Friday, June 11, 2021

macOS Monterey will support smoother screen updates with Adaptive Sync

What you need to know

  • macOS Monterey will support Adaptive Sync for improved screen refreshes.
  • Variable screen refreshes make for a better gaming experience.

But it'll only work on some Macs.

Apple has confirmed that macOS Monterey, due to release later this year, will include native support for Adaptive Sync on external displays. The announcement came as part of a WWDC developer session as the week-long event comes to an end.

The support of Adaptive Sync will depend on a few things, though. It'll work on all Macs with Apple silicon inside, so M1 chips and newer. Some Intel Macs will also work just fine, but it depends on the connectivity options they have. DisplayPort 1.2a connectivity will be required and it just so happens that's the same tech that powers Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync.

Discover how to achieve smooth screen updates on all Apple platforms that support dynamic display timing. Learn techniques for pacing full-screen game updates on Adaptive Sync displays in macOS, and find out how Low Power Mode and other system states affect frame rate availability on ProMotion displays. We'll also share best practices for driving custom drawing using display link APIs.

The main reason for Adaptive Sync is gaming, with displays able to adjust their refresh rate to match the current frame rate of the game that's playing. That makes for a better gaming experience and it's something gamers have been enjoying in the PC world for years now. It's a welcome addition to macOS to be sure, although it's a matter for debate as to whether it will have all that big of an impact. Mac users don't tend to be playing games on them, after all.

Looking to pick up a new monitor for your Mac? These are some of the best 4K monitors money can buy and many support Adaptive Sync, too.


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