The PS5 now features variable refresh rate, includes DIRT 5 support

PlayStation 5 users can now experience the benefits of variable refresh rates (VRR) in their games Sony has revealed. The 15-strong list of VRR-compatible PS5 games currently includes off-road racer Dirt 5, with more titles to follow.

VRR is a process some TVs and monitors employ to match their refresh rate to the output signal of the console/PC. This reduces screen tearing and creates a much smoother gaming experience overall.

VRR comes into its own while playing resource-intensive games prone to suffer from frequent frame rate drops. It can even help reduce input lag – ideal when you’re blasting through a dark, snowy Norwegian rallycross race in DIRT 5.

Hideaki Nishino, Sony’s Senior Vice President of Platform Experience commented: “On HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TVs and PC monitors, VRR dynamically syncs the refresh rate of the display to the PS5 console’s graphical output. This enhances visual performance for PS5 games by minimizing or eliminating visual artefacts, 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. Previously released PS5 games can be fully optimized for VRR through a game patch and future games may include VRR support at launch.”

If you have an HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible monitor or TV then expect to see patches for eligible games shortly, along with a PS5 hardware update beforehand. The feature will be activated by default but can be turned off under the ‘Screen and Video’ system settings menu.

While Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles have featured VRR since their launch on 10th November 2020, the feature has been prevalent in PC gaming for some time. Both the big two graphics chip suppliers have their own proprietary VRR technologies; AMD has FreeSync and Nvidia employs G-Sync.

In other related DIRT 5 news, many of its development team are set to work on the new Need for Speed game for EA, thanks to the US gaming giants’ acquisition of Codemasters last year.

VRR-compatible PS5 titles

• 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