After talking at length to Sucker Punch staffers about their recent launch of Ghost of Yōtei, we wondered how long we might wait until the game received any kind of visual-specific patch. The answer came late last week in the form of patch 1.1 on both base PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles, which delivers a new graphics mode and a frame-rate unlock for all modes on both systems.

The new "Balanced" mode comes in both standard and ray-traced versions, and since each can run either locked or unlocked, that alone adds up to four new modes per console by itself. Whew.

On PS5 Pro, with frame-rate set to "unlocked," the new Balanced RT mode ranges from 40-60fps and runs within a 120Hz panel's variable refresh range (VRR) window, thus enjoying more smoothness over the up-to-40fps "Quality RT" mode while delivering higher fidelity than "RT Pro." Though that setting too becomes more attractive now, as its unlocked frame-rate can regularly reach the 70-90fps range - incredible stuff, and quite a jump from the prior version's 60fps cap on the same mode.

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Non-RT modes in Ghost of Yōtei's 1.1 patch as benchmarked on PS5 Pro.

Meanwhile, with RT disabled and frame-rate caps removed, all three visual modes - Performance, Balanced and Quality - run roughly 33 percent faster on average than their capped counterparts on PS5 Pro.

Looking at Yōtei on base PS5, its new Balanced RT mode is that console's first option to reach a locked 40fps target, though like all other modes now, it can be unlocked on VRR-compatible 120Hz panels to hover in its own tasteful 40-60fps range. It only took two months for Sucker Punch to offer a RT mode on base PS5 that reaches spitting distance of the launch code's 60fps refresh on PS5 Pro - great stuff for anyone enjoying Yōtei on the non-Professional.

Sadly, none of these frame-rate unlocks apply to Yōtei's cutscenes, which remain locked at 30fps. We imagine that owes to the cinematic aspirations of Sucker Punch's Kurosawa-inspired cinematics, though we always love when video games give users a choice on such matters.

The patch is significant outside visual updates, as well. Players who've beaten the game can now access a "New Game+" mode, and all players can restart completed raids and duels should they so choose. And the 1.1 patch's laundry list of quality-of-life upgrades includes an option to auto-loot enemies once they've perished.