How to enable Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for games on Windows 11

• To enable Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) on Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Advanced graphics settings and turn on the “Variable refresh rate” toggle.
• If the option is missing, make sure your monitor and GPU support VRR, and that G-Sync or FreeSync is enabled in the GPU control panel.
• VRR helps reduce screen tearing and stuttering in DirectX 11 full-screen games by synchronizing your monitor’s refresh rate with your graphics card’s frame output.

On Windows 11, you can enable Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) from the display settings. However, the option may be missing if the feature is not supported or the graphics card is not configured correctly.

Variable Refresh Rate is a display technology that enhances the visual experience on Windows 11, especially for gaming. Traditionally, monitors have a fixed refresh rate (such as 60Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz, etc.). Your graphics card (GPU) renders frames at a varying rate, depending on the complexity of the scene. When the GPU’s frame rate doesn’t match the monitor’s rate, you can experience screen tearing and stuttering.

• Screen tearing happens when the GPU renders a new frame while the monitor is still displaying part of the previous one, resulting in a horizontally split image.
• Stuttering happens when the graphics card’s frame rate drops below the monitor’s refresh rate, causing the monitor to display the same frame multiple times and resulting in a choppy experience.

Windows 11’s VRR addresses these issues by enabling the monitor to dynamically adjust its refresh rate in real-time to match the GPU’s frame output, resulting in smoother gameplay and improved responsiveness.

In this guide, I’ll explain the steps to enable Variable Refresh Rate on Windows 11. This feature is also available on Windows 10.

• Enable VRR using Settings on Windows 11
• Enable VRR using G-Sync on Windows 11

Enable VRR using Settings on Windows 11

To enable Variable Refresh Rate on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Display page.

4. (Optional) Click on Advanced display.

5. Confirm the Variable Refresh Rate is supported under the “Display information” section.

   

   Quick note: If the feature isn’t supported, follow the steps below to check and enable it on the monitor.

6. Click on Display from the breadcrumb.

7. Click on Graphics settings.

8. Click on Advanced graphics settings.

9. Turn on the “Variable refresh rate” toggle switch.

   

Once you complete the steps, the VRR feature will turn on your computer, and it’ll kick in on those times when the feature isn’t available through Nvidia or AMD graphics cards.

Enable VRR using G-Sync on Windows 11

For example, if you have an Nvidia graphics card, the VRR feature is enabled through the G-Sync feature. If it’s not enabled, the Settings app will show that the feature is not supported.

To enable G-Sync on your monitor, follow these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Nvidia and click the top result to open the app.

3. Click on System.

4. Click the Displays tab.

5. Select the display under the “Displays” section.

6. Click the “Display Properties” setting.

7. Turn on the G-Sync toggle switch.

   

After completing the steps, G-Sync will turn on, also enabling Variable Refresh Rate through Nvidia’s technology. Also, the Settings app will now display the feature as supported on the “Advanced display” page.

Although I’m focusing on Nvidia, VRR is also compatible with AMD’s FreeSync and VESA Adaptive-Sync. Actually, AMD’s FreeSync pioneered VRR.

If you have a different graphics card, check your manufacturer for specific details on how to enable the feature on your card.

It’s worth noting that your monitor must also be compatible with AMD’s FreeSync, NVIDIA’s G-Sync, or VESA Adaptive-Sync.

The computer also requires the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 2.6 or later for VRR to function.

On Windows 11 (and 10), the Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) feature is primarily intended for DirectX 11 full-screen games that lack native VRR support. While technologies like G-Sync and FreeSync already provide native VRR, enabling the version on Windows 11 can help extend compatibility, particularly in cases where G-Sync may not activate automatically.

This setting doesn’t override G-Sync or FreeSync. Instead, it complements them, ensuring smoother gameplay even in cases where driver-level support is not available.

It’s important not to confuse VRR with DRR. Windows 11 also includes a feature known as Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR), which helps increase laptop battery life by dynamically changing the rate based on the content on the screen.