PS5 Settings Worth Changing Straight Away
A new PS5 ships with several defaults that cost you performance, storage or picture quality. These are the ones to fix.
The short answer
Several PlayStation 5 defaults are worth changing immediately, most importantly enabling 120Hz output and VRR if the display supports them, switching the default performance mode preference to prioritise frame rate, and disabling automatic gameplay capture to reclaim storage. Enabling Rest Mode downloads and setting HDR correctly for the specific display materially affects daily use. The single most impactful change for most players is selecting performance mode as the system-wide default.
Verified and last updated August 12, 2026.
- Time needed
- 13 min
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Read time
- 3 min
A new PS5 works fine out of the box, which is why most people never open the settings. Several defaults are actively worth changing.
None of this takes more than fifteen minutes, and two of the changes affect every game you will play on it.
The single highest-value change
Set the system-wide game preset to prioritise performance. Most games then default to their higher frame rate mode without you choosing per title.
The display settings
The HDR calibration order matters and almost nobody gets it right. Put the television into its game picture mode first, then run the console's HDR calibration. Doing it the other way calibrates against a picture mode you will not be using.
Storage and capture
The console continuously records recent gameplay and saves clips at trophy moments. If you never use those, turn it off in Captures and Broadcasts and reclaim the space.
While you are there, reduce the capture resolution if you do use clips occasionally. The default is generous.
The storage expansion guide covers adding an NVMe drive, which is the real answer once you have more than a handful of large games installed.
Rest Mode, properly configured
Rest Mode is useful and its defaults undersell it. In Power Saving settings:
- Set internet access in Rest Mode to on, so downloads and updates complete overnight.
- Set USB port power supply to always, if you want controllers charging while the console rests.
- Check the time before entering Rest Mode during media playback, which people often set too aggressively.
Without the first of those, Rest Mode does considerably less than most people believe it is doing.
The audio one worth knowing
3D Audio is on by default for headphones and works well. What is worth doing is running the personalisation in Sound settings, which adjusts the profile to your hearing rather than an average.
It takes two minutes and the difference in positional accuracy is noticeable in competitive games. The positional audio guide covers why this matters more than most settings people obsess over.
What works
What doesn't
Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions
Should I always choose performance mode?
For most games and most players, yes, because a stable higher frame rate improves how a game feels in a way that resolution does not. The exception is slow-paced, visually driven single-player games where the fidelity mode's additional detail is the point. Setting performance as the system default and overriding it per game is the sensible arrangement.
Does disabling automatic capture actually save much space?
It saves a meaningful amount over time, because the console continuously records recent gameplay and retains screenshots and clips from trophy events. On a console with limited usable storage this accumulates quietly. If you never use the clips, turning capture off is free space with no downside.
Why does my PS5 look worse than expected on a new TV?
Usually because the television is not in its game picture mode, or HDR is misconfigured between console and display. Consoles are frequently blamed for what is a display setting. Running the console's HDR calibration while the television is in game mode, rather than before, is the step most people skip.
Is Rest Mode safe to leave on?
Yes, and it is genuinely useful because it allows downloads and updates to complete without the console fully running. The setting worth checking is that internet access in Rest Mode is enabled and that the power supply to USB ports is configured how you want for controller charging. Without those, Rest Mode does less than people assume.
About the author
Competitive & Settings Editor
Dan played CS:GO semi-professionally in a regional ESEA Main roster between 2017 and 2020, and has hit Radiant in VALORANT in three separate acts. He now spends most of his competitive energy on the unglamorous side of the game: input latency, sensitivity consistency and warm-up routines that actually transfer.
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