Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

PlayStation 5 is getting a Variable Refresh Rate update

By

The PlayStation 5’s impressive visuals are about to get even better with the inclusion of Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). In a blog post about the topic, PlayStation announced that it would roll out VRR support for select PlayStation 5 games over the next few weeks. The VRR patches should automatically update supported games so long as users have a reliable internet connection and an HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TV or PC monitor.

What’s so good about VRR? As Hankx World describes, it essentially makes it so that the console is the pace

Recommended Videos

setter for the game’s visual output instead of your display. A monitor might have a 60 frames-per-second (fps) capacity, but if the game isn’t properly synced with it, a visible “tear” (aka frame drop or similar visual defect) might appear. However, unless the TV or PC monitor is the HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible kind, it won’t work with the PlayStation 5 VRR settings as intended.

PlayStation 5 VRR instructions
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“[VRR] 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,” the PlayStation 5 blog describes.

Related

PlayStation didn’t specify exactly when the VRR patches would roll out for supported games. All it said was that the changes were due in the “coming weeks.” The below games are the only ones listed with VRR support so far, but others might be upgraded with VRR support or launch with VRR support in the future. VRR support starts rolling out this week.

The PlayStation 5 versions of these games will receive VRR patches in the near future:

  • 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

PlayStation 5 owners can also try to enable VRR for unsupported games. However, how much VRR will improve the graphical quality of those games will be hit-or-miss. It might smoothen the experience or smear it with glitches. Users can toggle the setting on and off at their discretion depending on the outcome.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jess Reyes
Jess Reyes
Jessica Reyes is a freelance writer who specializes in anime-centric and trending topics. Her work can be found in Looper…
PlayStation 6: release date speculation, price, specs, and more
sony reveals customizable ps5 dualsense edge controller front and back

In a recent quote, Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka said: "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle." Many in the industry took that to mean that we may be hearing about the next PlayStation console sooner rather than later.

Considering Sony has yet to break its naming convention, it feels safe to assume whatever future home console we get will be called the PlayStation 6. But not only has the name not been officially confirmed, but neither has the idea of a next-generation PlayStation console or even a PS5 Pro. It's almost a guarantee, but technically nothing is set in stone. Rumors and potential leaks have already started stirring up excitement, so let's see what the future of PlayStation may look like according to the rumors.
Release date speculation

Read more
The most common PSVR 2 problems and how to fix them
A PSVR2 headset on a sky-blue background.

The hype around PSVR 2 has largely died off just a year after its launch, though there's no denying it’s a cool piece of tech. Making big strides from the original PSVR, the latest headset from Sony offers better graphics, improved tracking capabilities, and introduced the world to the sleek new Sense controllers, which make it easier than ever to interact with your virtual world.

But, like all new pieces of tech, PSVR 2 isn't without its issues. From faulty Sense controllers to blurry images, here's a look at the most common PSVR 2 issues and how to fix them. Many of these steps will also work with PSVR, though note the menu navigation might be slightly different.
Your Sense controller isn't working properly

Read more
PlayStation has a secret weapon up its sleeve: the Hero Project
Three colorful PS5s float together in a line.

The video game industry is changing. As financial growth stagnates, companies like PlayStation have experimented with ways to adapt as markets and trends change. Where it was once able to rely on its first-party blockbusters to build and maintain an audience, it is looking more likely that it will need to invest in new strategies to prepare for the ways the industry is shifting. We see this with a bigger push into live-service and mobile games, but there's another initiative that isn't going to pay dividends in the near future but could set the groundwork for future success: the Hero Project.

Sony's Hero Project isn't a widely publicized or highlighted initiative -- even by PlayStation. Still, it's something every PlayStation owner should be aware of. It has the potential to be its secret weapon in the long run.
The world needs heroes
PlayStation's Hero Project is currently in its fourth iteration. Beginning in 2016, it kicked off with three rounds of the China Hero Project and has currently expanded to include the India Hero Project. The goal of these initiatives is to allow game developers from said countries to pitch their games directly to a special PlayStation committee. If accepted, Sony will then offer the team support with finances, technologies, marketing, and occasionally publishing.

Read more