VRR (variable refresh rate) has become incredibly important to gaming, and will only become more important as time goes on. It’s a feature that requires both your gaming hardware and displays to be capable of using it, but its importance is going to drive more and more gamers to want to take advantage of it. VRR basically changes the refresh rate of your display to match the incoming images to reduce dropped frames and tearing. That’s a basic explanation, but as more and more hardware releases that are VRR-capable, like the Nintendo Switch 2, gamers will want to take advantage. Here’s why you should be screaming for more VRR support.
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3 It smooths out inconsistent frame rates
Even if a game isn’t consistent, VRR can make it feel consistent
My least favorite thing about gaming is when something runs at an inconsistent frame rate. I can live with 30 FPS, but if it changes too much, it’s incredibly noticeable, and it’s all I can think about. That’s where VRR comes in, adjusting the refresh rate of my display to allow for those changes in FPS to be smoothed out. Older televisions are designed to work with 30, 60, and 24, as those are standards, but if a game operates at 40 FPS or even 120 FPS, the display can’t output at that rate. Also, if a game is 60 FPS but is constantly dropping into the mid-50s, a normal display can’t cover for those lost frames. VRR can fill in those missing frames, either by duplicating a frame that was already displayed or by creating a fill-in frame, smoothing out any changes in FPS. It provides a smoother gaming experience and helps mitigate any technical issues you may encounter.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2 Future-proof your setup
VRR appears to be becoming a standard
VRR is important to gaming, and you should want to integrate it into your setup, whether that’s getting a PC capable of taking advantage of it or by getting a display with VRR support. As games continue to improve graphically, it’s going to take more and more extra boosts to keep them running at smooth and consistent frame rates, so having VRR will become a must. All three major console makers support it in some fashion, and it seems like more and more AAA games support it on PC. Having a VRR-capable setup, especially when it comes to your display, can prepare you for the future of gaming, where VRR is likely to move from a nice-to-have feature to more of a requirement. You don’t necessarily need to run out and grab a display capable of 240 Hz, but having up to 120 Hz is going to become a necessity soon.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
1 Improves your response time
Lower input lag can improve your gaming
Having a high FPS isn’t going to make you go from being bad at a shooter to esports-ready, but having a higher frame rate does slightly improve response time. When at a lower FPS, the amount of time passing before you are given new information in the form of a new frame is higher. Additionally, if a game is running at an inconsistent frame rate on a non-VRR display, the display may compensate by providing delayed frames, resulting in a slightly lower response time. When playing a fast-paced shooter like Marvel Rivals, that slight delay can be the difference between a fight going your way or not, so having a VRR-capable display can make a huge difference. I prefer to play Marvel Rivals on a console, since I like using a controller, and it can run at 120 FPS, so long as you have a capable display. I do, so I’m getting a mild advantage over anyone playing at 60 FPS, and while that advantage is incredibly small, if you care about winning, it’s important.
Marvel Rivals
- Released
- December 6, 2024
VRR is great for gaming, across the board
VRR is ultimately great for gaming, pretty much across the board. It improves the FPS capabilities of most people’s hardware, and it can allow for modern AAA games to achieve a consistent frame rate, even if the game actually isn’t. It’s also led to 40 FPS modes for console versions of games, like Avowed and Monster Hunter Wilds, to thrive, offering a smoother experience than 30 FPS, while not totally sacrificing resolution like the 60 FPS mode. VRR is important, and any game or display not taking advantage of it is going to fall behind quite soon.
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3 reasons high refresh rate displays are becoming standard on laptops
Higher refresh rate screens are becoming the norm on laptops and for some very good reasons
