Nintendo Switch 2 Supports VRR in Handheld Mode Only - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 16 May 2025 / 3,986 Views
Nintendo in a statement sent to NintendoLife confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 will support variable refresh rate (VRR) only in handheld mode.
"Nintendo Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only," reads the statement from Nintendo. "The incorrect information was initially published on the Nintendo Switch 2 website, and we apologise for the error."
Nintendo was asked if VRR support in docked mode could be added in the future and the company stated, "We have nothing to announce on this topic."
The official website for the Switch 2 originally stated the console would support VRR in handheld and docked mode. However, the mention of VRR support in docked mode has since been removed.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on Thursday, June 5 for $449.99 USD / $629.99 CAD / £395.99 / €469.99 / 49,800 yen in the US. A Mario Kart World Bundle will also be available for $499.99 USD / $699.99 / £429.99 / €509.99 / 53,980 yen.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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this is a huge L. Esp for a weaker console, where it would have the most benefits on. This is something Nintendo should have made sure worked.
That really sucks. Docked is when VRR would be the most useful!
That's extremely dissapointing WTF...
PS5 didnt have it at launch either, it took them almost 2 years to add it via firmware update and yes its possible even with HDMI 2.0:
-"Without HDMI 2.1, you can’t get VRR on PS5, unlike Xbox consoles, which support it through HDMI 2.0. That’s a big factor if you want the smoothest, most tear-free gaming experience" (BenQ).
-"Some HDMI 2.0 devices support VRR over HDMI, but the lower bandwidth of HDMI 2.0 means it works at up to 60Hz rather than 120Hz in the Xbox One X" (TechRadar).
It was possible on the PS5 due to AMD.
HDMI 2.0 doesn't support the VESA standard Adaptive V-Sync.
What I imagine that is happening is that the internal Switch 2.0 display is leveraging the display port standard and thus can use VRR, whilst the dock relies on the HDMI standard.
Unfortunately I think this is an nVidia limitation and not a Nintendo one, if it was Radeon powered...
The more I hear about the Switch 2 is the less I want it.
Dock is HDMI 2.0, not possible. Your favorite company cheaped out; Nintendo knew the majority stick with the handheld mode.
My monitor only has 2.0 ports and VRR has worked flawlessly on both my XSX and PS5... so idk what you're talking about...
While HDMI 2.0 itself doesn't officially support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), some devices and manufacturers offer VRR support via HDMI 2.0, often through a proprietary extension like AMD's FreeSync. This means that if your device (like a console or TV) and display both support FreeSync, you can achieve VRR over HDMI 2.0.
It is sketchy, it lacks bandwidth. It uses DP to HDMI too I believe, so it also relies on a converter.
Correct.
We also had Freesync on Xbox One S... But that was all AMD powered hardware and thus used the Freesync VRR extensions over HDMI.
Less for more is what Nintendo is going for. Maybe they will support it on the inevitable Switch 2 OLED
Well, even in their best years (NES/Gameboy/SNES) they were a conservative company. The NES made many concessions on its design. The Gameboy had no backlight. And the SNES had a bargain-bin processor that nearly cost them the race. So I expect certain corners to be cut with them. It's a part of their identity.
By the time they release switch 2 oled, it would be working fine docked.
What a shame. Hopefully, VRR support arrives in docked mode soon!
They will add it.
I believe that’s not possible
Yes its:
-"Without HDMI 2.1, you can’t get VRR on PS5, unlike Xbox consoles, which support it through HDMI 2.0. That’s a big factor if you want the smoothest, most tear-free gaming experience" (BenQ).
-"Some HDMI 2.0 devices support VRR over HDMI, but the lower bandwidth of HDMI 2.0 means it works at up to 60Hz rather than 120Hz in the Xbox One X"
(TechRadar).
Xbox supports gsync and freesync which work on HDMI 2.0, which PS5 does not. That would only be useful if you are using a G-sync/Freesync supported monitor, which is probably not many people playing a Switch 2
Xbox uses a freesync VRR extention, that is how you can get it to function on HDMI 2.0. VRR is not officially supported on HDMI 2.0, hence the workarounds.
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