PS5 VRR Stutter | Digital Foundry’s Investigation Reveals Concerning Pattern

Technology

The recent discovery of a consistent stutter in PS5 games using Variable Refresh Rate has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Here’s what you need to know about this technical issue affecting Sony’s flagship consoles.

Introduction: Understanding the VRR Stutter Issue

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology was introduced to console gaming as a significant advancement for visual fluidity. By synchronizing a display’s refresh rate with the console’s output framerate, VRR promises to eliminate screen tearing and reduce stuttering—creating a smoother gaming experience even when framerates fluctuate. However, a concerning technical issue has emerged specifically on PlayStation 5 hardware that threatens to undermine these benefits.

Recent reports from the gaming community pointed to a distinctive and repeating stutter occurring approximately every eight seconds while playing certain games with VRR enabled on PS5 consoles. These reports became prevalent enough to catch the attention of Digital Foundry, the industry’s most respected technical analysis team, who has now confirmed the existence of this issue following extensive testing.

This article examines Digital Foundry’s findings, explores the technical dimensions of this problem, and considers the implications for PlayStation gamers, particularly as Sony has just launched its premium PS5 Pro console—which appears to suffer from the same issue.

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PS5 VRR Stutter | Digital Foundry's Investigation Reveals Concerning Pattern
PS5 VRR Stutter | Digital Foundry’s Investigation Reveals Concerning Pattern

Digital Foundry’s Investigation

Digital Foundry, known for their methodical approach to technical analysis, embarked on a comprehensive investigation after numerous user reports highlighted a consistent stutter pattern in PS5 games with VRR enabled. Their investigation encompassed 19 different games, multiple display technologies, and comparative analysis with Xbox Series X|S versions where available.

The team utilized high-precision framerate analysis tools, including their proprietary frame-time measurement software that can detect even minor disruptions in rendering consistency. Their methodology included:

  • Testing each game for extended periods (some tests running over 20 minutes)
  • Using various high-end VRR-compatible displays including OLED, LCD, and Mini-LED panels
  • Comparing performance across standard PS5 and PS5 Pro hardware
  • Conducting A/B testing against Xbox Series X|S with identical games
  • Verifying findings across multiple test units to eliminate sample bias

Their conclusion was definitive: there exists a reproducible stutter that occurs approximately every eight seconds in numerous PS5 titles when VRR is enabled, regardless of the display technology used.

Technical Analysis: What’s Happening Every Eight Seconds?

The nature of the stutter presents as a brief but noticeable interruption in frame delivery. Digital Foundry’s frame-time analysis revealed that these interruptions manifest as momentary spikes in frame time, typically lasting for 1-2 frames. While this might seem minor on paper, in practice, these regular interruptions create a distinctive “heartbeat” of stutter that can significantly impact the perception of smoothness—precisely what VRR is designed to enhance.

The technical signature of the issue is particularly interesting. The stutter occurs with remarkable consistency at eight-second intervals, suggesting this is not a random occurrence but rather tied to a specific system-level process or timing mechanism. This rhythmic nature makes the issue more noticeable to players, as human perception is particularly sensitive to patterns of interruption versus random occasional stutters.

Frame-time analysis shows these stutters manifest as:

  • A consistent pattern of increased frame times at 8-second intervals
  • Stutters that typically register as 33-50ms interruptions (compared to the typical 16.7ms for a 60fps frame)
  • A brief but noticeable “freeze” followed by an acceleration as the system catches up

This behavior suggests a potential background process that momentarily demands system resources, interrupting the normal rendering pipeline.

PS5 VRR Stutter | Digital Foundry's Investigation Reveals Concerning Pattern
PS5 VRR Stutter | Digital Foundry’s Investigation Reveals Concerning Pattern

Affected Games and Test Methodology

Digital Foundry’s investigation covered a broad spectrum of PS5 titles, with particular attention to popular and technically demanding games. Among the 19 games tested, several prominent titles exhibited the eight-second stutter pattern, including:

  1. Elden Ring – FromSoftware’s open-world action RPG showed consistent stutters during both exploration and combat
  2. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered – Insomniac’s web-slinging adventure exhibited noticeable interruptions during high-speed traversal
  3. Horizon Forbidden West – Guerrilla Games’ open-world epic displayed the stutter pattern particularly during dense foliage sections
  4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Square Enix’s RPG showed periodic stutters during both cinematic sequences and exploration
  5. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Despite being designed to showcase PS5’s capabilities, this title also exhibited the issue
  6. Stellar Blade – Shift Up’s recent action title demonstrated the problem across various gameplay scenarios
  7. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Respawn’s action-adventure showed stutters that became more prominent during resource-intensive sections

For their methodology, Digital Foundry employed a multi-faceted approach:

  • Multiple testing sessions across different days to ensure consistency
  • Tests conducted with both default settings and optimized settings
  • Analysis during different gameplay scenarios (combat, exploration, cutscenes)
  • Extended play sessions, as some stutters only became apparent after 20+ minutes of gameplay
  • Testing with and without VRR enabled to confirm the feature’s relationship to the issue

An important observation was that the stutter would sometimes take considerable time to manifest—in some cases more than 20 minutes of continuous gameplay—which might explain why the issue wasn’t caught in quality assurance testing or short review sessions.

Games Without the Stutter

Interestingly, not all PS5 titles exhibit this problem. Digital Foundry identified several games that maintained flawless VRR performance without the eight-second stutter pattern:

  1. Gran Turismo 7 – Polyphony Digital’s racing simulator maintained consistent frame pacing throughout
  2. God of War Ragnarök – Santa Monica Studio’s action-adventure showed no signs of the periodic stutter
  3. Astro’s Playroom – The PS5 pack-in title ran flawlessly with VRR enabled
  4. Returnal – Housemarque’s roguelike shooter demonstrated stable frame delivery
  5. Death Stranding Director’s Cut – Kojima Productions’ enhanced version showed no evidence of the stutter pattern

The selective nature of the issue raises intriguing questions about what distinguishes these titles from affected games. Technical analysis suggests several possibilities:

  • Different implementation of the PS5’s graphics API
  • Variations in how these games handle memory management
  • Distinct approaches to resource allocation
  • Potential differences in how these games implement VRR at the engine level

The fact that some games escape the issue entirely suggests this is not an inherent hardware limitation but rather a specific technical interaction between the PS5 system software and certain game engines or implementation approaches.

Comparison with Xbox Series X|S

To determine whether this issue is PlayStation-specific or represents a broader problem with VRR implementation on consoles, Digital Foundry conducted comparative tests using Xbox Series X|S versions of the same games where available. Their findings were illuminating:

  • None of the tested Xbox titles exhibited the eight-second stutter pattern
  • Cross-platform titles that showed the stutter on PS5 ran smoothly on Xbox Series X with VRR enabled
  • The issue persisted on PS5 even when matching the same framerate caps and visual settings used on Xbox

This cross-platform comparison strongly suggests that the issue is specific to PlayStation’s implementation of VRR rather than being inherent to the games themselves or to VRR technology as a whole. Microsoft’s consoles have supported VRR since launch, while Sony added the feature to PS5 via a firmware update approximately a year after release, which may partially explain the differing implementations.

Technical analysis revealed that the Xbox Series X|S appears to handle background system processes differently, preventing them from interfering with frame delivery during VRR operation. This points to a fundamental difference in how the two platforms manage system resources while games are running.

The PS5 Pro Connection: Is the New Hardware Also Affected?

With Sony recently launching the PS5 Pro—marketed heavily on improved performance and visual fidelity—there was hope that the more powerful hardware might avoid this issue. Unfortunately, Digital Foundry’s testing revealed that the PS5 Pro suffers from the exact same eight-second stutter pattern in affected games, despite its enhanced GPU capabilities and additional memory bandwidth.

This finding suggests that the issue is deeply rooted in the PlayStation system software or firmware rather than being a limitation of the original PS5’s hardware capabilities. The PS5 Pro, despite offering up to 45% faster rendering for supported games and enhanced ray-tracing performance, inherits this VRR implementation flaw from its predecessor.

For prospective PS5 Pro buyers who were hoping the premium console would deliver a flawless VRR experience, this news is particularly disappointing, especially considering the device’s premium price point of $699.99/€699,99.

Technical Theories: Possible Causes

While Sony has not yet provided an official explanation for the VRR stutter issue, technical analysis points to several possible causes:

  1. System Polling or Telemetry: The consistent eight-second timing suggests a recurring system-level process, possibly related to performance monitoring, network checks, or system telemetry.
  2. Memory Management Cycles: The issue might be related to how the PS5 operating system handles memory allocation and garbage collection, with periodic memory cleanup processes interrupting the rendering pipeline.
  3. Thermal Management: Although less likely given the consistent timing, the stutters could potentially relate to thermal management systems that periodically adjust system performance.
  4. HDMI Protocol Implementation: The issue might stem from how the PS5 implements HDMI Forum VRR or HDMI 2.1 features, creating periodic synchronization hiccups.
  5. Background Dashboard Activities: System-level activities related to the PS5 dashboard, trophy tracking, or PSN connectivity might be periodically demanding resources.

The most compelling theory based on the evidence is that a background system process is running on a strict eight-second timer, momentarily redirecting resources away from the game rendering pipeline. This theory is strengthened by the consistent timing pattern and the fact that the issue persists across different games and even different hardware generations (PS5 and PS5 Pro).

User Impact Assessment

How noticeable and disruptive is this issue for average players? Digital Foundry’s analysis indicates that the impact varies based on several factors:

  • Game Type: The stutter is most noticeable in fast-paced games with continuous motion, particularly racing games and action titles with rapid camera movement.
  • Player Sensitivity: Individual sensitivity to frame timing irregularities varies; some players report finding the stutter immediately distracting, while others may not notice it without having it pointed out.
  • Display Technology: The issue appears more prominent on displays with faster response times, such as modern OLEDs, which paradoxically are often paired with high-end consoles for better image quality.
  • Gameplay Duration: Since the issue sometimes takes extended play sessions to manifest, players engaging in longer gaming sessions are more likely to notice the pattern.

Survey data from affected players suggests approximately 70% of respondents who use VRR with their PS5 have noticed the stutter after it was documented, though only about 40% had recognized the pattern before it was widely reported. This suggests the issue, while real and measurable, falls into a perceptual grey area for many users.

Sony’s Response

As of this writing, Sony has not issued an official statement acknowledging the VRR stutter issue. Digital Foundry reports having contacted PlayStation’s technical team with their findings, but no public response has been forthcoming.

The silence is particularly notable given the recent launch of the PS5 Pro, which was marketed heavily on its enhanced performance capabilities. Industry analysts suggest several possible reasons for the lack of communication:

  • The issue may be more complex to resolve than it appears
  • It might require fundamental changes to the PS5’s system software architecture
  • The problem might affect a relatively small percentage of the overall user base
  • Sony could be prioritizing other technical issues ahead of this one

Historical precedent suggests Sony typically addresses technical issues through firmware updates rather than public statements, so affected users should watch for upcoming system software updates that might quietly address the issue.

Mitigation Strategies for Players

For players experiencing the VRR stutter issue, several potential workarounds exist, though none are ideal:

  1. Disable VRR: The most straightforward solution is to disable VRR in the PS5 system settings, though this sacrifices the technology’s benefits for frame smoothing.
  2. Use 120Hz Mode Where Available: Some games show reduced symptoms when running in 120Hz output mode, possibly due to the shorter frame times making stutters less perceptible.
  3. Enable “Game Mode Plus” Features: Some modern TVs have enhanced game modes that can partially compensate for minor frame timing issues, though they don’t eliminate the underlying problem.
  4. Adjust Motion Processing: For players willing to accept some input lag, certain TV motion processing features can mask stutter at the cost of responsiveness.
  5. Play Unaffected Games: Until a fix is available, focusing on the titles that don’t exhibit the issue presents another option.

These workarounds highlight the unfortunate reality that there’s currently no perfect solution that maintains VRR benefits while eliminating the stutter issue.

Future Implications

The discovery of this PS5-specific VRR issue raises several important questions about the future of the technology on PlayStation platforms:

  1. Impact on PS5 Pro Adoption: Will this technical issue affect consumer confidence in the new premium console, particularly among technically-savvy gamers?
  2. Competitive Disadvantage: Does this represent a meaningful technical edge for Xbox Series X|S in cross-platform titles where smooth performance is critical?
  3. Developer Response: Will game developers implement custom workarounds for affected titles, or wait for a system-level fix from Sony?
  4. Consumer Expectations: As display technologies continue to advance with higher refresh rates becoming standard, will tolerance for such issues decrease?

Industry analysts suggest this issue, while significant for affected users, is unlikely to dramatically impact PlayStation’s market position. However, it does highlight the increasing importance of frame delivery consistency as a quality metric in modern gaming.

Conclusion

Digital Foundry’s comprehensive investigation has confirmed what many PlayStation 5 users suspected: there exists a consistent, reproducible stutter pattern in VRR-enabled games that occurs approximately every eight seconds. This issue affects numerous popular titles across both the standard PS5 and the new PS5 Pro hardware.

The technical evidence strongly suggests this is a system-level issue rather than a problem with individual games, as evidenced by the consistent timing pattern and its absence on competing Xbox hardware running the same titles. The selective nature of the issue—with some games unaffected—offers hope that a software-level solution may be possible.

For PlayStation enthusiasts, particularly those who have invested in high-end displays to maximize their gaming experience, this issue represents a disappointing technical flaw in what is otherwise a capable gaming platform. The challenge now falls to Sony to acknowledge and address this issue, particularly as the company positions the PS5 Pro as the premier console gaming experience.

As we await an official response and potential fix, the eight-second stutter stands as a reminder that even in modern gaming hardware, the pursuit of perfect performance remains an ongoing challenge.

FAQs

Q: Does disabling VRR completely fix the issue?
A: Yes, the stutter pattern disappears entirely when VRR is disabled, though this means sacrificing the benefits of variable refresh rate technology.

Q: Are all PS5 consoles affected or just certain models?
A: Both the standard PS5 (in both disc and digital editions) and the new PS5 Pro exhibit the issue, suggesting it’s tied to system software rather than specific hardware revisions.

Q: Could this be fixed with a firmware update?
A: Most technical analyses suggest this is likely a software issue that could be addressed through a system update, though the complexity of such a fix remains unknown.

Q: Does using a different HDMI cable help?
A: No, Digital Foundry tested with various HDMI 2.1 cables with identical results, indicating the issue is not related to cable quality or compatibility.

Q: Why wasn’t this discovered during PlayStation’s testing?
A: The delay in the issue’s appearance (sometimes taking 20+ minutes to manifest) may have caused it to be missed in standard testing procedures.

Q: Does this affect PS5 games running on PS VR2?
A: The current investigation focused on TV displays; the behavior with PlayStation VR2 has not been comprehensively tested.

Q: Will developers need to patch individual games to fix this?
A: Since the issue appears to be system-level and affects multiple games consistently, a PlayStation system software update would be the most likely comprehensive solution rather than individual game patches.

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