Disable VRR on Xbox

[clembej95]

Since update 2.3.0 VRR has been enabled on Xbox Series and PlayStation platforms but except that on Xbox VRR is absent.
On the basic PS5, performance rarely drops below 60 and goes above 60...we have more of a feeling of fluidity than on Xbox where performance drops to around 50 in the worst case.
This means that the basic PS5 version is better optimized than the Xbox version which is currently unstable.
Why? I don't know, the support is turning a deaf ear to the problem in question.

 

[SigilFey]

VRR should be a system setting, not a game setting. If you go into your Xbox settings under Settings > General > TV & display options > Advanced > Video modes > Variable refresh rate.

From there, I'd select "Gaming only", but you can try "Always on" and see if that registers with the game.

 

[clembej95]

VRR should be a system setting, not a game setting. If you go into your Xbox settings under Settings > General > TV & display options > Advanced > Video modes > Variable refresh rate.

From there, I'd select "Gaming only", but you can try "Always on" and see if that registers with the game.

I tried with and without, there is no change, it's as if the VRR does not exist for the games. Why is there a huge difference with the basic PS5?

 

[MiK190486]

VRR is present on xbox, but fps is locked on 60. VRR on xbox operates on system level.

 

[SigilFey]

I tried with and without, there is no change, it's as if the VRR does not exist for the games. Why is there a huge difference with the basic PS5?

VRR is present on xbox, but fps is locked on 60. VRR on xbox operates on system level.

The two systems are two completely different hardware suites, with different operating environments. I don't own either, so I can't speak for exactly what the performance difference is. Plus, it's not something that will affect frame rate.

VRR is called "Variable Refresh Rate" because that's exactly what it is. Rather than locking refresh at 120, 60, or 30, it will dynamically shift based upon the GPU's draw rate of any given scene. (It can shift multiple times in a matter of seconds.) Frame rate is governed by the rendering rate vs. the draw rate in the GPU. Refresh rate is how quickly the monitor or TV can draw a full frame from top to bottom of the screen. When FPS is high but refresh rate is low, I may wind up with "ghosting" images. When FPS is low, but refresh rate is high, I may wind up with duplicate frames, creating a sense of stutter. Ideally, I want the draw rate (FPS) and the refresh rate to be in sync. That means that even FPS in the lower 20s will still "feel smooth".

From the sound of it, it seems more like you're seeing lower performance (render and draw rates) on the Xbox than you are on the PS5. I'm not sure the difference has anything to do with VRR.

 

[MiK190486]

 

[SigilFey]

Yeah, that's what I was saying about different operating environments. It appears the Xbox is capping the FPS (which is smart, if you're looking for steady FPS). PS5 does not have such a limitation, which means that for games that can maintain a higher FPS on the given hardware, it will allow it. This can, however, introduce a lot of fluctuation in other games, which may appear choppy. All depends on the game in question and how well the operating environment of a given console will handle it.

It's also limited by the native refresh rate of a monitor/TV. If the screen has a max refresh rate of 60Hz, then it will only ever be able to draw 60 complete frames. It wouldn't matter if VRR is enabled or not, because the screen's refresh rate can only go down, not up. For a 120Hz screen, it can increase to a maximum of 120 FPS.

So, it looks like something on the Xbox is refusing to allow the game to increase beyond 60 FPS, and therefore will not produce a higher refresh rate than 60 or possibly 120 with duplicate frames. The frame cap has nothing to do with refresh rate, directly. VRR may be causing inadvertent drops in FPS because it's lowering the refresh rate in certain scenes under the new system. This may be something that Microsoft itself needs to address. As these new "tricks" are developed for graphics rendering and draw rates, there will inevitably be hiccups and bugs.

My recommendation for now is to try both VRR on and VRR off, and use whichever one seems to be better overall. As time passes and the kinks are ironed out, it will probably begin working better.

 

[MiK190486]

It wouldn't matter if VRR is enabled or not

In 60Hz mode, VRR is also highly desirable. When frames drop below 60 FPS, VRR will adjust the refresh rate of display, smoothing the image. It can operate in the 48-60Hz range. Of course, the display must be VRR-compatible.

 

[SigilFey]

In 60Hz mode, VRR is also highly desirable. When frames drop below 60 FPS, VRR will adjust the refresh rate of display, smoothing the image. It can operate in the 48-60Hz range. Of course, the display must be VRR-compatible.

Yes, precisely. When too many duplicate frames are created, the image can appear to stutter and chop. Whereas a true 30 FPS is actually very smooth. The trouble people are noting is that FPS over 60 does not appear possible on Xbox, at least at the moment.

Nothing that we can do about this for now, I think. Whether that's simply a manual limitation, something that's not cooperating with the game, or a necessary limitation due to RAM or VRAM limits, I have no idea. I tend to think it's artificially imposed to simply provide consistent FPS wherever possible -- which is exactly what creates smooth play.

I'd wait for something to be updated. For now, it seems like VRR off might work better for Xbox.

Alternatively, running in performance mode may allow for FPS up to 120, but that will likely cost a lot of detail.