Lies of P: How to Choose the Best PS5 Mode and Version

If you are playing Lies of P on PS5, the safest default choice is Performance mode. It targets 60 FPS, gives the smoothest dodge and parry timing, and is the best fit for a game where small input delays feel immediately punishing. The only strong alternative is the 40 FPS high-frame-rate Quality mode, and that only makes sense if your TV or monitor supports 120Hz. Standard 30 FPS Quality mode looks better, but it is the weakest choice for most players once combat gets demanding.

That is the short version. The fuller answer is that Lies of P is available across old-gen, current-gen, and PC, but the experience is not equally strong on every platform. PS5 gets the cleanest console choice set, older consoles give up both image quality and responsiveness, and Series S sits below PS5 in raw image quality even when it keeps a 60 FPS target.

Where Lies of P is available

• PlayStation 5
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 4 Pro
• Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series S
• Xbox One
• PC

The most detailed reporting in the current evidence set is focused on the console versions, especially PS5. PC is still a valid platform choice, but it does not have one fixed target the way console modes do, so your result depends on your hardware and settings rather than a single universal spec sheet.

Best PS5 mode to use

PS5 has three display options, and the recommendation depends almost entirely on what you care about most during fights:

• Quality mode: targets 2160p at 30 FPS. This is the best-looking option, with stronger highlights, shadows, and overall visual fidelity, but it is the least responsive.
• Quality HFR mode: targets 2160p at 40 FPS on a 120Hz display. This is the middle ground. You keep more of the image quality while getting a noticeable bump in smoothness over 30 FPS.
• Performance mode: targets 2160p output at 60 FPS with reduced resolution and trimmed effects. This is the best-feeling option for actual play.

For a Soulslike, that last point matters more than it would in a slower action RPG. Lies of P asks for tight guard timing, quick reactions to delayed swings, and fast repositioning after enemy strings. Stable 60 FPS helps more than prettier shadows when you are learning a boss. Current technical coverage is pretty consistent on this: the PS5 Performance mode is the most practical way to play, and the trade-offs are real but not destructive.

The 40 FPS mode deserves special mention because it is easy to misunderstand. It is not a bonus mode you can feel on any screen. It only pays off on a 120Hz-compatible display, where 40 FPS divides cleanly into the panel refresh rate. That makes it visibly smoother than 30 FPS and lower in latency, while preserving more of the quality-oriented presentation. If you are on a standard 60Hz screen, this mode is effectively off the table, and your real choice becomes 30 FPS Quality versus 60 FPS Performance.

PS5 also benefits from faster load times than older hardware, although expectations should stay reasonable. Reporting describes them as improved, not magically instant, and at least one comparison still judged them somewhat slow compared with the broader current-gen standard.

How the other versions compare

PS5

This is the most flexible console version because it gives you three distinct display modes instead of one blunt compromise. If you want the best balance of responsiveness and consistency, PS5 in Performance mode is the easiest recommendation in the entire lineup.

Xbox Series X

The evidence in this brief does not lock down a neat per-mode Series X number set, so it is smarter not to quote one. What is clear is that Series X belongs in the current-gen class rather than the old-gen one. If you are deciding between modern consoles, PS5 is the best-documented version here because its three-mode structure and 30/40/60 targets are repeated consistently across multiple reports.

Xbox Series S

Series S is reported at around 1440p/60 FPS in one cited guide, but the more important takeaway is that image quality is materially below PS5. If smoothness matters most and you already own Series S, it should still be playable and responsive enough. If you are comparing versions before buying, PS5 offers the stronger visual and mode-selection package.

PS4, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One

This is where the downgrade becomes obvious. Cross-platform reporting places PS4 and Xbox One much lower than PS5, around 1080p/40 FPS with visibly reduced detail. PS4 Pro improves on that to roughly 1140p/50 FPS, but it still does not reach the flexibility or overall presentation of the current-gen versions. If you only care about access, these versions are workable. If you care about combat feel and cleaner image quality, they are clearly behind.

PC

PC is available, but there is no single fixed performance target to quote because hardware decides the result. That makes PC the least useful platform to summarize with one number and the most useful platform to tune manually. If you are on PC, the same rule still applies: prioritize frame stability first, then push image quality with the leftover headroom. In a game built around precision defense, an inconsistent frame rate is a worse problem than stepping down one or two visual settings.

Settings that matter most

For PS5 players, only a few settings really change the experience:

• Choose Performance mode first if you are still learning bosses, perfect guards, or weapon timing.
• Use 40 FPS HFR only with a 120Hz display. Without that display support, it is not the right target to build your setup around.
• Use 30 FPS Quality only if image quality is your top priority and you are comfortable accepting slower input feel.
• Do not judge the game by older-console footage if you are on PS5. The mode options and overall clarity are meaningfully better on current-gen hardware.
• On PC, chase stability rather than “max” settings. A locked or near-locked target feels better than wide swings in frame rate.

If you are specifically buying a display for PS5 action games, Lies of P is one of those cases where 120Hz support has a real use because of the 40 FPS mode. That said, it still does not replace 60 FPS Performance as the all-purpose recommendation. The 40 FPS option is for players who notice visual cuts immediately and want a middle ground, not for players who want the cleanest combat feel available.

What is certain, and what is still a little fuzzy

The highest-confidence part of the current reporting is the PS5 structure itself: three modes, with 30 FPS Quality, 40 FPS HFR for 120Hz displays, and 60 FPS Performance. Multiple independent sources describe the same overall setup, so that part is solid.

The less certain part is the exact reconstruction detail behind every output number, because some of that discussion comes from comparison coverage rather than direct developer-side technical documentation. There is also minor disagreement in wording: some outlets frame the options as standard Quality, HFR, and Performance modes, while others describe them more generally as quality-centered and performance-centered presets. The substance is the same either way. For practical use, the decision remains straightforward: pick Performance on PS5 unless you have a 120Hz display and specifically want the 40 FPS compromise.

If you want the simplest version-to-version takeaway, it is this: PS5 is the cleanest console place to play Lies of P, Performance mode is the best default setting, 40 FPS HFR is worthwhile only on 120Hz screens, Series S is serviceable but softer, and old-gen versions are available but clearly compromised.