Completing Quality vs. Performance Graphics Mode in Death Stranding 2

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When diving into a grand adventure like Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, where stunning visuals and soothing music surround you, the last thing you want is for performance issues to disrupt your experience. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t offer a detailed graphics setup for you to tinker with.

Instead, you have just two options: quality mode and performance mode. While the differences might not be obvious at first, they can become crucial in certain situations.

Understanding Quality and Performance Modes

Quality mode is all about enhanced graphics, which demands more from your system. On the other hand, performance mode reduces the graphics quality to provide a smoother frame rate and a more fluid gaming experience. For many players, enjoying a seamless gameplay is often more valuable than having the best visuals.

When switching between these two modes, the most noticeable changes include:

The colors in the performance mode become less vibrant, making the clouds appear yellower and the overall landscape look duller.
A significant change is in the foliage, where much of the grass shrinks or disappears entirely.
You may notice more grainy textures, especially during intense moments like boss fights, which can lead to blurriness on your screen.

However, adjusting these modes also subtly reduces graphic details that aren’t immediately visible. For an optimal experience in Death Stranding 2, playing in Quality mode is ideal. But if you’re experiencing frame drops or freezes, switching to performance mode is highly advisable.

From our observations, the game ran smoothly on quality mode on a standard PlayStation 5.

How to Switch Graphics Modes

When you start Death Stranding 2, it defaults to quality mode. If you want to switch to performance mode or check which mode you’re in, follow these easy steps:

Open your map and press the left arrow button on your controller. You’ll see the System option at the bottom.
Navigate to the options menu.
In this menu, select the second tab from the right labeled Graphics Settings. Here, you can choose to prioritize either quality or performance.

Once you choose your preferred mode, hit the Back button. The game will quickly restart and apply your changes without affecting your saved progress.