Guide: Monster Hunter Wilds’ best console graphics mode for every platform

Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the biggest video game releases of the year so far, and it just so happens to feature some of the biggest monsters you can fight in any game. The massive monsters of Wilds’ world are incredible, and if you want to see them in all of their glory, you need to select the right graphical preset for your console.

Whether you’re playing PS5 or Xbox, the big console or the little console, we have a full breakdown of what you can expect from each of MH Wilds’ graphics modes and which is best for your console and display combination below.

Monster Hunter Wilds Graphics Modes Breakdown

Monster Hunter Wilds contains three graphics presets on consoles: Resolution, Balanced, and Framerate. With these modes, you can either run the game at an uncapped framerate, or you can aim for 30fps, 40fps, or 60fps, respectively. The best mode for you will depend on your console and your display of choice.

In Resolution mode you’re looking at the crispest possible visuals for a 4K display – with ray tracing – while also losing out on framerate fluidity.

In Balanced mode you retain ray tracing but run at a lower average resolution while aiming for 40fps.

In Framerate mode most of the fancy graphical features are stripped back – there’s no ray tracing here – and the average resolution is lower, but the game often achieves a smooth 60fps playback.

Unfortunately, the framerate is never a perfect lock to the cap, regardless of which mode and console you currently use, but the game can still manage to look and run great on console. Regardless, ensure to enable 120hz playback if you have the option, regardless of which console you’re playing on.

Best PS5 Graphics Mode in MH Wilds

PS5 players on a smaller TV or 1080p monitor should absolutely aim for the Framerate mode for the smoothest possible playback, and the in-game resolution will look good on these displays too.

If you’re using a 4K 120hz display with VRR, then you may want to consider using the game’s Balanced mode to smooth out the rough visual details while retaining a decent amount of gameplay fluidity.

Best PS5 Pro Graphics Mode in MH Wilds

The PS5 Pro’s turnout is basically the same as the base PS5, but with a higher average resolution in all modes. If you’re on a smaller 4K screen or are further away from the TV, playing in the game’s Framerate mode on PS5 Pro might be a decent choice, as it looks sharper than the base console, while usually managing to hold at 60fps, even in busy moments.

Otherwise, if you have a large 4K TV with modern features, the Balanced mode and 40fps cap might be a better choice. It’s a close call, and you should test both modes to see which works best for your use case.

Best Xbox Series X Graphics Mode in MH Wilds

The Xbox Series X works mostly as the base PS5 console does, and the advice is the same, though Low Framerate Compensation actually works on Xbox consoles, making the Balanced mode’s 40fps cap and even the 30fps Resolution mode much more palatable and smooth in motion, which is a nice bonus over the PS5 version of the game.

Best Xbox Series S Graphics Mode in MH Wilds

Unlike other consoles, the Xbox Series S only gets one graphics mode option, and it aims for 30fps. Though if you have a 120hz screen with VRR, you should absolutely enable 120hz playback to benefit from LFR, as with the Series X version.