Sony's 2021 TVs finally have access to a long-promised firmware update. Sony announced last week that the update would land in March, and now, true to its word, here it is. But seeing as the TVs were marketed as 'Ready for PS5' when they went on sale about a year ago, the update has been a long time coming.
Not only that, it still has a rather large stumbling block.
The main feature of the update is Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). This allows a TV to adjust its refresh rate in real-time to the frame rate output by a games console or PC. That means the picture can keep pace with what the console tells it, resulting in a more accurate image and smoother, more consistent gameplay. It's a real boon for gamers. But if you were hoping to get gaming on your PS5 in VRR as soon as the update arrives, we have some bad news for you.
That's because the PS5 can't yet handle VRR. An update is on the way that will fix that, but as yet Sony hasn't given a date for it. So while the TVs are now technically 'Ready for PS5', the PS5 isn't ready for them.
As such, they will only support VRR when paired with a high-end gaming PC or an Xbox Series X/S at the moment.
VRR isn't the only feature of the update. It also brings improved Apple AirPlay 2 functionality, adding support for Dolby Atmos and 4K Mirroring (aka AirPlay mirroring). Plus it includes some bug fixes.
The update is rolling out now, and should reach every compatible Sony TV in Europe by 16th March – eligible sets include the Award-winning A80J OLED TV and X90J LCD model. If you don't want to wait until you've been notified that it's available, you can download it manually now via Sony's support pages. The update is also rolling out wider internationally, though Sony hasn't given any firm dates for when it should reach certain territories.
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