Scorpio will support Freesync and next gen HDMI to ensure no screen-tearing

I'm not really sure what FreeSync is but no screen tearing sounds like a real boon to gamers.

Shame no TV actually support it yet though i guess.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-project-scorpio-supports-freesync-and-hdmi-vrr

Sounds like a win win for gamers to me.

Thank you Microsoft.

Microsoft delivering the PC experience, cool.

Freesync/Gsync are the god-level gaming upgrade, if you believe GAF. And you should, because it's awesome.

I have a 1440p144hz g-sync monitor and that 144hz + g-sync made all of the difference. Felt like a real upgrade over my last setup even though it was at the same resolution.

Variable framerates are the future. Everything should support them. RIP screen tearing and decreased input latency.

This is great, so much cool news about Scorpio. Might buy it at launch now...

Do you have to have a new tv to support this?

My 1440p monitor is FreeSync. It deserves to be said, this is an incredibly nice feature for gaming PCs.

Probably, which do not exist.

Scorpio purchasers will have to buy a monitor.

Looking online you need a tv/monitor that has freesync. However the next gen hdmi 2.1 might be a solution for people without freesync capable tv/monitor. Scorpio will handle it apparently, just need to have the updated hdmi cable?

Edit, was wrong about hdmi 2.1 and just needing a cable. Will need tv/monitor that supports it so that it can sync with the console. Looks like Freesync is the option availabe now as hdmi 2.1 isnt at the ready yet and who knows when tvs will start adopting hdmi 2.1.

Hell yeah that is awesome.

Personally I think adaptive sync is one of the best gaming upgrades you can go for. Now we just need TVs to support it.

Which monitor? I'm running dual S2716DG Dell monitors

Nice feature, maybe newer TV sets will start supporting this?

It's a great concept, but we're a *very* long ways off from homes having living room displays that will support it.

Acer Predator XB271HU

Well, a TV doesnt have to support Freesync. Those are at least a year off. But HDMI 2.1 supports VRR, so TVs coming out soon with the 2.1 spec will have variable refresh rates, which Scorpio supports.

HDMI 2.1 tvs are closer than Freesync tvs of course.

I doubt freesync will even be a thing in TVs when VRR can be used.

Still nice to support it, all future consoles should support the various 'sync' options.

We'll see how 2.1 implementation goes. I know I recently purchased two new 4KTVs, so I won't be in the ballpark for a new TV for many years.

See this is why Richard is awesome. No idea what made FreeSync so important. Scorpio is future proofed in this sense so good job MS!

Same here, sucks i cant use it.

Hopefully they implement a software or driver solution like Nvidia Fastsync.

So glad o got the slim and not the pro lol. Kitting a tv with the pro only to find out it would be crap for scorpio would have pissed me off lol

The only xbox game I ever noticed tearing in was the original Titanfall.

Excellent news indeed.

Wait, why do we need this if frame rates are gonna be a locked 60?

On PC with 120-144hz monitors, it makes sense. But on a home console? Variable framerates and dynamic resolution here we come!

Locked framerates causes loss of frames and also increase input lag.

Well im guessing by your post that you dont understand how it works so ill try to explain.

Variable framerates, in this context, means the rate in which the gpu completes a frame.

With the best engines and in a perfect world, it spits out frames at regular intervals, in sync with the refresh rate of your monitor or TV.

IF, for any reason, your frame rate goes under or over that refresh rate, you get screen tearing because you are essentially displaying incomplete frames.

Vsync On basically locks the GPU and makes it spit out a frame whenever the monitor is ready, which can cause stutter as the GPU has to wait for the monitor if you drop below the refresh rate, and dramatically increases input lag

Freesync (and VRR) allows the monitor to adjust the refresh rate depending on what the GPU is spitting out, eliminating tearing and stuttering.

You will always have frame rate drops in games, and as such tearing and stuttering have alawys been an issue.

This is the first time this technology has been available on a console.

Will be great for esports and developers, and help provide a smoother experience to the gamer.

MS is future proofing the console essentially, but this is a huge deal when it comes to IQ

Vsync on = stuttering, input lag

Vsync off = screen tearing

Adaptive Vsync = screen tearing if frame rate drops below monitor refresh rate

Freesync = adjusts the monitors refresh rate depending on the game's frame rate

VRR (variable refresh rate) = Technology in HDMI 2.1 that does the same as freesync/gsync, without the need for special monitor. Also brings tech to TVs

Another reason why Scorpio smashes PS4 "Pro".

im really hoping we will see TVs with freesync support soon. my current TV is quite old and a little frail (it randomly drops the connection to HDMI devices once a day) and i fear the day is coming when it will display no more. but it will be used mostly for gaming and freesync is certainly one of those things i would like to see in a new telly.

its good that scorpio supports it. i wonder if there is a reason the PS4 does not? its been supported in AMD GPUs for quite a while as i understand it. anywho hopefully itll give manufacturers a bit of a kick.

The Scorpio just keeps on sounding better and better....this MS fanboy is still waiting for E3 though.

Well HDMI 2.1 supports variable refresh rates, and those will be out well before Freesync/Gsync supported TVs.

Pro doesnt support it because its essentially base PS4 with double the GPU.

Xbox One/base PS4 dont support it because the GPUs werent developed to include it, its not something you can patch in.

Seems like a move to future proof the console. I really do not see this penetrating living rooms in any impactful way in the next couple of years, but it doesn't hurt.

This leads me to believe that Microsoft intends on the Scorpio being around for at least a little while. It's interesting because what we have seen from consoles as of late, it that they have become outdated in a quicker manner than past iterations. The midgen refresh almost became a necessity due to the lackluster hardware that Xbox and PlayStation released in late 2013. Developers quickly outpaced the hardware and compromises have been made.

This also speaks to the timing of 4k starting to hit homes and the console manufacturers having to have a response. I am not sure that this was really necessary for the midgen refresh.

Its down to the TV/Monitor to support free sync so how can they claim its a scorpio thing...

because if you have a display unit that supports freesync, you need a device that also supports it.

They arent claiming that Scorpio invented it, this is an AMD GPU feature.

Its just another option, another way to be developer/gamer/esports friendly.

Its about future proofing the console as it also supports VRR (variable refresh rates), which will be on 4K tvs being released this year/early next.

@Pedro: @navyguy21:

Thanks for the input guys. I know how freesync and g-sync work. I was more or less taking a jab and introducing speculation. If a game is locked at 60, which happens to be a supported refresh rate on all of our television, there will be no screen tearing, judder and there will be low latency. For a video game console to introduce this technology means 1 of 2 things. Framerates that are above 60 and unlocked, or framerates between 30-60 will be used more in the future.

Most PC monitors that offer really high refresh rates use this tech because it's totally necessary. Running a game at 60 on a TV however, it seems silly to use this tech. But as an enthusiast, it's pretty cool that Microsoft is thinking this far ahead. It's nice to see a console pushing standards more into the mainstream. Because one could argue that without the Scorpio, and to a far less extent PS4 Pro, there is little to no reason to own a 4K HDR TV at the moment.

@navyguy21: ah that explains it. i was looking into it a bit as i was scratching my head. AMD GPUs have supported it for a while (since 2013) but it looks like it only worked over display port (1.2a i think). freesync is only being implemented in HDMI 2.1 and the PS4 only uses HDMI 2.

Well, im not sure how often your scenario happens.

Very rarely is a console game locked at 60fps (or 30fps for that matter) in the first place, so already we are talking about a very small percentage of games.

You would have to have the game refresh at exactly the same time as the monitor.

To add to that, what about frame pacing? Running at a locked 30 or 60 means you are running with vsync of some kind, which could throw off frame pacing.

You can bet that since the console has Freesync/VRR that there will be an option to turn vsync off, and THAT is where it comes into play.

I dont know of any console game that runs at a constant frame rate with no dips........with perfect frame pacing..........with vsync on.

That extreme example would take crazy amounts of development time to cater to such a small detail that it would be worth it.

@Wasdie:

Too late for me it seems, already acquired the KS8000 so if they cannot add this via firmware, then I might have to pass on this. No biggie...."The line must be drawn here!" Looks amazing as is, cannot wait to hook it up to the Scorpio

MS taking care of me I see, thanks MS!

I am almost getting tired of winning in 2017 and Scorpio has not even launched yet.

Can't wait to upgrade my TV when Scorpio launches.

This is pretty huge and something I was pushing for when HDMI 2.1 was first announced. I am glad that MS realized the importance of this. Scorpio is actually shaping up to be a very respectable console in terms of specs and features. It will be harder to call someone a peasant if they own a Scorpio. However, if it can't do 1080p/60fps on all games, it will still be a peasant box. hehe :)

@kvally: Just good all around for gamers, devs, the middle east even. Thank you MS, and God bless the United States

My 49 Inch FreeSync 4K monitor is ready

Guess I'll wait even longer until I update my TV.

Dang it!!

Now I'll have to wait for those New TV's that support HDMI 2.1 to release before buying a New 4K TV.

Thanks MS for thinking ahead with the Scorpio by supporting HDMI 2.1 and UHD Blu Ray.

MS starting to give me them OG Xbox/early 360 vibes.

Now all that's left is for MS to bring back some of those Great ip they have in the store house just rotting away.....

Some of us already own 4k gaming monitors.

I do plan on also getting a 4k TV for the HDR.. great time to be a gamer, thanks MS.

PS4 has HDMI 1.4 with HDR enabled

PS4 Pro has HDMI 2.0 which within the same era as Xbox One S, Polaris 10, 11 and 20** generation.

**New stepping Polaris 10.

Scorpio's HDMI 2.1 VVR support is part of year 2017 era generation. Scorpio's supports both HDMI 2.1 VVR and Freesync 2.

Scorpio's HDMI 2.1 VVR support just caused "Osborn effect" on 4K HDTVs with just HDMI 2.0 support.

Here's the video from the link.

Says the person that doesn't want anything Xbox One, according to his sig