How to Enable Variable Refresh Rate in Windows 11

Why use VRR?

VRR makes games look smoother by matching your monitor’s refresh rate to the speed your graphics card is actually producing frames. With a fixed refresh rate, the monitor refreshes on a set schedule whether or not a new frame is ready. That mismatch causes the tearing (a visible horizontal split in the image) and stutter you see when frame rates dip.

What happens when done?

Once VRR is on, games run more fluidly. This is most noticeable in older games that have no built-in VRR support. You should see less tearing and a more responsive feel in fast-paced play.

The Windows setting is a system-wide fallback. If a game already supports G-SYNC or FreeSync through your GPU’s own control panel, that route works too, and you can use both.

Hardware Requirements

If one item is missing, the toggle in Windows will usually not appear at all.

• A monitor that supports Adaptive Sync, G-Sync, or FreeSync. Check the monitor’s spec sheet if you are unsure. Many monitors ship with the feature switched off in their on-screen menu.
• A DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 2.1 cable. An older HDMI cable or port often cannot carry VRR, even if the monitor supports it.
• A graphics card that supports WDDM 2.7 or higher. Most recent NVIDIA and AMD cards do, as long as the driver is current.
• The latest GPU drivers installed from your manufacturer’s website. Windows Update drivers are often older and may hide the VRR option.

Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) vs VRR

VRR is for gaming. Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) is for general use. DRR switches automatically between a low and a high refresh rate to save battery life on laptops. VRR instead matches the monitor to the game’s frame rate to prevent visual artifacts.

The two are separate features and do not replace each other. DRR needs a laptop display that supports it, so it may not show up on a desktop monitor.

How to enable VRR via Settings

This is the easiest method. Open Settings with the Win+I, go to System › Display › Graphics, and then use the advanced graphics settings (labelled Change default graphics settings on some builds). That is where the VRR toggle lives, next to Optimizations for windowed games.

1. Open the Windows Settings ⚙️ app by pressing the Win+I on your keyboard. The Settings ⚙️ window opens with a list of categories on the left.
2. Click the System button on the left menu. The System page opens on the right.

   

3. Click the Display tile. You will see your monitor and its resolution, brightness and scale options.

   

4. Scroll down and click Graphics. A list of apps with per-app graphics options appears.

   

5. Click Advanced graphics settings at the bottom. On some builds this link reads Change default graphics settings. A page opens with a few system-wide toggles.
6. Toggle the switch for Variable refresh rate to On. The switch should now show as on. If you want windowed and borderless games covered as well, turn on Optimizations for windowed games here too. To undo the change, switch it back to Off. No restart is normally needed, but close and reopen any game that was already running.

   

How to enable VRR via Registry Editor

Use this method if the toggle is missing from Settings or you manage several PCs. Press the Win+R, type regedit, and go to 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectXcopy. There you create or change the value that controls variable refresh rate support.

Before you start, create a restore point or export the key through File › Export in Registry Editor. You need an administrator account.

1. Open the Windows Registry by pressing the Windows key + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.
2. Navigate to this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\DirectX\UserGpuPreferences. You can paste it into the address bar at the top of the window, or expand the folders in the left pane.
3. If the UserGpuPreferences folder is missing, right-click the DirectX folder, select New, and create a Key named UserGpuPreferences. The new key should appear in the left pane under its parent folder.

   

4. Right-click in the empty space on the right side. Select New, then String Value. Name it DirectXUserGlobalSettings. The new entry should appear in the right pane.
5. Double-click DirectXUserGlobalSettings and set the Value data to 1 to turn it on, or 0 to turn it off. Click OK, then close Registry Editor. If the change does not take effect, restart the PC. To undo it later, set the value back to the off setting or delete the entry.

   

Troubleshooting

If the option is missing or greyed out, work through these checks in order:

• Update your GPU drivers from the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel website, then restart.
• Check that the monitor is connected with a compatible cable, such as DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 2.1, and plugged into the graphics card rather than the motherboard.
• Make sure Adaptive Sync (or FreeSync) is enabled in your monitor's physical OSD menu. It is often off by default.
• Confirm you are on Windows 11 build 22000 or newer.
• For G-SYNC or FreeSync, also check that the feature is enabled in the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Software.

Summary

Variable Refresh Rate makes gaming smoother by syncing your monitor to your game's performance. You can turn it on through the Windows display settings, which is the quicker route. If you prefer a more technical approach, or the toggle is missing, you can adjust the registry instead. For more details, see the official Microsoft display settings documentation.