Gaming

What is variable refresh rate on PS5 and which games support it?

Andrew Highton
sony playstation 5 console and logoSony

Along with all the other technical features that the PS5 supports, Sony has now added variable refresh rate to the extraordinary piece of hardware’s repertoire. Our guide covers its purpose and lists any supported games.

All the talk about the PlayStation 5 when it was first announced was how the graphical fidelity of next-gen games was going to skyrocket. The raw power of the console promised buttery-smooth FPS for games and ray tracing to add a great level of detail to lighting.

Games like God of War, Gran Turismo, and Horizon would somehow look even more incredible and captivate gamers with their eye-pleasing stability.

Sony’s PS5 can support 120 FPS gameplay and now VRR can be added to the mix. If you own an applicable TV, variable refresh rate will bring about another leap in the capabilities of graphics in gaming, and here’s all you need to know about it.

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miles morales in a spider-man cutsceneInsomniac Games
Insomniac have committed to bringing VRR to their PS5 games.

What is variable refresh rate (VRR) on PS5?

In laymen’s terms, VRR is an adaptive technology that prevents screen tearing and essentially makes the game run smoother and look crisper than it did before.

It basically means that you get no slowdown as VRR ensures the game can keep up with its stated FPS. Allowing the gameplay to be near enough uninterruptable, avoiding any screen flickers, and rendering the FPS in a 1:1 ratio.

It’s the next step to delivering seamless gameplay experiences without any dip in graphical quality and consistency.

How to enable VRR on PS5

If your setup can support it, then VRR should already be enabled on your PS5 and will be set to Automatic. However, just in case it’s not, or you want the sub-function that enables VRR on all games, even unsupported ones, then follow these instructions:

  1. Make sure you have the latest software update installed on your PlayStation.
  2. Now, go to the PS5’s ‘Settings’.
  3. Select ‘Screen and Video,’ then ‘Video Output’.
  4. Scroll down until you get to ‘VRR’.
  5. If it’s not already, set your VRR to ‘Automatic’.
  6. Additionally, you can go down one more and select ‘Apply to Unsupported Games’ to give non-compatible titles a tiny boost too.
different vrr settings in sony playstation 5 menuSony
Is your TV compatible with VRR?

How many PS5 games support VRR?

Confirmed by Sony themselves, a hefty batch of 15 games will be getting the variable refresh rate treatment in the first phase, with the intention of adding more as time goes on.

They said: “Previously released PS5 games can be fully optimized for VRR through a game patch and future games may include VRR support at launch.”

Here’s a complete list of the games that will be receiving a VRR update as of April 27, 2022:

  • 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

As more games are added, we’ll be sure to update this list.

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