Ray Tracing Mode choice. |
| PlayStation 5, 2026 Remastered | Enhanced lighting; 60 FPS target. | Higher resolution; 60 FPS target and up to 90 FPS on VRR-capable displays. | These are the current PlayStation 5 descriptions in the Remastered notes. “Up to 90 FPS” is conditional, not a measured average. |
| Xbox Series X, 2026 Remastered | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | Do not automatically carry the 2022 targets into the current Xbox version. |
| Xbox Series S, 2026 Remastered | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes; the original update had no ray tracing. | Not stated in the reviewed Remastered notes. | The current notes reviewed here do not establish revised Series S targets. |
The version label is essential. “Ray Tracing Mode” meant a 30-FPS lighting-focused option in the original console release, but the 2026 PlayStation 5 Remastered description assigns it a 60-FPS target. Treating every mode name as if it still had its 2022 behavior is the most common source of incorrect comparisons.
What the original 4.0-era modes actually changed
Ray Tracing Mode on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
CD PROJEKT RED’s December 12, 2022 next-generation notes described Ray Tracing Mode as the visual option. It added ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, two lighting techniques intended to produce more physically responsive indirect light and contact shading. The console description also listed dynamic resolution, so the mode was not a fixed-resolution presentation.
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The stated target was 30 FPS on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. A target describes the performance objective supplied by the developer; it does not prove that every scene holds that rate or that frame delivery is perfectly even. The notes did not provide an independent average, a frame-time chart, or a scene-by-scene test.
Performance Mode on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
Performance Mode also used dynamic resolution in the original update, but its defining specification was a 60 FPS target. That made it the smoother-target choice for players who value faster camera response and more consistent motion over the extra lighting effects listed for Ray Tracing Mode.
The 60 FPS figure should be read alongside the dynamic-resolution behavior. Resolution can change to help the console pursue the target, which means a screenshot comparison at one location cannot establish how the mode behaves throughout the game. The published notes did not claim a locked 60 FPS result.
Xbox Series S: Quality and Performance, not the same ray-tracing choice
The Xbox Series S was treated separately. CD PROJEKT RED stated plainly that the Series S version did not feature ray tracing. Its original choices were Quality mode, with a 30 FPS target and higher resolution or image fidelity, and Performance mode, with a 60 FPS target.
Consequently, an Xbox Series S owner should not expect to find a like-for-like Ray Tracing Mode switch. Comparing Series S Quality mode with Series X Ray Tracing Mode would mix different hardware capabilities and different feature sets.
What changed in the 2026 Remastered upgrade on PS5
The Remastered upgrade became available on September 29, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. CD PROJEKT RED says owners of a physical or digital copy can upgrade free within the same platform ecosystem. Existing owners therefore do not need to repurchase the game merely to receive the Remastered version on that ecosystem.
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PS5 Remastered Ray Tracing Mode
The current PlayStation-specific notes say: “Ray Tracing Mode now brings enhanced lighting while targeting 60 FPS.” This is not the old 30-FPS description. The published distinction is enhanced lighting at a 60 FPS target, rather than enhanced lighting traded directly for a 30 FPS target.
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The same notes say Performance Mode offers higher resolution while targeting 60 FPS and up to 90 FPS on VRR-capable displays. This makes resolution the principal stated advantage over the Remastered Ray Tracing Mode, while a compatible variable-refresh-rate display creates the possibility of a higher frame-rate ceiling.
“Up to 90 FPS” is a maximum stated by the publisher under the VRR condition. It does not establish a typical frame rate, a guaranteed 90 FPS in demanding scenes, or a particular resolution at that rate. The notes also do not identify one display model as sufficient; the relevant requirement is a VRR-capable display connected to the PS5 setup.
Which mode should you use?
If you are on the original PS5 or Xbox Series X release
Choose Performance Mode if your priority is the smoother 60 FPS target and more immediate-looking motion. Choose Ray Tracing Mode if the lighting effects are more important to you than the 30 FPS target. Both original modes were described with dynamic resolution, so neither should be treated as a fixed-resolution image-quality preset.
This recommendation applies to the original 4.0-era behavior, not automatically to a patched or Remastered installation. Confirm which version your console is running before using the old 30-versus-60 rule.
If you are on PS5 Remastered
Start with the display you own and the visual trade-off you prefer. Ray Tracing Mode is the lighting-focused option and has a 60 FPS target in the current description. Performance Mode is the clarity-focused option, with higher resolution, the same 60 FPS target, and a stated path to as high as 90 FPS when a VRR-capable display is in use.
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A standard display without VRR removes the specific condition attached to the 90 FPS figure. That does not make Performance Mode unusable; it simply means you should evaluate it as the higher-resolution, 60 FPS-target option rather than assuming the additional ceiling applies.
If you are on Xbox Series X Remastered
The reviewed Remastered notes do not state updated Series X targets or a revised visual description for either mode. You can use the 2022 specifications as historical context, but you should not label 30 FPS Ray Tracing Mode or 60 FPS Performance Mode as current Remastered specifications without newer platform-specific confirmation.
If you are on Xbox Series S
The original documentation establishes that Series S lacks ray-tracing features and used Quality and Performance modes instead. The current Remastered notes reviewed here do not publish revised Series S targets. Treat the absence of a current figure as unresolved rather than assuming the Series X or PS5 behavior carries over.
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Does Ray Tracing Mode run at 60 FPS?
There are two correct answers because the version matters. In the original 4.0-era console notes, Ray Tracing Mode targeted 30 FPS on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. In the 2026 PS5 Remastered notes, Ray Tracing Mode targets 60 FPS with enhanced lighting.
The second statement does not update the first historically; it applies to the newer PS5 Remastered description. No independent benchmark in the available material verifies a locked 60 FPS in every scene, and no current Xbox Series X Remastered target is stated.
Does Performance Mode look worse?
“Worse” depends on which image characteristic you notice. In the original 4.0-era description, Performance Mode used dynamic resolution and omitted the Ray Tracing Mode distinction of ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. A player who notices indirect-light behavior or contact shading may prefer Ray Tracing Mode’s lighting character, while a player sensitive to motion clarity may prefer the 60 FPS target.
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On PS5 Remastered, the published comparison changes: Performance Mode specifically offers higher resolution, while Ray Tracing Mode emphasizes enhanced lighting. The notes do not quantify the resolution difference, specify a fixed pixel count, or provide a scene-by-scene visual test. It is therefore accurate to describe the modes by those stated priorities, not to claim that one is universally sharper or universally better-looking.
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How VRR affects the PS5 Remastered choice
Variable refresh rate synchronizes a compatible display’s refresh behavior with changing frame delivery, reducing the need to present every frame at one fixed refresh interval. For this game, the relevant publisher statement is narrower: PS5 Remastered Performance Mode can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR-capable display.
To benefit from that statement, you need all of the following:
- A PlayStation 5 running the Remastered version.
- A display that supports VRR.
- A connection and display configuration that actually enables VRR.
- Performance Mode selected in the game.
The source does not state how often the game reaches 90 FPS, which scenes reach it, or what resolution is used at the upper end. Do not treat a VRR label on a monitor or television as proof that the game will deliver 90 FPS continuously.
Patch history that affects the comparison
| Date and update | Relevant change | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| December 12, 2022 — version 4.0 announcement | Defined the original console modes, dynamic resolution behavior, Series S limitation, PC ray-tracing options, and broader graphics changes. | Use this as the historical baseline for the 30 FPS Ray Tracing versus 60 FPS Performance comparison. |
| February 2, 2023 — Patch 4.01 | Added an optional PC ray-traced global-illumination performance setting that favored frame rate over range and precision; also optimized ray-traced global illumination on next-generation consoles. | Console ray-tracing behavior was refined after launch, so launch-day impressions are not a complete description of later 4.x builds. |
| March 13, 2023 — Patch 4.02 | Improved next-generation console Performance Mode and fixed an Xbox Series X memory-use problem that could cause a Ray Tracing Mode crash. | Performance Mode and Series X stability changed after the initial release. |
| September 28, 2026 — Remastered upgrade notes | Documented current PS5 mode descriptions, PS5 Pro and VRR support, PC rendering and upscaling updates, and Switch 2 support. | The PS5 60 FPS Ray Tracing description and the higher-resolution Performance description come from this release documentation. |
| September 29, 2026 — Remastered availability | Released the upgrade on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2; confirmed free same-ecosystem upgrades for previous physical or digital owners. | Install the version associated with your platform before applying a mode comparison. |
| October 1, 2026 — Patch 5.00b | Rolled out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Play Anywhere PC, including a DLSS fix for the PC Xbox Play Anywhere version and lighting or parity adjustments. | Post-launch rendering and parity changes mean early Remastered observations may not match later builds. |
| October 8, 2026 — Patch 5.01 | Added console optimizations and fixed incorrect frame-rate limits in different graphics modes on base PS5. | Base-PS5 frame-rate behavior was corrected after launch; current software should be identified by patch number when troubleshooting. |
How to make a fair comparison on your own setup
Use the following checklist rather than judging from a remembered launch article:
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- Identify the platform. PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S have different documented capabilities. Series S did not have ray tracing in the original update.
- Check the patch level. Patches 4.01 and 4.02 changed aspects of the original console experience, while 5.00b and 5.01 changed parts of the Remastered release.
- Record your display features. For PS5 Remastered Performance Mode, VRR is the stated condition for the “up to 90 FPS” figure. Without VRR, do not assume that ceiling applies.
- Compare the same scene. Look at identical locations, camera angles, weather, and time of day if you are evaluating lighting or clarity. A single screenshot cannot represent dynamic resolution or changing frame delivery.
- Decide which compromise bothers you less. In the original release, that was principally lighting versus the 30/60 FPS targets. On PS5 Remastered, it is enhanced lighting versus higher resolution, with the VRR-dependent frame-rate ceiling on the Performance side.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the old headline after installing Remastered. “Ray Tracing equals 30 FPS” is a historical PS5 and Series X description, not the current PS5 Remastered description.
- Calling Series S a ray-tracing console for this game. The original publisher notes explicitly say the Series S version has no ray-tracing features.
- Turning a target into a benchmark. A 60 FPS or 90 FPS target is not an independently measured average, a guarantee in every scene, or proof of a locked frame rate.
- Applying PS5 Remastered specifications to Xbox. The current notes reviewed here give the updated mode details in the PlayStation-specific section and do not state revised Xbox Series X or Series S targets.
- Assuming VRR creates frames. VRR can accommodate changing frame delivery; it does not by itself force the game to render at 90 FPS.
- Ignoring patch history. Console optimization, memory fixes, lighting adjustments, and corrected base-PS5 frame-rate limits all arrived after the initial releases.
Bottom line for each player
For the original PS5 or Xbox Series X version, Performance Mode is the logical starting point if you want the 60 FPS target, while Ray Tracing Mode is the choice when ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion matter more than the 30 FPS target. For PS5 Remastered, do not repeat that old binary: both published mode descriptions target 60 FPS. Choose Ray Tracing Mode for enhanced lighting, or Performance Mode for higher resolution and the possibility of up to 90 FPS when your display supports VRR. For Xbox Series X and Series S Remastered, wait for platform-specific targets rather than treating the 2022 figures as confirmed current specifications.
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