Samsung TVs Get AMD FreeSync Support via Firmware Update
Ron Perillo / 6 years ago
Smother Gaming Experience with Samsung TVs
Samsung has now enabled AMD Radeon FreeSync support on their 2018 QLED TV models. The update comes via a firmware update, making it possible to have smoother gaming with supported AMD hardware. The good news is that this is not only limited to PC users with a system connected to a TV, but console users as well. Both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X can take advantage of this feature. Frame synchronization via FreeSync is a superior option to the V-Sync. Tearing usually happens when the frames-per-second from the GPU do not lineup with the display’s refresh rate. The update via firmware is also possible since AMD’s solution, unlike NVIDIA, does not require any hardware upgrades.
Which Samsung Models Are Eligible for this FreeSync Update?
If you have a Samsung QLED Q6FN, Q7FN, Q8FN, Q9FN, and NU8000, FreeSync support is now possible. The latest firmware version adding this feature is version 1103.4 and it is a 1.2GB download. Simply follow this link to get the file.
After installation, users need to head to the settings menu and enable it. It is under General > External Device Manager > Game Mode Settings > FreeSync. The options should show “ultimate” or “basic” once the firmware has been installed. Basic sets the refresh rate for 90 to 120Hz, while Ultimate opens up the range from 48 all the way up to 120Hz.
Since this is the preliminary firmware update for the feature, it is not completely bug-free. Samsung warns that users might notice discrepancies with brightness levels when enabled. Also, FreeSync support is only available at 1080p for now.