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Techradar tests PS5 VRR

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member

Good
- VRR for PS5 games rolling out
- Toggle to activate VRR for PS5 games that dont technically support it, but it may still benefit the game
- You can play some games at uncapped frames and it'll still be smooth

Bad
- PS5 games only
- Horizon FW and GT7 not supported
- Doesn't apply to PS4 games, even it got a PS5 patch
- HDMI 2.1 support only. No AMD Freesync
- Only supports 48-120 hz, so if a game drops below 48 you get judder
- Drops chroma display to 4:2:2 when playing at 4k/120

Overall
- Not as good as hoped, and not as good as Series X
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
What is the difference between ps5 VRR and AMD VRR?
Perhaps the biggest issue with VRR, though, is the fact that Sony chose to use the HDMI 2.1 VRR standard and not AMD FreeSync. For most modern TVs, this won’t be a problem, but there are countless displays and monitors, in particular, that can’t benefit from this version of VRR, including those that only have an HDMI 2.0 port. This isn’t the case on Xbox Series X|S, which both support FreeSync for VRR and therefore work on a wide range of compatible displays as a result. Check out this list of compatible displays that work with VRR for PS5.
 

NeonGhost

uses 'M$' - What year is it? Not 2002.
Another One Drake GIF by DJ Khaled
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
So, wait, does this include those BC+ patches that don't go all the way to be new-gen apps but still have unlocked frame rate etc options ?

That's .. pretty half assed.
Affirmative.

Sadly, unlike on Xbox consoles, PS5’s VRR support also doesn’t apply to PS4 games, so you won’t see a performance benefit when playing backward compatible titles – even those that got a 60fps patch for PS5 like God of War.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
It's pretty good. Used to all this on PC depending on how much you want to push at once. Try coupling that with a 1st gen hdmi 2.1 receiver.
 
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Shmunter

Member
Why would it work on Horizon? Framerate is almost locked.

VRR is needed when games are having performance issues or when devs decide to use it to unlock the framerate like Insmoniac is doing.
Technically it should just be locked in the VRR container then. No benefit, but a curiosity. Strongly smells of PS4 cross gen through and through.
 
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SLB1904

Banned
Horizon needs a 40fps 120hz mode with VRR enabled to have a fidelity mode with an unlocked framerate.

But saying that VRR is bad because it’s not supported on Horizon is just pure ignorance.
40fps 120hz should be standard for people that have vrr display.
 

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
No freesync? So they half assed the VRR implementation.
Again my knowledge of business decision* rings true, once again. Due to Sony customizing the GPU themselves and building their own drivers (embedded to SDK), they do not have access to it in a same way like MS does which just use AMD as a contractor (and yes they too customize it from ordinary GPU). RDNA 2 vs RDNA 2 based, etc.

*it's clear from legal page of documentation when you have dev access and I've read it because of concern trolls here on GAF.

Also it does not mean that they can't support FreeSync, they would just have to build it into drivers, simple, it's open standard basically. So no PS5 HDMI 2.1 gate.
 

SLB1904

Banned
Warzone 120fps mode , wolfenstein with max resolution and unlocked frame rate. Happy?
Eh? I thought we were talking about 60fps lol my bad. Isn't cod like one of the games that supports the vrr on ps5 is that only for the main game?
 

proandrad

Member
Why would it work on Horizon? Framerate is almost locked.

VRR is needed when games are having performance issues or when devs decide to use it to unlock the framerate like Insmoniac is doing.

Because it would make the poor image quality of performance mode more understandable if the game was running at 100 fps.
 

NeonGhost

uses 'M$' - What year is it? Not 2002.
Eh? I thought we were talking about 60fps lol my bad. Isn't cod like one of the games that supports the vrr on ps5 is that only for the main game?
Main game and wolfenstein is only 60fps but when you select 4k and unlocked frame rate it’s not solid
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.

Good
- VRR for PS5 games rolling out
- Toggle to activate VRR for PS5 games that dont technically support it, but it may still benefit the game
- You can play some games at uncapped frames and it'll still be smooth

Bad
- PS5 games only
- Horizon FW and GT7 not supported
- Doesn't apply to PS4 games, even it got a PS5 patch
- HDMI 2.1 support only. No AMD Freesync
- Only supports 48-120 hz, so if a game drops below 48 you get judder
- Drops chroma display to 4:2:2 when playing at 4k/120

Overall

- Not as good as hoped, and not as good as Series X
PS5 has always been at 422. That's why the bandwidth is 32GBps. It makes little sense, as it's hard for me to imagine a display that can properly handle 32 GBps (422), but not handle 40 GBps (444).

I don't love it, as I'd prefer to have full RGB at 10-bit, but it is what it is.
 
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Justin9mm

Member
All I know is my (half baked) HDMI 2.1 receiver is still yet to receive VRR firmware update. I have both my Series X and PS5 connected to it with 4K/120 active but I have an 85 inch that is a bitch to get on and off the wall and only 1 HDMI 2.1 cable from the eARC on the TV through the conduit behind the wall running to my receiver so I can't just easily straight plug the consoles to my TV just to get VRR without a lot of fucking effort. I really hope it comes soon, otherwise I'll be getting a refund and going with another branded receiver that has VRR out of the box.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Not the best implementation but better than nothing. Hopefully in time Sony can add freesync support, improve vrr range and add 1440p support then we are all good.
 

s-bojan

Banned
Aren't both of those games pretty much a locked 60 with no screen tearing anyway.

VRR is a band-aid for unoptimized/under-performing games. Horizon and GT7 are not in the category. A game not needing to utilize VRR is always the best scenario.
GT7 is not locked 60. There are some races (high speed ring gr.4 for example) where framerate is awful (would not be surprised if it goes below 48).
 

onesvenus

Member
Why would it work on Horizon? Framerate is almost locked.

VRR is needed when games are having performance issues or when devs decide to use it to unlock the framerate like Insmoniac is doing.

PS4 games with unlocked framerate are basically locked 60 on PS5. No need for VRR.
See that "almost" in the first post I quoted and that "basically locked" in the second one? I bolded them for you in case you don't see them.

Those are the reasons why those games need VRR. Even if 99% of the framerate is locked, that 1% gets unnoticeable with VRR.

I don't really know how anyone could be against this.
 

ANIMAL1975

Member
Last gen, MS did everything wrong. This gen, Sony is dropping the ball left and right smh.
Lol no.
Every single generation Sony has been late to the party when it comes to software features. Every single Gen we complain about something basic missing _ and then they deliver the games and we forget it until it comes out lol.

See that "almost" in the first post I quoted and that "basically locked" in the second one? I bolded them for you in case you don't see them.

Those are the reasons why those games need VRR. Even if 99% of the framerate is locked, that 1% gets unnoticeable with VRR.

I don't really know how anyone could be against this.
I'm not understanding one thing, isn't system VRR the only thing needed to mitigate those drops? And isn't VRR support in games about uncapping the framerates so that they can go higher, so totally different things?
I honestly don't recall a single DF review saying that in Xbox there is that kind of VRR support in the games (they have capped framerates like ps5), just the system implementation kicking in when needed to resolve stutter and drops. I'm confused.
 
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MonarchJT

Banned
this does not bode well for the other implementations redone directly by Sony (VRS, mesh shader etc etc just as I've been trying to say for months and months) the similarity between "Sony will have their own version of it" it does not mean that the results and performances are the same. This obviously means their version might as well to be superior, but seen BC and this i obviously I have strong, very strong doubts just like the VRR proves. We will see
 
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Shmunter

Member
this does not bode well for the other implementations redone directly by Sony (VRS, mesh shader etc etc just as I've been trying to say for months and months) the similarity between "Sony will have their own version of it" it does not mean that the results and performances are the same. This obviously means their version might as well to be superior, but seen BC and this i obviously I have strong, very strong doubts just like the VRR proves. We will see
I reckon Series S will push PS5 soon enough. You didn't hear it from me.
 

Shmunter

Member
i didn't say this....but the result of vrr perfomance and bc prove my point being right
VRR is not a performance part, it's the standard Sony chose to go with in their o/s - being strict HDMI forum. Nothing more, nothing less. Woulda a more flexible choice been better, no doubt - choice is always best. But to relate these things to the hardware components is incorrect.

What's wrong with BC on PS5? Everything runs like hot butter.
 
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