Owners of HDMI 2.1 equipped televisions couldn't have been happy to learn that PS5 VRR support is not currently available at launch, despite Sony's next-generation console technically supporting the HDMI 2.1 specification. This is even more of a disappointment because Microsoft has supported Variable Refresh Rate since the Xbox One X, which launched three years ago.
Wccftech readers are very familiar with the technology, first pioneered by NVIDIA with G-SYNC gaming monitors and later by AMD with FreeSync. The DisplayPort spec has included Adaptive-Sync since 2014 and now, at last, the latest HDMI 2.1 spec enabled it as well.
In short, Variable Refresh Rate allows the display to synchronize with the current frame rate that the GPU from the PC (or, in this case, the console) is outputting. This, in turn, ensures there is no tearing whatsoever and even stuttering is reduced, in addition to input lag when compared to the classic VSync technique.
This is one of the biggest advantages Microsoft's Xbox Series X has over the PS5, as demonstrated by Digital Foundry in their recent Assassin's Creed Valhalla analysis.
Now, there's good news coming out of the official PlayStation Blog FAQ, which was updated to mention that a future software update will indeed enable PS5 VRR support for compatible games.
Will PS5 support 4K at 120Hz modes?
Yes, PS5 supports the HDMI 2.1 specification. HDMI 2.1 supports 4K 120Hz, but HDMI 2.1-compatible 4K TVs have not yet fully penetrated the market.
Does PS5 support VRR?
PS5 hardware supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) through HDMI 2.1. After a future system software update, PS5 owners will be able to use the VRR feature of compatible TVs when playing games that support VRR.
It shouldn't be too hard for game developers to add Variable Refresh Rate support to their PS5 games, though we reckon. Unfortunately, there's no ETA yet on when this would be available, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as it's coming. Stay tuned.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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