If you've been looking at some of the best 120hz TVs for gaming, or even some of the standout gaming monitors on the market today, you've likely come across VRR, or variable refresh rate.
But as with many specs, they sometimes present a few more questions than they answer and can be quite confusing at times to decipher.
If you're wondering what VRR is, and if you should care about it, read on - we're here to make things as simple as possible so you can pick your next display with confidence.
What Is VRR?
VRR is a technology that has one purpose really, and that's to prevent screen tearing when gaming.
You may have seen this effect before and it's basically when your display's refresh rate is out of sync with what your console or PC is outputting.
What does it look like? Well, sort of like one part of the display shows you one 'frame' ahead of the rest of the screen.
Ultimately, it's anything buy smooth and can really mess with your gaming experience.
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How Does VRR Work?
VRR works by matching the displays refresh rate to the output of the console or PC.
Since screen tearing is a result of being out of sync, Variable Refresh Rate works to get them in sync.
More in-sync makes for far smoother gameplay which is essential for those playing fast-paced, reflex-based titles.
click to enlargeDifferent Types Of VRR
There are a few different types of VRR, just to make things a little more confusing, but you've no doubt stumbled across them.
Currently, it's a bit of a two-horse race with Nvidia and AMD's offerings, and they all work to eliminate screen tearing and sync up displays with the respective console's or PC's output.
Here's a breakdown of what's on offer.
Nvidia G-Sync
G-Sync compatible: The entry-level option. You don't actually need an Nvidia card to use this.
G-Sync: This is used by most of the best 120hz TVs for gaming.
G-Sync Ultimate: Includes HDR support, ultra-low latency and improve colour
AMD FreeSync
AMD FreeSync: The entry-level option
AMD FreeSync Premium: Supported a fair few TVs and has LFC (low framerate compensation) that comes in handy when frames actually drop below the minimum level for the display. Also supports 120hz at 1080p.
AMD FreeSync Premium Pro: Includes HDR support and lower latency.
Do You Need VRR?
If you're massively into fast-paced games, then yes. Screen tearing is one of your worst enemies and can really throw you off track...in the case of racing games quite literally.
If you're big into playing on next-gen consoles on a TV you'll want to go for a set that has it too, just to ensure you're covered for any updates in the future.
We hope that cleared some things up for you and now you can get back to browsing some of the best gaming TVs and gaming monitors around!
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