A while ago, Microsoft put itself ahead of the game by adding Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support to its Xbox Series X/S consoles. In the final week of April 2022, the feature is making its way to PS5 consoles everywhere.If you’d like to learn more about what this means, who can use it, and what games it will work with, read on.

Sony Announces VRR Support for PS5

In an April 2022 post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony announced it will be rolling out Variable Refresh Rate, or VRR, support to PS5 players across the globe. This update allows your TV or monitor to work with your console in automatically adjusting to the optimal frame rate.

While that may sound like something that only benefits gaming enthusiasts, casual players will notice the difference too, since gameplay can be very dynamic. If one minute you’re crafting a weapon and the next you're fighting off a horde of enemies, it’s easy for the refresh rate of your screen to be out of sync with your console.

This miscommunication between devices causes visual glitches such as screen tearing, where your frames temporarily look split-up and jumbled, and stuttering.

Simply put, Sony’s VRR update will create a smoother gameplay experience with sharper graphics. However, it may turn out that you need to upgrade your TV to see the benefits.

Who Can Use VRR on Their PS5?

Once the update is available to you, you’ll need to be connected to the internet to get it—or you can turn on auto-updates on your PS5 and have your console take care of things for you. Your PlayStation will automatically turn VRR on once it updates.

However, your TV or monitor needs to be HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible for it to work. While having HDMI 2.1 on your TV is a good indicator that it has VRR, it's not always the case. So, be sure to check your TV's specs as some brands don’t offer VRR-compatible TVs.

If you decide you want to upgrade, you’ll want to do your research on which models are VRR-compatible and compare the best gaming TVs for your console to find your ideal match.

Alternatively, you can switch the feature off by going to your PS5’s settings menu, then Screen and Video, and choosing VRR under Video Output.

What PS5 Games Will Have VRR Support?

Video game bot floating in water

There are many reasons why you should wait to play the PS5 version of cross-generation games, an additional one being that they may end up on Sony’s list of titles with VRR support.

According to the PlayStation Blog post, these are "just a few" titles that will receive patches in the coming weeks:

  • Astro’s Playroom
  • Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  • Deathloop
  • 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

You’ll want to keep an eye on the game developer’s channels for patch release dates. Of course, your console will also prompt you to update the game if it’s already there.

As for the titles that might not receive an update right away, or at all, you may find VRR still improves your gameplay experience for some of them. However, Sony mentions in its article to turn the feature off if it results in "unexpected visual effects".

Experience PS5 Gameplay as Intended

By syncing your TV’s refresh rate with your PS5’s, VRR support will allow you to experience enhanced gameplay with smoother rendering, sharper graphics, and less choppiness.

You can look forward to receiving this update in the final week of April 2022, and you’ll want to keep your eye out for game developers adding more titles to the list.