Frames win games. It’s a cliché, yeah, but anyone who has spent an hour playing Call of Duty: Warzone or Doom Eternal at a blistering 120 frames per second knows that going back to 60 feels like moving through literal honey. Most people bought their PlayStation 5 thinking about 4K resolution and Ray Tracing. They wanted the shiny reflections and the sharp edges. But the real secret sauce of this generation isn’t the pixels. It’s the speed.
When we talk about 120 fps games PS5 owners can actually play right now, we’re talking about a massive shift in input latency. You press a button; the character moves. At 30 fps, there’s a noticeable lag. At 60, it’s snappy. At 120? It’s basically telepathic. You’re seeing double the information every second compared to the standard "performance mode" we’ve grown used to. Honestly, once your eyes adjust to that level of fluidity, even the most beautiful 30 fps cinematic masterpiece starts to look like a flickery slideshow.
The hardware reality check
You can't just toggle a setting and expect magic. To actually see these games in their high-refresh-rate glory, you need a HDMI 2.1 compatible display. This is where a lot of people get tripped up. If you’re running an older 4K TV from 2018, you’re likely capped at 60Hz. Your PS5 might be pumping out 120 frames, but your screen is only showing you half of them.
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LG’s C-series OLEDs (like the C1, C2, or the newer C3/C4) are basically the gold standard here because they handle Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) so well. Samsung’s Odyssey monitors are another favorite for the desk-setup crowd. Without VRR, you might run into screen tearing, which is that annoying jagged line that happens when your console and your TV aren't perfectly in sync. It ruins the immersion.
Does resolution take a hit?
Usually, yes. It's a trade-off.
Most 120 fps games PS5 supports will drop the internal resolution to 1080p or a dynamic 1440p to keep that frame rate stable. Take God of War Ragnarök as a prime example. In its High Frame Rate mode, the resolution scales down so the engine can breathe. Does it look as sharp as the 4K/30 mode? No. Does it matter when Kratos is spinning the Blades of Chaos in a perfectly smooth arc? Absolutely not. The motion clarity compensates for the loss of raw pixel count.
Which games actually hit the mark?
Not every game needs to run this fast. You don’t really need 120 fps for a slow-paced puzzle game or a visual novel. But for shooters and racers, it’s life-changing.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III & Warzone: This is where the competitive advantage is real. The reduced input lag means you’re seeing enemies fractions of a second earlier.
- Destiny 2: The Crucible (PvP) supports 120 fps, though the PvE content stays at 60. It’s a jarring jump when you switch modes, but the smoothness in gunfights is worth it.
- Fortnite: Epic Games was one of the first to jump on this. It makes building and editing feel instantaneous.
- Gran Turismo 7: If you have a VRR display, this game is a technical marvel. The sense of speed is significantly heightened when the frame rate is uncapped.
- Spider-Man 2: Insomniac Games are wizards. They offer a "Balanced" mode that targets 40 fps on 120Hz screens, but they also have high-performance toggles that push the limits further.
There are weird outliers too. Minecraft recently got a native PS5 version that supports high frame rates. Why? Because even blocky worlds feel better when they’re smooth. Then you’ve got Ghostwire: Tokyo, which has about half a dozen different graphical modes. It’s confusing as hell, honestly. But the high-refresh modes make the fast-paced spirit-fighting way less dizzying.
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Why 40 fps is the "secret" 120Hz benefit
Here is something most people don't realize. Even if a game can't hit a full 120, having a 120Hz TV unlocks the "Golden Ratio" of 40 fps.
See, 60 doesn't divide evenly into 40. But 120 does. This allows developers to offer a mode that is significantly smoother than 30 fps but keeps the visual fidelity much higher than the 60 fps performance mode. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart pioneered this. It’s the perfect middle ground for people who hate the "soap opera effect" of ultra-high frame rates but find 30 fps too choppy for modern gaming.
The competitive edge and the "placebo" myth
Some skeptics claim the human eye can't see past 60 fps. Those people are wrong.
While the "biological" limit of human vision is a complex debate involving flicker fusion frequency, the feeling of 120 fps is undeniable. It’s about the "frame time"—the consistency of how long each frame stays on screen. At 120 fps, a new frame is delivered every 8.3 milliseconds. At 60 fps, it’s 16.7ms. That 8ms difference is the difference between winning a 1v1 in Apex Legends or staring at a respawn screen.
Digital Foundry, the undisputed kings of tech analysis, have proven this time and again. Their deep dives into games like Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition show that while the resolution drops can be aggressive, the playability skyrockets.
Setting up your PS5 for 120Hz
If you've got the TV, you still need to tell the PS5 to use it. It’s buried in the settings. You go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Look for "Enable 120 Hz Output" and set it to Automatic.
Also, check your cable. Use the one that came in the box. It’s a genuine Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. If you bought a cheap "gold-plated" one from a bin at the grocery store, it probably won't have the bandwidth required for 4K/120Hz.
One more thing: HDR.
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Sometimes, running at 120Hz can force your PS5 to drop the color depth if your TV's HDMI bandwidth is limited (common on older "2.1" ports that only hit 24Gbps or 32Gbps instead of the full 48Gbps). You might notice the colors look a bit washed out. If that happens, you have to decide if the speed is worth the slight loss in "pop." For me? It always is.
What to do next
If you're looking to upgrade your experience, start by checking your TV's model number. Search for "HDMI 2.1 support" and "VRR." If you're clear on the hardware side, go into your favorite game's settings—most won't turn on 120 fps by default because it lowers the resolution. You usually have to find a "Performance" or "Frame Rate" toggle in the game's internal Video menu.
Don't just take my word for it. Load up a game like Rocket League, play a match at the standard setting, then flip on the 120Hz mode. Pay attention to the ball's movement and how the arena scrolls past you. The blur disappears. The game feels "tighter."
For those on a budget who can't justify a $1,000 OLED, look into 144Hz gaming monitors with HDMI 2.0. You won't get 120 fps at 4K, but many will allow 120 fps at 1080p, which is a massive upgrade for shooters without the massive price tag. Just ensure the monitor specifically supports the PS5’s 120Hz signal over HDMI, as some older PC monitors only do high refresh rates over DisplayPort.