So, here we are in 2026. Ghost of Yotei has been out for a few months now, and if you're like me, you spent a good chunk of late 2025 wondering if that $700 PS5 Pro price tag was a joke or a genuine investment. I’ll be honest: when I first saw the reveal for Sucker Punch’s sequel, I thought, "Okay, Ghost of Tsushima already looked incredible on a base PS4, how much better can this really get?"
Turns out, a lot.
Running Ghost of Yotei on PS5 Pro isn't just about a slightly sharper image or a few extra blades of grass—though there are millions of those, literally. It’s about finally killing that annoying choice we’ve had to make for years: do you want the game to look pretty (Fidelity Mode) or do you want it to feel good (Performance Mode)? With the Pro hardware, you kind of just get both.
The PSSR Magic Trick
The big buzzword Sony loves to throw around is PSSR, or PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Basically, it's AI upscaling. But seeing it in action in the Nayoro Wilds is a different story. On a standard PS5, the game uses FSR 3, which is fine, but you get that weird shimmering on fine details like the Ainu-inspired architecture or the needles on the pine trees when you're moving the camera fast.
On the Pro, PSSR cleans all that up. It looks like a native 4K image even when the internal resolution is dipping to keep the frame rate steady.
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I’ve spent hours just staring at Atsu’s ginkgo tree—the one from the "Night of the Burning Tree" prologue. The way the light hits the individual yellow leaves as they flutter down is just... it's a lot. Sucker Punch actually doubled the amount of grass and "renderable items" the GPU handles. We’re talking over a million trees and bushes in some of those distant mountain shots. On the Pro, those don't just look like green blobs in the distance; they stay sharp.
Ray Tracing at 60 FPS: The Real Game Changer
The standout feature for Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pro users is definitely the Ray Tracing Pro mode. Most games on the base console force you down to 30 fps if you want ray tracing. Sucker Punch decided to focus on Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) instead of just shiny reflections.
Why does that matter?
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Hokkaido (or Ezo, as it's called in 1603) is all about atmosphere. There aren't many mirrors in 17th-century Japan. But there is a ton of snow, mud, and complex lighting. RTGI calculates how light bounces off surfaces. When Atsu walks into a dimly lit hut, the light doesn't just "turn on." It spills through the door, bounces off the floor, and picks up the color of the wood. On the Pro, you get this depth of lighting while maintaining 60 frames per second. It makes the world feel "thick" in a way that’s hard to describe until you see the side-by-side.
Performance Breakdown
If you're looking at the raw numbers, here’s how the modes usually shake out after the 1.100 patch:
- Ray Tracing Pro: This is the "Goldilocks" zone. You get RTGI, PSSR upscaling, and a target of 60 fps. It’s surprisingly stable.
- Performance Mode: If you have a 120Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) TV, this mode is wild. It uncaps the frame rate, and I’ve seen it hit up to 95 fps in the less dense areas of the Yotei Grasslands.
- Balanced Ray Tracing: This hits a 40 fps target, which is great if you don't mind a slightly slower feel for a more rock-solid resolution.
The "Feel" of the North
It’s not just about pixels. Sucker Punch updated their engine to handle "local fog volumes" and better snow deformation. Hokkaido has brutal winters. In the game, when you’re hunting one of the "Yotei Six"—like the Oni in his mountain fortress—you’re literally trudging through deep snow.
The terrain tessellation system on the PS5 Pro means the snow doesn't just "flatly" move; it deforms dynamically. You can actually knock snow off bushes and see it spawn individual particles. The Pro’s extra GPU power handles these compute-heavy tasks without the stuttering you sometimes see on the base model during heavy blizzards.
And then there's the loading. It's basically instant. Sucker Punch reworked their mesh streaming so the engine only fetches exactly what you see the moment you fast travel. You blink, and you're there. No "tips" screen, no waiting.
Is the Upgrade Worth It?
Honestly, it depends on your setup. If you’re playing on a 1080p monitor from 2018, you’re wasting your money. But if you’ve got a 4K OLED with VRR support? Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pro is probably the best showcase for that hardware right now.
There's a specific mission called "The Storm Blade"—I won't spoil it, but it involves a shrine dedicated to a certain protagonist from the first game—where the weather goes absolutely haywire. The sheer amount of wind-blown debris, lightning flashes, and rain on the Pro is staggering. It’s the kind of visual density that makes the base PS5 feel just a little bit "last gen."
The game is a massive success for a reason. It sold over 3 million copies in its first month, and while it stays true to the "Ghost" formula, the additions like the kusarigama and the flintlock pistols change the combat flow entirely. Those pistols, by the way, look incredible with the Pro's enhanced particle effects. The smoke lingers in the air and reacts to the wind in a way that feels incredibly tactile.
Actionable Steps for the Best Experience
To get the most out of your PS5 Pro while playing Ghost of Yotei, follow these specific settings:
- Enable VRR and 120Hz Output: Go into your PS5 System Settings under "Screen and Video." If your TV supports it, turn these on. This allows the "Performance" and "Balanced" modes to reach much higher frame rates than the standard 60 or 30 caps.
- Stick to Ray Tracing Pro Mode: Unless you are a professional e-sports player who needs 90+ fps, the Ray Tracing Pro mode is the definitive way to play. The PSSR upscaling is so good that you won't notice the resolution drops, and the lighting is a massive upgrade.
- Calibrate HDR for Snow: Because Hokkaido is so bright with its snow-covered peaks, make sure you recalibrate your HDR settings in the game menu. You want to ensure the "whites" of the snow aren't blowing out the detail of the terrain.
- Try the "Kurosawa" Inspired Presentations: Sucker Punch added new cinematic modes inspired by other Japanese directors beyond just Kurosawa. These look particularly sharp on the Pro because the higher base resolution prevents the film grain filters from looking "mushy."
If you haven't started your journey as Atsu yet, or if you're sitting on the fence about the Pro, just know that this is one of the few games where the "mid-gen refresh" actually feels like it's being pushed to its limit. It’s a beautiful, bloody, and technically impressive sequel that proves Sucker Punch is currently the king of open-world atmosphere.