Smooth, Balanced, HD, HDR and Ultra HDR explained
Short answer: graphics quality and frame rate compete for the same performance budget, and in a fast shooter frames win. Pick Smooth with the highest frame-rate tier your phone sustains. Ultra HDR paired with 120 FPS throttles almost every device within minutes.
Two settings, one budget
The graphics menu presents graphics quality and frame rate as separate choices. They aren't - they draw on the same pool of chipset performance and the same thermal headroom. Raise one and the other has less to work with.
Which is why the single most useful rule here is: in a fast-paced shooter, frames beat fidelity. Seeing an enemy a fraction of a second sooner wins more fights than seeing them in higher contrast.
The graphics tiers, from cheapest to most expensive
Super Smooth (BETA)
The lightest option available - lower resolution and minimal effects, in exchange for the most frame-rate headroom on the list. Being a beta tier, it can behave inconsistently. Worth trying on an older phone that struggles even on Smooth.
Smooth
The competitive default, and the right starting point for most players. Simplified textures and reduced effects free up a lot of performance, and the flatter look genuinely makes enemies easier to pick out against backgrounds. This is what you pair with a high frame rate.
Balanced
A middle ground with better textures than Smooth at a moderate cost. Reasonable on a mid-range phone if you're targeting 60 or 90 rather than 120.
HD
Higher-resolution textures and better lighting. Noticeably prettier, noticeably more expensive. Fine on a flagship at 60 FPS; a poor pairing with 120.
HDR
Extended dynamic range for deeper shadows and brighter highlights. It looks great and it costs real performance. It can also work against you competitively - deeper shadows mean players hiding in them are genuinely harder to see.
Ultra HDR
Everything HDR does, more so. Heavy. On most phones this is where sustained thermal throttling starts, and where "my game lags after ten minutes" complaints originate.
Extreme HDR
The maximum. Flagship-only in practice, and even then difficult to pair with a high frame rate through a full match.
The frame-rate tiers
| Setting | Roughly | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Power Saving | ~20 FPS | Conserving battery, not playing seriously |
| Medium | ~25 FPS | Very old hardware |
| High | ~30 FPS | Entry-level phones |
| Ultra | ~40 FPS | Budget phones |
| Extreme | ~60 FPS | The standard target |
| Extreme+ | ~90 FPS | 90 Hz and 120 Hz panels - the sweet spot |
| Ultra Extreme | ~120 FPS | 120 Hz panels with a capable chipset |
Exact values shift between game versions, but the ordering holds. Ultra Extreme is the one you're after if you're chasing 120 FPS - and on most devices it only appears after unlocking it.
Which combinations actually work
| Your phone | Graphics | Frame rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level, 60 Hz | Smooth | Extreme (60) |
| Mid-range, 60 Hz | Smooth or Balanced | Extreme (60) |
| Mid-range, 90/120 Hz | Smooth | Extreme+ (90) |
| Upper mid-range, 120 Hz | Smooth or Balanced | Ultra Extreme (120) |
| Flagship, 120 Hz | Balanced or HD | Ultra Extreme (120) |
| Flagship, prioritising looks | HDR or Ultra HDR | Extreme (60) |
The combination to avoid: Ultra HDR with Ultra Extreme. It looks superb for about four minutes, then the phone throttles and you end up slower than you'd have been on Smooth at 90.
What a GFX profile actually does
A profile is a preset that writes several of these values at once - graphics tier, frame-rate tier and related rendering options - so you get a coherent combination in a single tap instead of picking through the menu and hoping the pairing makes sense.
In 90 FPS + 120 FPS these appear under GFX Profiles, each with a Download and an Apply button. Performance Mode targets maximum frames with aggressive rendering and is aimed at high-end devices; 60 FPS HDR goes the other way, pairing HDR image quality with a steady 60.
Apply the profile, then leave the menu alone. Several Play reviewers report that editing a graphics setting by hand afterwards disables the frame-rate change the profile applied. If you want something different, apply a different profile.
Common mistakes
- Maxing both settings. They share one performance budget.
- Assuming HDR helps you see enemies. It often does the opposite - darker shadows hide people.
- Judging in the lobby. Test in a real fight in a built-up area.
- Editing settings after applying a profile. It can undo the frame-rate change.
- Never revisiting the choice. Game updates change rendering costs; what worked two patches ago may not now.
Starting point
If you don't want to think about it: Smooth graphics with the highest frame-rate tier your phone sustains. That's the configuration most competitive players land on, and it's rarely the wrong answer.
From there, if you have thermal headroom to spare, move up one graphics tier and play a full match before deciding. One change at a time, judged in a real fight - that's how you find your phone's actual limit rather than guessing at it.
Skip the menu-fiddling
One-tap GFX profiles apply a coherent graphics and frame-rate combination together, so you don't have to balance them by hand. Free on Google Play.
- Free
- No root needed
- BGMI & PUBG Mobile
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Smooth or HDR?
For competitive play, Smooth - it frees performance for a higher frame rate and the flatter look makes enemies easier to pick out. HDR looks better and can actively hide players in deeper shadows.
What is Ultra Extreme frame rate?
The highest frame-rate tier, corresponding to roughly 120 FPS. It requires a 120 Hz display and on most devices only appears after the option has been unlocked.
Can I use Ultra HDR with 120 FPS?
You can select both, but few phones sustain the combination. Expect strong performance for a few minutes followed by thermal throttling. Pair 120 FPS with Smooth or Balanced instead.
What does a GFX profile change?
It writes a set of graphics and frame-rate values at once - a preset rather than a single setting - so the combination is coherent without you balancing it manually.
Why did my frame rate stop working after I changed a setting?
Editing the graphics menu after applying a profile can disable the frame-rate change the profile made. Re-apply the profile, and if you want different settings, apply a different profile rather than editing by hand.