VESA Adaptive-Sync Display Standard Updated With Dual-Mode Support: Ready For Gaming Monitors With 4K 144Hz & 1080P 280Hz Modes

VESA's Adaptive-Sync display standard has been updated with support for dual-mode which lets users switch between 4K 144Hz & 1080p 280Hz in upcoming gaming monitors.

The announcement comes just a few days ahead of CES 2024 where manufacturers are expected to unveil their latest designs that support the VESA Adaptive-Sync 1.1a display standard. As we've already seen, these gaming monitors will let users switch between 4K 144Hz & 1080p 240Hz using a dual-mode switching technology so you can enjoy either high-refresh-rate gaming or a very high fidelity experience. The monitors that we have seen so far include the LG OLED UltraGear series & ASUS's ROG SWIFT PG32UCDP OLED. These will be among the many new gaming monitors that will support the new technology and arrive in 2024.

Press Release: The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced that it has published an update to its Adaptive-Sync Display Compliance Test Specification (Adaptive-Sync Display CTS), which is the first publicly open standard for front-of-screen performance of variable refresh rate displays. Adaptive-Sync Display version 1.1a provides updated testing procedures and logo support for an emerging category of displays that can operate at different maximum refresh rates when resolution is reduced. This optional “Dual Mode” testing and logo support allows display OEMs with qualifying hardware to certify their products at two different sets of resolution and refresh rates (for example, 4K/144Hz and 1080p/280Hz).

AdaptiveSync Display v1.1a also includes an update that allows display OEMs to achieve a higher AdaptiveSync Display refresh rate certification for displays that support an “overclocked” or faster mode option that is not enabled by default in the factory configuration. In such cases, the overclocked mode must support Adaptive-Sync-enabled GPUs in a non-proprietary manner, and the display must pass all of the rigorous Adaptive-Sync Display compliance tests in both its factory default mode, and completely retested a second time in the overclocking mode. Both the dual mode and overclocking changes to the Adaptive-Sync Display CTS v1.1a only apply to the VESA Certified AdaptiveSync Display logo program; they do not apply to the VESA Certified MediaSync Display logo program. To date, more than 100 products have been certified to the Adaptive-Sync Display standard.

Importantly, none of the testing criteria has changed with the Adaptive-Sync Display v1.1a update. All products that have successfully undergone certification to the prior v1.1 spec are still certified under the latest update. All requirements of the Adaptive-Sync Display CTS, including refresh rate, flicker, gray-to-gray response time (including limits on overshoot and undershoot to ensure high-quality images), video frame drop, and video frame rate jitter, must be met at both tested resolutions, including a minimum of 144Hz at maximum resolution, and a minimum of 1080p vertical resolution when tested in the reduced resolution/maximum refresh rate mode.

VESA Certified AdaptiveSync Display Logo Changes

For displays that can operate at a faster refresh rate when operated at less than their maximum resolution, the Adaptive-Sync Display v1.1 update allows display OEMs to feature the VESA Certified AdaptiveSync Dual Mode logo on their certified products to represent certification at two speeds and resolutions.

On the left side of the logo, the values shown indicate the display’s maximum certified refresh rate at the maximum native vertical resolution and the native maximum vertical resolution. On the right side of the logo, the values shown indicate the alternative certified resolution’s maximum certified refresh rate and vertical resolution.