Understand how this unusual option that was made possible by HDMI 2.1 works
A Insomniac Games it’s at Sony confirmed that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the first game of PlayStation 5 to bring the new 40 frames per second mode. This new option was only made possible with the arrival of HDMI 2.1, and it depends on your TV having a 120 Hz mode.
To explain how this works, it’s worth remembering how traditional monitors and TVs worked over the last decade. Before the arrival of very high frame rate options or the variable refresh rate (VRR), virtually all LCD displays were refreshed 60 times per second (or at 60 Hz).
Therefore, optimal gaming performance is often thought of as 60 frames per second, syncing perfectly with the TV. Another option for heavier games is to refresh the image at half frequency, or 30 fps. Thus, each frame is shown for two display update cycles, preventing it from occurring tearing or stuttering.
A standard that is becoming more common in high-end televisions is 4K and 120 Hz, which opens up new possibilities when it comes to dividing that number. In the case of the PS5’s 40fps mode, each frame persists for three screen refresh cycles. For those who aren’t good at math, it’s worth remembering that 120 divided by 3 results in 40.
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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart already had 30fps and 60fps modes
Remember that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart already had three execution modes before. The main one ran the game at 30 frames per second and offers the best possible resolution — between 3200 x 1800 and 3840 x 2160 pixels — plus all the Ray Tracing effects turned on full.
Performance mode runs at 60 fps and offers resolutions between 1620p and 1800p, but with ray tracking turned off. To top it off, there’s a performance mode that keeps Ray Tracing turned on and 60 frames per second, but with dynamic resolution between 1080p and 1440p.
The new 40 Hz mode brings all the benefits of the standard option with maximum fidelity, but with the difference of having a more fluid performance. And when there’s a drop in frame rate, the game can drop down to 30fps performance (which is still divisible by 120) without sacrificing image continuity.
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Source: ArsTechnica/Reproduction
Of course, this doesn’t have the same benefits as a computer technology. Variable Refresh Rate like the FreeSync, which is available on Xbox Series X|S. Even so, it is a unique option and hitherto unheard of in the gaming industry.
Via: ArsTechnica, Digital Foundry
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