It’s been a long time coming, but PlayStation 5 is finally getting official variable refresh rate (VRR) support this week. For those unfamiliar, VRR syncs your screen’s refresh rate with the performance of your game, reducing issues like stuttering and screen tearing. The Xbox Series X and S have supported the feature since launch, but Sony, for reasons unexplained, has lagged behind when it comes to delivering VRR. Here’s a bit more detail from the official announcement…
Today, we’re excited to announce that Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support will start rolling out globally to PS5 players this week. On HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TVs and PC monitors, VRR dynamically syncs the refresh rate of the display to the PS5 console’s graphical output. This enhances visual performance for PS5 games by minimizing or eliminating visual artifacts, such as frame pacing issues and screen tearing. Gameplay in many PS5 titles feels smoother as scenes render seamlessly, graphics look crisper, and input lag is reduced. Previously released PS5 games can be fully optimized for VRR through a game patch and future games may include VRR support at launch.
If you’ve got a compatible screen, you’ll be able to switch on VRR for all games, with Sony promising some may see a benefit. That said, only games that have received an official patch are guaranteed to benefit. The following games will receive VRR patches over the “coming weeks.”
- Astro’s Playroom
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Destiny 2
- Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition
- DIRT 5
- Godfall
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Tribes of Midgard
Insomniac has also detailed their VRR support for games like Spider-Man Remastered, promising increases to dynamic image resolution targets and higher uncapped framerates.
All of our PS5 titles support VRR (variable refresh rate) as of today, with the latest game and system updates. Because our titles are already built to have very stable frame rates, the main effect of the VRR system setting will be to slightly increase dynamic image resolution targets. However, if your TV also supports 120 Hz high frame rate input and the 120 Hz Display Mode option is active along with VRR, you will get a variable, uncapped frame rate that can exceed your chosen Graphics Mode’s 30 or 60 fps target by 50% or more (depending on gameplay).
Sony has not locked down a specific date for the PS5 VRR update, although again, the patch will be rolling out “this week.” What do you think PS5 owners? Happy VRR is finally forthcoming?
