Ghost Recon Wildlands PS5 Upgrade Uses PS4 Pro Settings, Analysis Finds

Ghost Recon Wildlands’ New Console Upgrade Isn’t a Full Next-Gen Overhaul

Ghost Recon Wildlands is running on modern consoles, but apparently not in the way some players expected.

Ubisoft recently brought a free upgrade to the nine-year-old tactical shooter for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, alongside its Last Rites update.

The headline feature is straightforward:

60 FPS.

That’s a big deal for a game that originally targeted 30 FPS on consoles.

But according to technical analysis of the new versions, Ubisoft may not have rebuilt the game’s graphics specifically for current-generation hardware.

Instead, the PS5 version appears to be based heavily on the existing PS4 Pro configuration, while Xbox Series X similarly uses the Xbox One X profile.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

But it does mean players expecting a full next-gen visual overhaul shouldn’t expect one.

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The Biggest Upgrade Is Still 60 FPS

Let’s start with the part that actually matters during gameplay.

Ghost Recon Wildlands now runs at 60 FPS on current-generation consoles.

For a tactical third-person shooter, that’s a meaningful improvement.

Wildlands involves:

• Long-range shooting
• Driving across a huge open world
• Helicopter flying
• Fast camera movement
• Stealth encounters
• Close-quarters firefights
• Scouting enemy positions
• Co-op gameplay

All of those activities benefit from a higher frame rate.

The original console versions were generally built around 30 FPS.

Moving to 60 FPS makes aiming and camera movement feel considerably more responsive, even if the underlying graphical assets haven’t been dramatically upgraded.

And that’s essentially what Ubisoft appears to have prioritized.

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PS5 Apparently Uses the PS4 Pro Profile

According to the technical analysis, the PS5 version appears to use the existing PS4 Pro profile as its foundation.

That means the resolution is reportedly around 1440p, combined with a doubled frame rate.

This is where the upgrade becomes interesting.

The PS5 is obviously much more powerful than the PS4 Pro.

So players might reasonably have expected Ubisoft to introduce a substantially higher-resolution rendering mode, improved textures, enhanced lighting, better shadows, or other current-generation graphical features.

That doesn’t appear to be what happened.

Instead, Ubisoft seems to have taken the existing enhanced PS4 configuration and allowed it to operate at a higher frame rate on newer hardware.

Again, that’s useful.

It’s just not the same thing as rebuilding the game specifically for PS5.

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Xbox Series X Uses the Xbox One X Configuration

The situation is similar on Xbox.

The analysis indicates that Xbox Series X uses the Xbox One X profile, with resolution reaching up to approximately 1800p.

Some reports describe the Series X version as dynamically reaching 4K while maintaining 60 FPS, but the technical analysis emphasizes that the underlying settings are still based on the previous-generation Xbox One X configuration.

That’s an important distinction.

Resolution and graphical settings aren’t the same thing.

A game can render at a higher resolution while still using essentially the same:

• Texture quality
• Geometry
• Shadow settings
• Lighting
• Environmental detail
• Effects
• Draw distances

from its previous-generation profile.

So calling it a 4K/60 FPS upgrade doesn’t automatically mean the game has received a complete next-generation rendering overhaul.

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Xbox Series S Gets Two Modes

The Xbox Series S version is more straightforward.

Players get two options:

Quality Mode: 1440p / 30 FPS

Performance Mode: 1080p / 60 FPS

That’s a sensible compromise for Microsoft’s less powerful current-generation console.

The choice also makes the priorities of the update obvious.

If you want sharper image quality, you can choose Quality mode.

If you care more about responsiveness, Performance mode gives you 60 FPS.

For Wildlands, I’d personally take the 60 FPS option.

The game is much more dependent on responsive aiming and movement than it is on squeezing every last pixel out of its enormous landscapes.

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So Is This Really a PS5 Version?

Technically, yes.

But it’s worth separating platform compatibility from next-generation development.

A game running on PS5 doesn’t automatically make it a native next-gen title.

There are several ways developers can improve an older game:

Option 1: Simply unlock the frame rate.

Option 2: Increase resolution and reuse existing graphical settings.

Option 3: Create a new current-generation profile with improved textures, lighting, shadows, geometry and effects.

Option 4: Completely remaster the game.

Wildlands appears to be much closer to Option 2 than Option 3 or 4.

That’s why some players may feel underwhelmed despite the substantial improvement in responsiveness.

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There’s No Major Visual Reinvention

This is probably the biggest takeaway from the technical analysis.

Don’t expect Wildlands to suddenly look like a game designed specifically for PS5 and Xbox Series X.

There doesn’t appear to be a major new rendering pipeline.

There isn’t a complete overhaul of the game’s environments.

And players shouldn’t expect a dramatic transformation in texture quality or lighting.

Instead, the upgrade is primarily about making the existing game run better on modern hardware.

And honestly, for a nine-year-old game, that’s not necessarily a terrible strategy.

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The Game Still Looks Better Because It Runs Better

There’s an important psychological effect here.

A game doesn’t necessarily need dramatically better graphics to look better.

Higher frame rates can make an older game feel substantially more modern.

When camera movement is smoother and animation updates more frequently, the entire image becomes easier to read.

That is particularly noticeable during:

• Helicopter flights
• Vehicle chases
• Sniper aiming
• Fast camera movements
• Enemy encounters
• Co-op firefights

So while Wildlands may not have received a huge graphical makeover, the 60 FPS upgrade can still make it feel significantly better.

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Ubisoft Did Add More Than a Performance Patch

It’s also important not to reduce the entire update to resolution and frame rate.

The Last Rites update adds a new story mission, gameplay customization options, new cosmetics and other quality-of-life improvements. Ubisoft has also added 4K/60 FPS support on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

One particularly interesting addition allows players to choose whether they want to carry one or two primary weapons without requiring Ghost Mode.

That is something players have reportedly been requesting for years.

So Ubisoft isn’t simply flipping a 60 FPS switch and walking away.

There is actual new content attached to the game’s return.

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That’s Why the Upgrade Is Still Worth Having

This is where I think the criticism needs some perspective.

Is this the kind of PS5 remaster players might have imagined?

No.

Does it make Wildlands a dramatically different-looking game?

No.

But does 60 FPS make a nine-year-old tactical shooter more enjoyable?

Absolutely.

Wildlands already had a strong foundation.

Its huge open world, squad mechanics, vehicles, stealth systems and co-op gameplay remain the reason people continue returning to it.

Ubisoft didn’t necessarily need to rebuild all of that.

It needed to make the experience feel less dated.

And 60 FPS accomplishes part of that.

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What About 4K?

This is where you need to be careful with the wording in an article.

Official PlayStation information confirms 4K and 60 FPS on PS5 and PS5 Pro as part of Last Rites.

However, the technical analysis reported by iXBT suggests that the PS5 implementation is based on the PS4 Pro profile and runs at around 1440p, while Xbox Series X uses the Xbox One X profile with resolution reaching up to 1800p.

So I wouldn’t write:

“Ghost Recon Wildlands is now native 4K on PS5.”

That’s unnecessarily definitive.

A safer and more accurate formulation is:

“Ubisoft advertises 4K/60 FPS support on PS5, while technical analysis suggests the underlying console configuration remains closely tied to the previous-generation PS4 Pro and Xbox One X profiles.”

That distinction protects the article from making a claim the technical source doesn’t support.

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The Real Question Is Whether 60 FPS Is Enough

That’s ultimately what players need to decide.

If you were hoping for:

• Ray tracing
• New lighting
• Higher-quality textures
• Improved geometry
• Better foliage
• Completely rebuilt environments
• New character models
• A true remaster

then this update will probably feel underwhelming.

If you simply wanted:

“Give me Wildlands at 60 FPS on my PS5.”

Then Ubisoft has delivered something much more useful.

And because the upgrade is free, the value proposition is considerably better.

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Final Verdict

Ghost Recon Wildlands has received a useful current-generation upgrade, but it’s not the full next-gen makeover some players might have expected.

Technical analysis suggests that Ubisoft has largely adapted the game’s existing PS4 Pro and Xbox One X profiles for PS5 and Xbox Series hardware rather than creating entirely new graphical configurations.

The biggest practical improvement is therefore 60 FPS.

And that’s not insignificant.

For a tactical shooter built around aiming, driving, stealth and co-op combat, smoother performance can make a bigger difference than another layer of graphical effects.

Add the new Last Rites mission, gameplay customization, quality-of-life improvements and additional content, and there’s still a solid reason to return to Wildlands in 2026.

Just don’t mistake this for a full remaster.

It’s an old Ghost Recon game made more comfortable on new hardware—not Ghost Recon Wildlands rebuilt for a new generation.

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