The much-anticipated support for variable refresh rate (VRR) is coming to the PS5 this week.
Variable refresh rate syncs the refresh rate of the display to the game's output. This helps get rid of screen tearing and frame pacing issues that can happen if the game runs at a lower or higher frame rate than the display. The increased smoothness can also decrease input lag which essentially allows quicker reactions when you press a button on the controller.
Until now, VRR was only supported on Microsoft's Xbox Series S and X consoles.
Sony's SVP Hideaki Nishino announced the update in a PlayStation Blog post. People with HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TVs and monitors will be able to take advantage of the feature.
Sony says that VRR will be supported on previously-released games via a patch and future games will include support at launch. VRR can also be applied to games that don't officially support it which could improve video quality. You can always turn it off if you experience any visual problems.
To start, the following games will receive VRR patches:
- 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
The company didn't specify exactly what day the update will land, but did advise keeping your PS5 connected to the internet. This is a much welcome update to the PS5, that puts it more in line with the competition from Xbox.
PS5 owners also more news to celebrate, especially if they're a fan of PS1 games. A number of Syphon Filter games recently passed certification in South Korea which could mean they'll likely be included in the all-new PlayStation Plus Premium tier. The ugraded PlayStation Plus is due to launch on June 13, 2022 in the Americas.
David Matthews is a freelance writer specializing in consumer tech and gaming. He also strongly believes that sugar does not go in grits. Follow him on Twitter @shortblktechie
