Variable Refresh Rate, or VRR, is one of the more quietly useful features Sony added to the PS5 via a firmware update in 2022. Most players either don't know it's there or have turned it on without fully understanding what it does. Getting it right matters, because VRR genuinely improves how games feel on a compatible display, and enabling it on an incompatible one can cause the opposite problem.
What VRR actually does
A TV without VRR refreshes its panel at a fixed rate, typically 60Hz. The PS5 outputs frames at whatever speed the game can manage. When those two numbers fall out of sync, you get screen tearing (two frames shown at once, split across the display) or stuttering (the TV waits for the next frame, causing micro-pauses). Neither looks good.
VRR fixes this by letting the TV's refresh rate follow the PS5's output dynamically. If a game drops to 45 frames per second during a heavy scene, the display drops to 45Hz to match. The result is a tear-free image that feels smoother even when frame rates aren't hitting the 60 or 120fps target. It's most noticeable in games that run an unlocked frame rate rather than locking to a cap.
Sony's implementation uses the HDMI 2.1 VRR specification, not AMD's FreeSync or Nvidia's G-Sync. Those are PC-monitor standards. Your TV needs to explicitly support HDMI 2.1 VRR for PS5 VRR to work correctly.
Does your TV actually support it?
This is where it gets complicated. HDMI 2.1 is a cable and port standard, but VRR is an optional feature within it. A TV can have HDMI 2.1 ports and still not support VRR. Worse, some manufacturers rolled out VRR support via firmware updates to earlier panels, while others have never added it at all.
The short checklist is:
- The TV must have at least one HDMI 2.1 port (not just an HDMI 2.0 port labelled "enhanced").
- That port must support VRR specifically, not just 4K/120Hz.
- VRR must be enabled in the TV's settings, usually under a "game mode" or "HDMI settings" menu.
- The PS5 must be connected to that specific port, not a different one on the same TV.
Sony, LG, Samsung, and Sony Bravia TVs from 2021 onwards are the most reliable options. LG's OLED panels from 2021 and later support HDMI 2.1 VRR well and were among the first to enable it. Samsung's QLED and Neo QLED lines from 2021 onward also support it, though Samsung's implementation requires the "Input Signal Plus" or "HDMI UHD Colour" setting to be enabled on the relevant port. Sony Bravia XR TVs from 2021 onward support VRR natively, and some received the feature via firmware update.
Cheaper or older TVs, even ones sold in Australia as "4K gaming TVs," frequently lack true HDMI 2.1 VRR support. If the TV shipped before 2021, it almost certainly doesn't have it unless specifically advertised otherwise.
How to enable VRR on PS5
Once the TV side is sorted, enabling VRR on the PS5 itself takes about 30 seconds. Go to Settings, then Screen and Video, then Video Output, and toggle VRR to Automatic. The Automatic setting applies VRR only when a game supports it. There's also an "Always On" option that applies VRR even to games without explicit support, which can smooth out some titles but occasionally causes flickering on certain panels.
The PS5 will display a warning if it detects your TV doesn't support VRR. That warning doesn't prevent you from enabling the setting, but running VRR on an incompatible display won't do anything useful. Some players report a slight brightness or colour shift when enabling VRR on panels that partially support the signal, which is worth watching for.
Which PS5 games benefit most
VRR helps most in games running at an unlocked or variable frame rate. Titles targeting 60fps but dropping to 50fps in busy areas benefit noticeably. Games locked to 30fps see no benefit, because the frame rate never varies. Games targeting 120fps with a stable output see minimal benefit, because tearing rarely occurs when the output is already consistent and high.
Several major PS5 releases have VRR-optimised patches that specifically unlock the frame rate to take advantage of the feature. Insomniac's titles have been particularly well supported in this regard. Some games also allow players to choose between a "quality" 30fps mode and a "performance" 60fps mode. With VRR, the performance mode becomes an unlocked mode, which on a good panel often feels smoother than either locked option.
For players who have already spent time fine-tuning their display options, it's worth revisiting the PS5 HDR settings alongside VRR configuration. The two features interact: enabling both on a compatible panel produces the best picture, but each requires its own calibration step to avoid one undermining the other.
Common problems and how to fix them
The most common issue is flickering after VRR is enabled. This usually means the TV's VRR implementation has an incompatibility with the PS5's signal, or the "Always On" mode is running on a game that doesn't need it. Switch to Automatic mode first and see if the problem disappears.
Black screen on switching to VRR is almost always a cable issue. HDMI 2.1 VRR requires a cable rated for 48Gbps bandwidth. The cable that shipped with the PS5 meets this standard, but many third-party HDMI cables don't. Swap to a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable if the problem persists.
Some OLED TVs, particularly older LG models, show a dim "VRR" badge on screen when the feature activates. This is a notification, not a fault. It can be turned off in the TV's menu under notifications or display settings.
If you're managing a multi-console or shared media setup, VRR settings on the TV are sometimes reset by other connected devices. The PS5's network settings and HDMI device link options occasionally interact with display mode switching in ways that disable VRR on the relevant port. Turning off HDMI device link on both the PS5 and the TV prevents this.
Is it worth upgrading a TV for VRR?
If the current TV has no VRR support and otherwise performs well, upgrading solely for VRR is hard to justify. The improvement is real but not transformative. It eliminates a problem (tearing) that not every player finds distracting, and it smooths out frame rate variance that some players never consciously notice.
Where VRR earns its keep is in fast-paced competitive games where tearing breaks visual clarity at critical moments, or in technically ambitious open-world games that push frame rates around unpredictably. For those use cases on a compatible TV, VRR is one of the better low-effort improvements the PS5 offers.
For anyone currently TV shopping with the PS5 in mind, look for confirmed HDMI 2.1 VRR support in the TV's official specification sheet, not just in marketing copy. The specification sheet is the only reliable source.