PS5 owners need to update their console now - new patch finally fixes awful VRR stuttering bug

If you've got a PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro and the VRR (variable refresh rate) bug that's been causing stuttering with some games has been driving you crazy, here's some great news - apparently it's fixed.

PS5 gamers on Reddit noticed that applying the latest (minor) update for the console did the trick in terms of banishing the VRR problem. Then, Digital Foundry confirmed on X that Sony's PR department had been in touch to let them know that the issue has been resolved. (Hat tip to Wccftech for noticing all this, by the way).

This much-wanted VRR cure isn't mentioned in Sony's patch release notes, though, which is baffling given the gravity of this problem, which has been persistently annoying the hell out of a whole load of gamers (putting it mildly).

Digital Foundry previously investigated the issue with a deep dive, when it was thought it might pertain to LG OLED panels only, finding that this wasn't the case - it was (as we now know) a PS5 problem. A big clue being, of course, that the Xbox was fine with games that were on both Microsoft's and Sony's consoles, but were stuttering on the latter.

Affected games were those supporting 120Hz VRR with unlocked frame rates, and high-profile titles included: The Last of Us (Part 1 and 2), Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Spider-Man Remastered and others like Horizon Forbidden West according to reports.

Dropping out of VRR

What tended to happen was the game would be okay when you first started playing, but after a little while, the stutter would periodically appear.

Digital Foundry observed (using a refresh rate meter) that a spike to 120Hz happened just before a stutter would manifest, suggesting that the PS5 was dropping out of VRR and into a fixed refresh rate momentarily, causing the jerkiness. Nasty.

However, there are a lot of reports from gamers on Reddit (and X) about the mentioned games which are all stating the same thing: that these stuttering blues are now a thing of the past after the latest patch.

So, if this has been really bothering you - and that's the case for a lot of PS5 gamers - be sure to get straight on and grab this new update for Sony's console.

PS5 system software version 25.04-11.40.00 doesn't really do a whole lot (apart from fix this glaring bug). In fact, the only tweak that Sony mentions in the release notes is that it has improved messages and usability on some screens, which makes it even more odd that the VRR cure wasn't highlighted here.