Project Scorpio will support FreeSync, which is AWESOME

Those lucky ducks at Digital Foundry are back with some more tantalizing Project Scorpio details, and while not on the scale of the initial announcement, the latest is still big news in its own right.

Project Scorpio will support Freesync. Which is AWESOME.

To cut a long story short, Scorpio supports AMD's FreeSync - and the upcoming variable refresh rate support baked into the next-gen HDMI 2.1 spec.

Why does FreeSync matter? First, let's explain exactly what it is. From our earlier piece on the subject:

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FreeSync allows the graphics card and connected monitor to communicate with one another to maintain a stable refresh rate that can be altered depending on what the graphics card is currently outputting. The result is a stable, super smooth experience and a variable refresh rate.

The benefit here is virtually no tearing or stuttering on supported displays because the GPU triggers the refresh on the screen. Keeping the GPU and the display in sync dramatically reduces stutters and tears and keeps everything buttery smooth.

On Xbox One developers target either 30 FPS or 60 FPS, and if 60 is targeted and not optimized properly you'll start to see frames dropped, which introduces tears and a generally sub-par experience. But what does variable refresh rate and FreeSync support mean in the long term? The Digital Foundry folks put it better than we could:

There's a reason why games target either 60fps or 30fps: both divide equally into the 60Hz output of a traditional screen, meaning a smooth, consistent update. With the display refresh put in the developer's hands, arbitrary performance targets like 40fps or 45fps could be targeted.

The downside is that the current list of supported displays is fairly limited, and there are no TV sets on the market right now that will be suitable. That means, at least for now, for the best performance you'll have to use Scorpio with a PC monitor. Nevertheless, it's another exciting development for what's sure to become our new favorite console.

Give the full article a read for the full picture. And you'll probably feel a little smarter at the end, too.

Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.