What is quality mode vs performance mode on the Xbox Series S?

At a high level, the Xbox Series S offers a choice between Quality Mode and Performance Mode in games that support it:

• Quality Mode prioritizes higher visual fidelity and resolution at the cost of frame rate. It targets up to 1440p resolution at 30 fps.
• Performance Mode prioritizes higher, smoother frame rates up to 60 or 120 fps at the cost of graphical quality. It renders at around 1080p resolution.

But there‘s a lot more tech nuance and real-world considerations at play here – let‘s take a deeper look!

Display resolutions: native render targets

The Xbox Series S contains a custom AMD Zen 2 CPU with 8 cores at 3.6GHz and a 4 TFLOP RDNA 2 GPU. Out of the box, it natively renders games at 1440p quad HD (QHD) resolution. The 4K Ultra HD standard is not supported unlike the more powerful Xbox Series X.

Here are the native rendering resolutions each mode tries to hit:

Developers use dynamic resolution scaling (DRS) to automatically lower the rendering resolution in intense scenes to maintain frame rate targets. So real-world resolution fluctuates slightly below these targets.

Frame rate goals

The mode choice also affects frame rate (fps) – another key aspect governing perceived smoothness and responsiveness while playing:

Higher frame rates intrinsically feel more fluid in motion with reduced input lag. But visual quality takes a hit to get those faster frame rates on constrained hardware.

Graphics settings compromises

To hit up to 4x higher frame rates of Performance Mode, the Series S GPU clocks higher but auto-lowers other graphics settings like:

• Texture filtering quality
• Shadow resolution
• Draw distances for objects/foliage
• Scene complexity with lower object detail

So while "resolution" strictly refers to display outputs, Performance Mode also trims GPU-intensive graphical features to curb overall shader complexity and free up hardware resources.

Backwards compatible last-gen games

Interestingly, the Quality vs Performance modes tradeoff extends to backwards compatible Xbox One/360 games too.

Many older games get their textures and anisotropic filtering upgraded automatically. Some also get Auto HDR processing – heightening contrast and colors.

While Performance Mode disables these visual uplifts in favor of achieving 60 FPS targets where possible. So the modes represent different philosophies for improving last-gen games on the Series S too!

Native optimizations

The latest CPU/SSD optimizations in native next-gen Series S/X games deliver bigger reconciliations between quality and performance though. These games tweak settings more intelligently and gracefully on the RDNA 2 GPU architecture using new graphics APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate.

Developer considerations

In an interview, the Development Director for Forza Horizon 5 at Playground Games explained their process of tailoring Quality versus Performance modes for the Series S hardware:

"I’d say we are more graphics quality-focused generally because…there is a certain bar in terms of smoothness that we don’t want to drop below. Once we’ve established that bar then we’ll push as far as we can with the graphics quality."

Many developers adopt this min-FPS floor approach for playability. They maximize visuals in Quality Mode while guaranteeing satisfactory 30 FPS consistency. And optimize Performance Mode for minimal dips below 60 FPS across heavier scenes.

Real-world performance insights

Digital Foundry analyzed backwards compatible Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla on the Series S:

So interestingly, Quality Mode hovered around 1440p as intended. But Performance Mode didn‘t fully hit 60 FPS despite dropping resolution.

This shows real-world complexities like CPU/memory bottlenecks also affect capabilities, especially in backwards compatible last-gen codebases. Newer titles built ground-up for Series S/X fare much better with the faster unified memory architecture and data streaming.

Smoother input response

Beyond numerical metrics, the subjective feel also changes drastically between modes. The essence of why fast response times matter in competitive gaming scenarios goes back to human perception limits.

As tested by Nvidia, discerning one image from the next becomes difficult over 20 ms frame times (~50 FPS). So the almost 2x faster frame rate from 30 FPS to 60 FPS directly enhances visible fluidity and input/output lag – crucial for fast-paced games relying on quick reactions.

Optimal display pairing recommendations

To fully enjoy the fast 120 Hz refresh rates enabled in Performance Mode, pair your Series S with compatible HDMI 2.1 displays that van support variable refresh rate (VRR) for buttery smooth variable frame rates. Some picks:

For living room setups, these affordable 4K TVs support 4K upscaling from 1440p/1080p signals along with 120 Hz inputs:

Optimizing performance

Here are some tips to ensure your Series S runs optimally:

• Position the console vertically with ample ventilation to prevent thermal throttling under load.
• Game installs run faster and smoother from the internal NVMe SSD rather than external HDDs.
• Close background apps and enable Performance Mode in the Xbox Settings to free up extra memory and cycles.
• Disable Auto HDR and other post-processing in backwards compatible games for noticeably faster response.
• In supported titles like Gears 5, toggle the built-in GPU frame rate counter to closely monitor performance, CPU/GPU utilization etc.

Tradeoff considerations

Ultimately Quality vs Performance Mode selection depends on your tastes and gaming scenario:

• For slower paced single player campaigns leaning cinematic, Quality can better immerse you at 30 FPS.
• For competitive multiplayer gaming where every millisecond counts, favor Performance mode for lower input lag.
• On a very large screen like a projector where you‘re seated far away, the resolution differences matter less – so Performance makes sense.

I hope this detailed tech breakdown gives you a better handle on pushing your Series S! Let me know if you have any other questions.