Microsoft adds Variable Refresh Rate For Games that lack Support
With Windows Version 1903, Microsoft have added a new toggle in Graphics Settings for variable refresh rate. Variable refresh rate (VRR) is similar to NVIDIA’s G-SYNC and VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync.
This new OS support is only to augment these experiences and does not replace them. You should continue to use G-SYNC / Adaptive-Sync normally. This toggle doesn’t override any of the settings you’ve already configured in the G-SYNC or Adaptive-Sync control panels. This new toggle enables VRR support for DX11 full-screen games that did not support VRR natively, so these games can now benefit from your VRR hardware.
You won’t see the slider unless your system has all of the following. If any of these are missing, you will not see the toggle and the feature will not be enabled for you.
- Windows Version 1903 or later
- A G-SYNC or Adaptive-Sync capable monitor
- A GPU with WDDM 2.6 or above drivers, that supports G-SYNC / Adaptive-Sync and this new OS feature
This feature is disabled by default, but you can turn it on and try the feature out. If you run into any unexpected issues while gaming, turn the feature off and see if that resolves the issue for you. Thanks SH SOTN for this news submit.
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AMD Vanguard
Posts: 2951
Joined: 2006-05-07
Did anyone find any game that utilizes this option with success?
Senior Member
Posts: 2346
Joined: 2015-06-11
No it's for all DX11 Games (only DX11.x ATM):
Microsoft has announced that it has added a new toggle in Graphics Settings for variable refresh rate in the latest version of Windows 10, Windows 10 Version 1903.
This option will allow you to have variable refresh rates in all DX11 games in full-screen mode, regardless of whether a game was previously compatible with VRR or not.
As Microsoft noted:
“This new OS support is only to augment these experiences and does not replace them. You should continue to use FreeSync / Adaptive-Sync normally.
This toggle doesn’t override any of the settings you’ve already configured in the FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync control panels.
This new toggle enables VRR support for DX11 full-screen games that did not support VRR natively, so these games can now benefit from your VRR hardware.”
In order to take advantage of this new setting, you’ll need Windows Version 1903 or later, a
FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync capable monitor and a GPU with WDDM 2.6 or above drivers that supports FreeSync/Adaptive-Sync and this new OS feature.
Must be Like this (supported by H/W)

Except id doesn't work as you say: the DXGI_SWAP_CHAIN_FLAG_ALLOW_TEARING flag cannot be injected in the DXGI swap chain descriptor on every DX11 application since it doesn't work with all DXGI version, while a non-UWP DX11 application can be built with any DXGI version. This means that forcing DXGI_PRESENT_ALLOW_TEARING in DXGI Present() will not work with applications built with older DXGI versions. The only exception are the UWP which do not support older DXGI version, which means forcing DXGI_PRESENT_ALLOW_TEARING flag is trivial. Yes, to make VRR works you need both flags.
Finally, DXGI_SWAP_CHAIN_FLAG_ALLOW_TEARING will work only with FLIP swap effects, and not with BitBlt effects which can be used outside UWP. Also, FLIP swap effects do not work with Windows 7: DXGI_SWAP_EFFECT_FLIP_SEQUENTIAL is supported on Windows 8 and forward and DXGI_SWAP_EFFECT_FLIP_DISCARD works only on Windows 10: this means FLIP swap effects are not pretty common on applications meant to run on older version of Windows too.
So yes, all this was made only for a well defined subset of DX11 applications: those do not use traditional fullscreen calls with Present(0,0) (traditional fullscreen and present(0,0) calls already produce tearing that can be feed VRR systems and that are not supported in UWP) and those meant to run using FLIP effects only (which is the only effect supported in UWP)..... So we have NOT(NOT UWP) intersect with UWP... which is... UWP intersect with UWP... which is... UWP.
EDIT:
Added sources:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/dxgi/ne-dxgi-dxgi-swap-chain-flag
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/direct3ddxgi/dxgi-present
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/DXGI/ne-dxgi-dxgi-swap-effect
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/dxgi/nf-dxgi-idxgiswapchain-present
Senior Member
Posts: 199
Joined: 2008-08-05
I don't see the option and I have all requirements :
Windows 10 1903 18362.145
ASUS PG278Q (Gsync)
430.86
GTX 1080 Ti
Senior Member
Posts: 7757
Joined: 2005-12-06
I don't see the option and I have all requirements :
Windows 10 1903 18362.145
ASUS PG278Q (Gsync)
430.86
GTX 1080 Ti
I don't either. People are saying you need 435.27 to see the new option.
Senior Member
Posts: 13320
Joined: 2014-07-21
I just want to ask, it (VRR) probably needs HDMI 2+ as well, correct?