Cyberpunk 2077's VRR Patch: Is THIS the PS5 Pro Upgrade We've Been Waiting For?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Eurogamer's Digital Foundry tested Cyberpunk 2077's new VRR update, finding it unlocks significant performance gains on PS5 Pro, effectively acting as a quasi-Pro patch, while Xbox Series X VRR implementation appears to be broken.
Right, so Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter over at Eurogamer has been fiddling with the latest Cyberpunk 2077 update, version 2.3, and it seems something rather interesting has happened. It's all about VRR – Variable Refresh Rate – and what it does to the game on consoles, specifically, the elusive PlayStation 5 Pro (which, let's be honest, feels more like a rumour than reality sometimes).
Now, the update doesn't explicitly mention PS5 Pro support, but here's the clever bit: VRR essentially uncaps the framerate. This *should* let the Pro's extra grunt shine. The question is, does it actually work? And is it worth getting excited about?
Leadbetter used internal CD Projekt Red test sequences, normally found on the PC version (nifty trick using cross-saves, that!), to get a proper apples-to-apples comparison. The results? Well, on the PS5 Pro with VRR enabled, the 30fps ray tracing mode can now hit a glorious 40fps. The performance mode? It's unleashed, potentially hitting up to 120fps. Sweet!
Except... there's a snag. He tested the same on the Xbox Series X and couldn't see any difference. Apparently, the console *is* outputting a VRR signal, but the refresh rate sticks stubbornly at 118Hz. This means VRR simply isn't doing its job on the Xbox. Ouch.
Even on the base PS5, the VRR benefits weren't massive, so Leadbetter reckons the Xbox gains (if they ever materialize) might be equally minor. But hey, every little helps, right?
So, what does this mean in real terms? Leadbetter's tests showed the PS5 Pro consistently outperforming the base PS5 when VRR is active. In one test sequence, the Pro clocked an average of 81.03fps compared to the base console's 62.84fps - a nearly 30% jump! That said, streaming in detailed environments seems to bring the CPU into play, where the Pro doesn't have such a huge advantage. (Sound familiar? It's the age-old dance between GPU and CPU bottlenecks.)
And what about the visual side of things? There's a slight catch. With VRR enabled, both consoles seem to top out at a 1440p native pixel count, using dynamic resolution scaling (DRS). Turning off VRR bumps the resolution *without* VRR. But the performance boost is substantial.
As for the ray tracing mode, well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The PS5 Pro hits that 40fps target fairly consistently, but the base PS5 struggles, averaging around 35fps. Leadbetter actually prefers the locked 30fps on the base console because the unlocked framerate just looks... off. On the Pro though, the unleashed performance mode is where it's at.
Going beyond the test sequences, Leadbetter found the Pro hitting 90fps in some areas, even topping out at 120fps when looking at the sky. But, as always, there are limits. Some areas, like the Black Market from Phantom Liberty, barely cleared the 60fps mark.
The big takeaway? As Eurogamer's Digital Foundry rightly points out, without official PS5 Pro support from CD Projekt Red, this VRR update is pretty much the only way to really push the hardware. It essentially gives you a 40fps balanced mode. Speaking on DF Direct, Leadbetter reckons implementing ray-traced reflections and lighting would offer a far more dramatic improvement. Fingers crossed!
Leadbetter has reached out to CD Projekt Red for more information on the Xbox VRR issues and the technical details of the VRR implementation. I reckon we'll see more developments in the coming weeks.
Tags: Cyberpunk 2077, PS5 Pro, VRR, Digital Foundry, Performance
Original article: Eurogamer