Project Scorpio to feature AMD FreeSync and HDMI 2.1 for smoother visuals

Last week the complete hardware details of Project Scorpio were revealed. While they mostly focused on the CPU and GPU, today we got even more details. According to Digital Foundry, the console will feature AMD’s FreeSync technology and the upcoming variable refresh rate support baked into the next-generation HDMI 2.1 specification.

AMD’s FreeSync offers a number of benefits. The improvements to visuals and frame rate are as follows:

• Ensures that the transition between refresh rate is seamless and undetectable to the user.
• Reduces implementation complexity of the Timing Controller and panel by keeping the GPU’s pixel clock rate constant and varying blank parameters.
• Dynamically adapts the display refresh rate to fixed video content frame rate for a power efficient and stutter-free video playback with anything over 30 FPS.
• Dynamically adapts the display refresh rate to variable gaming content render for low latency and a smooth, virtually stutter-free gaming experience.

This means that games on Project Scorpio should feel even smoother on than any other console. The difference will be evident when you’re playing the same game on a PlayStation 4 Pro which may come across as a little jerky when you experience performance issues. The extend of the improvements will have to be see on a case-to-case basis though because each game is different and comes with its own technical challenges.

HDMI 2.1 has to be the most exciting feature because it supports Dynamic HDR which allows for changes on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis. It also supports higher resolutions and higher refresh rates which include 4K 120 FPS and 8K 120 FPS. If games support Dynamic HDR, they should look even better.

Project Scorpio is full of surprises and it looks like this is just the beginning. This is definitely an exciting time for Xbox One gamers because the upcoming console is the device we’ve all been waiting for. Hopefully Microsoft has even more surprise announcements for us at E3 2017!