The issue with samsungs variable refresh rates

[Mammid]

I'm loving my s21 ultra, but for I while I was thinking to my self tge the phone feels choppy and laggy at times. Well I ended up noticing that it's because of the variable refresh rate. Samsung needs to do a lot more work on it. For example, when I'm in a 60 fps game, it stays at 60hz which is fine, however, when I pull the quick settings down, that is also at 60hz with the game, making it look choppy and laggy. This happens on a number of applications. This also happens when receiving some brief notifications, both while the phone is on, and when the always in display is activated. Samsung please fix this, or add an option to lock on to 120hz.

[Archer_Legend]

Hi, please not that if the displays locks onto a certain frequency for example 60fps because you are gaming you cannot have a part of the display running at a higher refresh rate for example 90 without adjusting the whole refresh rate of the panel which can result in longer frametimes on the game.

Also keep in mind that under low light conditions the vrr is disabled and the panel locks on 120hz

[Babishko]

I see an option to lock at 120hz being considered by Samsung Mammid. It would come with a disclaimer with regards to higher battery consumption of course but why not?. I don't know if this would result in more pronounced throttling or thermal problems in some apps like the camera when recording long videos at a high resolution at a high frame rate. It is an interesting thought though. After scrolling through various apps at 120hz I just cannot go back to doing it at 60fps now as it looks vile and choppy and makes me genuinely feel a little seasick.. Let's see what happens with regards to a 120hz locking option. At least in certain apps.👍

[Mammid]

I know a part of the screen can't change, but they can just adjust the whole refresh rate when opening quick settings

[Archer_Legend]

you will be wasting processing power and also may screw up the frametimes in the game momentarely, that is probably why they have not done it like that

[Mammid]

I don't think it's as deep as that lol, the s20 series sisters have ltpo displays and did they suffer? No. They would always run at 120hz in any application regardless of its framerate. All I'm asking is for it to kick in during all system animations, because I don't want to see 60hz, I just want it to change without me knowing as it should

[Archer_Legend]

they are not locking the refresh rate because battery life and heat generation are out of the window.

Also the s20 did not have an ltpo display hence why they where locked at 60hz or 120hz.

As I said if you are running a display at 60hz duing a game and receive a notification and the screen runs at 120hz while the game runs at 60hz and that happens out of nothing the frametimes can be momentarely screwed up in the game causing tearing or stutters. I do not think that a 60 hz animation of a notification would make a big difference, if you say it is sluggish then probably the phone is not being able to push 60 fps in that game or moment and therefore the screen scales down in rf to sinchronize with the fps pushed by the gpu hence why you say it is sluggish

[Mammid]

It's not sluggish, it just feels stutters due to 60hz, but I'm sure apple will do it well when the next iphone comes out

[Archer_Legend]

Well no one cares about what apple will do when it will come out in 2030 on iphones.

Just look over XDA developers forum, I am sure someone has written a few lines of code to set 120hz static.

[Joeeye]

So let me get this straight, you want 60hz gaming but the phone to respond like 120hz when you start pulling down the notifications?

You can force 120hz in games by using the game launcher and game plugins. If you choose max fps the phone will try to maintain 120flps where possible. If the game is too intensive however the notifications pull down will look laggy, not because of the lack of screen refresh but the phones processing power. Let's be real here, most typical desktop PCs struggle to reach a 120hz refresh in any game let alone system wise on top. You expect fluid motion on a handheld mobile device at all times?