Overview of VRR Issues on PS5 and PS5 Pro
- Both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro are experiencing a concerning issue where stuttering occurs in games at consistent eight-second intervals when Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) is activated.
- Users of the PS5 and PS5 Pro have reported this VRR stutter problem for several months, and recent assessments have confirmed its presence in well-known titles like *Elden Ring*, *Resident Evil 4*, and *The Last of Us* series.
- As of now, Sony has not officially acknowledged this stuttering issue, prompting affected users to turn off VRR while awaiting a potential resolution.
This peculiar behavior arises from the consoles’ VRR functionality, causing frustration among players who invested in high-quality displays for improved gameplay experiences. VRR serves to align the framerate of a game with the refresh rate of the display, significantly reducing issues like screen tearing and maintaining smoother frame transitions. Initially introduced in April 2022, VRR support generated excitement among gamers. However, since the PS5 Pro’s release in late 2022, numerous players have reported a recurring stutter effect that manifests every eight seconds when VRR is enabled.
This issue negatively impacts a variety of popular titles, including *Elden Ring*, *Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2*, *Metaphor: ReFantazio*, *Resident Evil 4*, *Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart*, and both *The Last of Us Part I* and *Part II*. The stutter appears with alarming regularity, making it exceedingly difficult for players to overlook once it has been identified.
Consistent Stuttering Encountered by PS5 and PS5 Pro Users with VRR Enabled
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Despite these issues, some games such as *Dragon’s Dogma 2*, *Immortals of Aveum*, *God of War Ragnarök*, and *Gran Turismo 7* did not exhibit the stutter during testing performed by Digital Foundry. This suggests that the VRR stuttering problem might be specifically linked to certain games rather than a widespread hardware malfunction. Given that both the original PS5 and PS5 Pro experience the same stuttering, this points to a likely software glitch rather than a fault in the hardware itself. Despite numerous complaints from users, Sony has not yet provided any formal acknowledgment or updates regarding a potential fix. Consequently, the temporary workaround for affected users is to disable VRR through the system settings—a solution that could lead to less stable gameplay overall.
Players remain hopeful that Sony is aware of the VRR-related stuttering on both the PS5 and PS5 Pro, and that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. With popular titles like *Elden Ring* and *Resident Evil 4* among those affected, the scale of frustrated users may be significant. Fortunately, Sony has demonstrated responsiveness to player feedback in the past, as seen when they redesigned the PS5 Pro’s heatsink to mitigate concerns regarding liquid metal leaks—an issue that previously affected the original PS5.