If your PlayStation 5 feels a little sluggish or inconsistent, the fastest way to unlock smoother play is hiding in plain sight. By adjusting three system settings, I saw more stable frame rates, faster input response, and fewer mid-game hiccups — without buying new hardware or touching a single cable.
These tweaks lean on features Sony has added since launch and on best practices validated by labs like Digital Foundry and RTINGS. Whether you play competitive shooters or sprawling RPGs, the gains are immediate and obvious.
Set Game Presets to Performance Mode for smoother play
Path: Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Game Presets > Performance Mode or Resolution Mode > Performance Mode.
This forces supported games to target higher frame rates instead of maximum resolution or ray tracing. In practice that often means jumping from 30 fps to 60 fps — a 100% increase in frame cadence — for titles like God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring (post-patch), and Horizon Forbidden West. Visual differences are modest at typical couch distances, but responsiveness improves dramatically.
Many recent PS5 releases also offer hybrid options (for example, 60 fps with pared-back ray tracing or 40 fps modes for 120Hz displays). By setting Performance globally, you default to the snappiest mode every time, instead of digging through each game’s menu.
Enable VRR, 120Hz output, and ALLM for lower latency
Path: Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > VRR > Automatic, then toggle Apply to Unsupported Games. Set 120Hz Output and ALLM to Automatic.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) synchronizes your TV’s refresh to the console’s frame delivery, smoothing out minor dips and eliminating tearing. When Sony rolled out VRR support, it targeted a 48–120Hz window on HDMI 2.1 displays. Enabling Apply to Unsupported Games extends smoothing to titles without native VRR flags, reducing micro-stutter in busy scenes.
Pair VRR with 120Hz Output and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) to cut input lag further. Independent testing by RTINGS shows modern TVs dropping from TV mode latencies of 60–80ms to near 15ms in Game Mode, and even into single digits at 120Hz on some sets. Competitive titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Destiny 2 offer 120 fps modes that feel immediately more responsive once 120Hz is active.
Tip for older TVs: if your display supports 120Hz at 1080p but not at 4K, set Resolution to 1080p under Video Output. That unlocks 120 fps options many games hide when 4K120 isn’t available, delivering a real-world performance win even without a new TV.
While you’re there, run Adjust HDR and keep Deep Color Output and RGB Range on Automatic. Accurate HDR calibration won’t raise frame rates, but it prevents elevated blacks and blown highlights that can mask detail during fast motion.
Stop Automatic Captures And Trim Recording Settings
Path: Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures. Turn off Save Trophy Videos and Save Trophy Screenshots. Set Manual Recording Resolution to 1080p and reduce Recent Gameplay clip length.
The PS5 quietly records trophy clips and challenge highlights. Those writes hit your SSD in the middle of combat or cutscenes and can create brief frame-time spikes. Disabling auto-captures removes that overhead and keeps your storage from filling with dozens of 10–15 second videos. Based on typical bitrates, a single trophy video can be 30–50MB; heavy weeks of play can chew through multiple gigabytes.
If you stream, keep manual recording on but cap resolution at 1080p and shorten your “save recent gameplay” buffer. Lowering the bitrate and duration reduces background workload while preserving your best moments.
Why These Three Changes Work Together on PS5
Performance Mode shifts GPU/CPU budgets toward smoothness. VRR and 120Hz address delivery, syncing frames to your panel and minimizing latency. Cutting auto-captures removes stealthy disk and system overhead during gameplay peaks. Together, they tackle the three biggest sources of perceived slowdown: low frame rates, input lag, and mid-action hitching.
Sony’s own documentation emphasizes the benefits of VRR and 120Hz, and independent labs routinely show double-digit improvements in input lag when Game Mode and ALLM engage. In the real world, those numbers translate into steadier aiming, cleaner camera pans, and fewer immersion-breaking stutters when a trophy pops or a boss arena gets busy.
One last practical note: keep games on the internal SSD or a certified NVMe expansion drive, ensure your vents are dust-free, and close background apps when switching titles. Those housekeeping steps won’t replace the three changes above, but they help your tweaks deliver consistent wins.
Make these adjustments once, and your PS5 will feel like it leveled up — no upgrade required.