Should You Choose Quality or Performance Mode in Alan Wake 2?

On console, Alan Wake 2 gives you the choice of two graphical modes. So if you’ve been poking around in the game’s settings you might be wondering, should you choose quality or performance mode in Alan Wake 2?

Which Alan Wake 2 Mode You Should Choose: Quality or Performance

If you’re playing on PC you’ll have so many graphics options you can meddle with and if you’re on the Xbox Series S Alan Wake 2 will only have the one mode. But if you have a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S you’ll have the choice of Quality or Performance Modes.

So what’s the difference? Quality Mode makes the game look better, aiming for a 30FPS frame rate and 4K resolution as well as “prioritizing graphical effects” as Remedy puts it. Performance Mode, on the other hand, targets a 60FPS frame rate at a lower 1440p/1080p resolution.

Related: Do You Need to Play Alan Wake 1 & Control Before Alan Wake 2?

So how does this actually work in practice? Performance Mode is noticeably smoother and when you’re dealing with Alan Wake 2’s horrors you won’t have time to admire the scenery.

But when you’re just roaming, Quality Mode does make things prettier. It’s not just the higher resolution, it’s the extra detail.

For example, roaming the forest at there’s more foliage and leaves in Quality Mode than in Performance Mode. That said, you may still notice the tiniest bit of texture pop-up in both modes.

So which mode should you use? It’s your choice, of course, but Remedy has expressed an opinion on the way the game should be played. Remedy’s communication director stated, “The game has been built from the beginning as a 30fps experience focusing on visuals and ambiance.”

In other words, if you want to play the game as it was meant to be played, use Quality Mode. Ultimately, the answer to should you choose quality or performance mode in Alan Wake 2 is “it’s up to you,” but developer Remedy Entertainment believes Quality is the way to go.

If you’re looking for more, here’s how to get the code for the Sawed-Off Shotgun in Alan Wake 2.