VRR – BIG

Sony has released a new firmware update for the PlayStation 5.

‘Update 22.01-05.02’ is now available to install and provides minor system updates and improvements. Though, unfortunately, long-awaited variable refresh rate (VRR) support for PlayStation 5 is still unavailable.

Taking a look at the patch notes, Sony states right off the top that firmware update 22.01-05.02 “improves system performance.” If you were waiting with bated breath for anything more, you’ll unfortunately, be disappointed.

Update 22.01-05.02 is sadly far less substantial than the previous firmware update. Sony previously overhauled a surprising number of aspects of the PlayStation 5. Trophy cards are now easier to read and look better visually. Voice chats are now referred to as parties and players can set open and closed parties. The PlayStation 5 even includes several new accessibility options. The screen reader now supports six additional languages like Dutch, Polish, and Korean.

The current elephant in the room is VRR support on PlayStation 5. Many players anticipate Sony to add it soon. The company even confirmed that it’s due to arrive shortly. Though, as far as when that will be is anyone’s guess at this point.

VRR support feature many players are calling for on PlayStation 5. It allows for a smoother gameplay experience when playing on an HDMI 2.1-compatible TV or monitor. It can theoretically help negate screen tearing as well as provide better frame rates. Depending on how developers utilize it, VRR can also reduce input lag and improve graphics. As more players adopt HDMI 2.1 displays, support for the feature is increasingly important.

With April now off the table, we’ll have to wait and see if Sony plans to support VRR in May or later on in the summer months. With Sony games like Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 now available, VRR would provide a reason to go back to some of this year’s breakout hits.

Source: Sony Via: Gamespot

With Steam support on the horizon (but still vaguely distant), now seems like a great time for Chrome OS to get variable refresh rate (VRR) support.

First spotted by About Chromebooks, Chrome OS 101 is now hitting the Dev Channel with VRR support. The functionality isn’t enabled by default — instead, it appears to be hidden behind a flag (on of Chrome’s semi-hidden settings available by typing ‘chrome://flags’ in the URL bar).

The feature boasts the following description:

“Enable Variable Refresh Rate

Enable the variable refresh rate (Adaptive Sync) setting for capable displays”

9to5Google suggests the feature might only work with external displays rather than Chromeboooks’ built-in screens. Still, if the support is there, it opens the door for Chromebooks with built-in VRR-capable displays down the road.

For those not familiar with VRR, it allows displays to adapt the refresh rate (the number of times the screen refreshes each second) to match the frames per second (fps) of content. VRR is particularly useful for games, where the framerate can vary depending on what’s happening.

For example, a pre-rendered cutscene might run at 30fps, while a walking section of the game could run at 70fps. When a more intense encounter happens — say, an explosion — the framerate could drop suddenly. VRR enables the display to match, reducing screen tear and making things feel smooth.

Typically, displays run at a set refresh rate (most run at 60Hz, or 60 refreshes per second). If content doesn’t sync with that, you can see tears (where the screen refreshes mid-frame, splitting the image) or other artifacts.

9to5 also points out the VRR will be a bigger deal when Chromebook hardware catches up. Most Chromebooks use integrated GPUs that aren’t as powerful as, say, discrete AMD or Nvidia GPUs popular among PC gamers. VRR could still be helpful, but may not be as significant a factor on lower-end hardware.

Either way, it’s good to see the feature make its way to Chromebooks as Google prepares to push the platform into gaming.

Source: About Chromebooks Via: 9to5Google