Grand Theft Auto V (PS5) - Compare Fidelity vs. Performance Mode Screenshots

Grand Theft Auto V gets its third joyride on consoles. Rockstar have made a few bob from GTA V so its appearance on 9th gen. consoles isn’t all that surprising. What was surprising (and suspicious) is the sale of the single-player game for a tenner.

Today we are looking at the upgrade to examine what you get in Fidelity Mode for that drop to 30 frames per second.

All images were captured at 4K and downsampled to 1080p using the same process. Fidelity Mode images are on the left while Performance Mode screenshots are on the right throughout.

PS5 GTA V — Fidelity Mode on on the left throughout this article; Performance Mode images are on the right

PS4 Pro Grand Theft Auto — Fidelity Mode on on the left throughout this article; Performance Mode images are on the right

PS5 GTA V images comparison — Sharper textures on the paving in the driveway in Fidelity Mode (left) as well as a sharper image all-round

PS4 vs PS5 Grand Theft Auto v — Sharper textures on the paving in the driveway in Fidelity Mode (left) as well as a sharper image all-round

Resolution, LoD and Ray-Tracing

Like many comparisons we have done so far, the first noticeable change is around resolution. Fidelity mode on Grand Theft Auto V aims for a native 4K has an all-round slightly sharper image while static with a greater disparity as the scenes move.

Grand Theft Auto 5 upgrade PlayStation — More complex shadows give more depth to the ivy in Fidelity Mode (left)

GTA PS4 Pro upgrade — More complex shadows give more depth to the ivy in Fidelity Mode (left)

GTA V Grand Theft Auto 5 PS5 — More complex shadows and filtering give more depth to certain objects in Fidelity Mode (left)

PS4 Pro Grand Theft Auto 5 — More complex shadows and filtering give more depth to certain objects in Fidelity Mode (left)

Performance Mode runs an upscaled 4K so a globally softer image is to be expected and is usually visible on an adequate TV or monitor as soon as you change modes.

Another sometimes readily visible difference across comparisons is the level of detail. As objects move further from the camera, they are swapped out for less complex models with simpler textures to save on processing power.

PS5 Fidelity Mode — Foliage is fuller at greater distances in Fidelity Mode (left), a common LoD effect

PS5 GTA V Grand Theft Auto V Compare — Foliage is fuller at greater distances in Fidelity Mode (left), a common LoD effect

PS5 compare PS4 Pro — Sharper textures on the footpath and road surface but an otherwise identical scene

Compare PS4 Pro GTA V PS4 Pro — Sharper textures on the footpath and road surface but an otherwise identical scene

Shadows are higher resolution with a greater number of discrete shadows adding some depth in many scenes on Fidelity Mode.

The problems for Grand Theft Auto V are how subtle the difference is in cahoots with how visually appealing the game looks in Performance Mode.

PlayStation 5 Grand Theft Auto 5 GTA V — More complex shadows on the vehicle give a little extra depth and enhance the finer detail

PS4 PlayStation GTA V screenshots — More complex shadows on the vehicle give a little extra depth and enhance the finer detail

Michael GTA V PS5 9th gen. upgrade — A noticeable change buff to scene depth created by shadows in Fidelity Mode (left)

Grand Theft Auto V compare images — A noticeable change buff to scene depth created by shadows in Fidelity Mode (left)

Frame Drop

Rarely do games offer enough to tempt the majority of gamers to play the majority of the game at a lesser frame-rate and unfortunately GTA V has much the same issue. The visual immersion bled from the extra aesthetic finery isn’t all that noticeable in regular play.

Fidelity Mode PS5 GTA V — A little more grass, some more detailed pavement (left)

Grand Theft Auto V PS5 9th gen upgrade — A little more grass, some more detailed pavement (left)

Rockstar ask a lot from gamers for a little extra immersion. Playing the old dog at 60fps is hard to look past, even in the scenes that benefit most from what Fidelity Mode has to offer.

PS5 Fidelity Mode GTA V — Extra light sourcing in Fidelity Mode (left) casts more complex light and shadow on the beach in the middle-ground

Grand Theft Auto V — Extra light sourcing in Fidelity Mode (left) casts more complex light and shadow on the beach in the middle-ground

Grand Theft Auto 5 ray tracing graphics modes

Have you ponied up the reduced price for a third go on Grand Theft Auto V? Did the upgrade live up to Rockstar’s marketing promises or does it do enough to even warrant that low entry fee?

Is Fidelity Mode useful beyond taking slightly fancier photos in GTA V? Let us know in the comments below…

A little extra shadow here, a traced ray there

Resolution, LoD and Ray-Tracing

Frame Drop