Upon launching the game, PS5 Pro owners receive a more comprehensive graphics menu. Up top, there's a new mode added in Pro, Balanced Mode, which sits between the performance and graphics modes already present on the base PS5. In comparison, all three offer matching quality settings in terms of textures, shadows, and foliage draw distance. However, the key difference is in the internal resolution target of each mode. Performance mode runs natively at 720p, Balanced mode runs at 1080p, and finally Quality mode runs at a much higher 1440p. All are being rebuilt to a 4K lens using PSSR. Creating a compelling 4K image benefits from more pixels per frame, so the 720p performance mode struggles to always deliver a flicker-free and temporally stable result.
Returning to the menu, there are individual options for motion blur and frame rate target. This last option works the same as on the base PS5: there's a 30fps cap and an option called “variable”, which unlocks the frame rate at 60Hz or 120Hz depending on your screen. The 30fps option is still not recommended on PS5 Pro, due to its issues with uneven frame pacing that causes jerky movements. It seems like a waste of power to also set it to 30 fps, given that the console's prospects at 60 fps have greatly improved. For good measure, there is, once again, a ray tracing toggle in the menus that enables RTGI. It has a big impact on the dark areas of Dragon's Dogma 2, creating thicker shadows and more realistic light bounce. On PS5 Pro, RTGI is enabled by default in Balanced and Graphics modes, but Performance mode keeps it disabled. The curious twist here is that, unlike the base PS5, it's possible to turn ray tracing on and off in all modes (including performance mode), giving you more customization possibilities. I decided to keep all modes set to the original standards for today's testing.
Many changes are made when moving from the standard PS5 to the upgraded model, starting with revisions to the resolution and scaler. The PS5 Pro graphics mode runs at native 1440p with an enhanced PSSR, a big change from the 4K checkerboard approach in the base PS5 equivalent mode. On paper, when rendering a 1920×2160 image, the base machine technically outputs more pixels per frame than the PS5 Pro, but ultimately the benefits of PSSR as an upscaler outweigh that deficit. The result is that the Pro delivers a visibly sharper overall image with more resolution resolved in distant trees and mountains during its initial overpass sequence. Also, when switching to performance mode on each, the story is similar: PS5 Pro runs at 720p with an upscaled PSSR, which is an even bigger reduction in pixels pulled from the 1536×1728 checkerboard image on the base PS5 . Again, there's an increase in sharpness and clarity with the PS5 Pro upscaled version via PSSR, even from a paltry 720p base, but there's more fallout in image splitting.
Image splitting on PS5 Pro affects gameplay in two ways. Firstly, fine, detailed elements such as foliage, tiles, and wooden bridges are prone to increased pixelation on PS5 Pro as a result of the current implementation of PSSR. Even in 1440p graphics mode, you'll see breaks in the grass, for example. Everywhere you look, tufts of grass manifest as a blur as they sway in the wind, and worse yet, at a distance, individual blades also become pixelated as PSSR struggles to interpret their movement. The 4K reconstruction is flawed here, although at least most other elements, such as hair, are resolved correctly. The other downside is the effect of PSSR on the game's ray tracing. Again, using graphics mode as an example with RTGI enabled, you'll notice that the shadow under the grass shimmers in wooded spaces, while RTGI has added noise that is much more stable on the standard PS5.
All of these issues are exaggerated in performance mode. Comparing PS5 to PS5 Pro, pixelation on animated grass is much more pronounced, creating constant flickering as you walk through any wooded location. At native 720p, there is simply too much subpixel detail in the blades of grass for PSSR to have a chance to resolve cleanly, and instead it often creates distracting visual noise. Ambient occlusion also has issues: PSSR doesn't pair well with even the game's raster ambient occlusion setting, flickering on motion in interiors, and again, this doesn't happen on the base PS5.
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Aside from these major differences in image quality, the visual settings are largely unchanged on PS5 Pro. The RE Engine's screen space reflection method is maintained in large bodies of water on the PS5 Pro. Lawns are also identical on a tour of the orchard outside the city gates, with a matching waterfall range for shade. Additionally, NPC distances around town are apparently unchanged from the base PS5 game, a shame given that it's such a glaring issue. That said, there is a slight difference in ambient occlusion and also shadow rendering. It is a curious change and not always for the better. This applies to all PS5 Pro modes: the Pro console loses the blurred edges of the PS5's basic shadow outlines, but ends up replacing them with a noisier, aliased effect. It's rarely obvious, but it applies to all PS5 Pro modes: performance, balance, and graphics.
So, the result in terms of image quality is heterogeneous: there is a sharper image but with a series of visual noise problems related to PSSR. However, the one indisputable advantage of the PS5 Pro patch is its frame rate advantage. In high-end graphics mode, PS5 Pro gives us a frame rate boost of up to 40 percent, taking the range from 30-45 fps on the base PS5 to 40-55 fps on Pro. Inevitably, the CPU bottleneck areas, such as the city market square, struggle the most, with only a 20-30 percent gain over the base model. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison on rendering load either – the two consoles render at different resolutions in their graphics modes – but it's still a fascinating stress test. In big open city races, demanding cutscenes, or boss battles, it's a huge all-around bump that gets us closer to the 60fps target on PS5 Pro, but falls short of a tight lock.
However, switching to PS5 Pro Balanced Mode, where there is no base PS5 equivalent, is a big improvement in this regard. Going down to native 1080p with an improved PSSR and despite maintaining RTGI, we are often within the 48-60fps range that makes gaming on a VRR display more viable. In all the same tests, there is a real path forward to achieving a smooth gaming experience, but only if you have that display technology at your disposal.
PS5 and PS5 Pro offer a separate 120Hz output option which, combined with Performance Mode, reveals the actual frame rate range when left fully unlocked. It's more illuminating and reveals the real differential beyond the 60fps limit. Again, in performance mode, there is an advantage of around 40 percentage points with PS5 Pro, and even greater in some points, which translates to more than enough frames per second to make a stricter 60fps lock possible. At least for the most part: there are occasional drops to 55fps during the intro title sequence. Likewise, City's stress test puts the margin at a much smaller 5-10 percent lead on PS5 Pro, at the very least. Being a CPU stress point with multiple NPCs and streaming assets makes sense, and here it's still possible to capture single frame drops with 60Hz selected. Still, when playing on PS5 Pro, this mode lives up to its name. While the base model could easily dip into the 40-50fps range, this is a more consistent experience overall.
In terms of mode recommendations, only two have a real use case. Simply put, if you don't have a VRR display, Performance mode is best suited to maintain a mostly stable 60fps. It runs at between 55 and 105fps if left unlocked in 120Hz mode, meaning that on a 60Hz screen you'll detect occasional dips below the line in practice. However, it is quite rare that 60 fps can still be achieved. The unfortunate downside is of course that we are faced with a native 720p image in performance mode which creates visual noise when using PSSR. Furthermore, to achieve this range, we also sacrificed ray tracing. At the other end of the spectrum, the graphics mode is really too out of whack to lock at 60fps, even on a VRR display. Drops below the 48-60 Hz range too often. Balanced mode, however, offers a useful middle ground in this regard. It runs at 1080p and with RTGI enabled. And even in the worst case scenario, during a city run, the balanced mode is still within the ideal 48-60fps range for VRR to work.
Once again, we have a PS5 Pro upgrade with a clear performance advantage, while PSSR-related image quality issues need to be addressed. Unfortunately, there is no legacy mode for those who want to return to the base resolutions and upscaling method of the PS5. As things stand, unless Capcom gives us a new Pro upgrade, we'll be saddled with the extra flickering in the game's fine details and RTGI on PS5 Pro, with no way to opt out. Aside from that, the game at least runs much better on Pro hardware, with a much-needed frame rate boost to 60fps addressing one criticism of the base PS5 experience. However, it's satisfying to see the huge performance gain – it solves a major issue with console performance – but it's also a shame that the Pro patch includes these unwanted side effects. Like many of the Pro upgrades we've seen, more work is needed on the part of the developer to get this game to where it needs to be.