How to enable or disable V-Sync on BlueStacks 5

What is V-Sync?

V-Sync allows you to synchronize your in-game FPS to your monitor's refresh rate to avoid screen tearing, which can have a negative effect on your gameplay. 

This article will guide you on how to enable or disable V-Sync inside Android on BlueStacks 5.


Should I enable or disable V-Sync?

First of all, if you are playing any sort of competitive online game, such as Free Fire or Call of Duty: Mobile, V-Sync should generally be disabled as it can cause input lag resulting in delayed actions in-game. 

Here a few scenarios to help you decide if you should enable or disable V-Sync:

  • If your in-game FPS is less than the refresh rate of your monitor (e.g. 40 FPS on a 60Hz monitor), V-Sync can be enabled or disabled. 
  • If your in-game FPS is more than the refresh rate of your monitor (e.g. 100FPS on a 60Hz monitor), V-Sync should be enabled.  

NOTE: If you would like to disable V-Sync, please ensure V-Sync is not enabled in your GPU's (NVIDIA or AMD) settings. This applies to both Global settings and Program settings. 

  • For NVIDIA, these settings can be seen in the NVIDIA Control Panel. 
  • For AMD GPUs, you can view V-Sync settings in AMD Radeon Software.

How can I enable or disable V-Sync on BlueStacks?

1. Launch BlueStacks and open the "Settings" menu by clicking on the gear icon on the Side toolbar.

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2. By default, the "Settings" page will show the Performance settings. Here, under the Frame rate section, you will find the option "Enable VSync (to prevent screen tearing)".

You can toggle this option by clicking on the slider in front of it. A blue slider indicates VSync is enabled, as shown in the image.

Screenshot_2.png

Please note that enabling V-Sync will disable the option of "Enable high frame rates" if it was previously turned on. This will limit the FPS inside BlueStacks to 60FPS. 


How can I see my monitor's refresh rate?

Since the effect of V-Sync largely depends on the refresh rate of your monitor and your in-game FPS, knowing the refresh rate of your monitor will help you in deciding whether to enable or disable V-Sync. 

1. Right-click on your desktop and click on "Display settings".

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2. Next, scroll down and click on "Advanced display settings". 

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3. You will then be able to see your monitor's refresh rate, next to "Refresh rate (Hz)", as shown below. 

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Have any questions?

Q. What is screen tearing and how does V-Sync help there?
A. Screen tearing is when your graphics processor (GPU) is outputting more frames than the refresh rate of your monitor. For example when you're getting 100FPS in a game when playing on a 60Hz monitor. V-sync basically tells the GPU to limit the number of frames it sends out to 60, to match the refresh rate of the monitor. 

Q. I'm still a bit confused about what V-Sync does and whether I should enable/disable it on BlueStacks.
A. It depends a lot on your PC and the type of monitor you have. If you are getting more FPS than the refresh rate of your monitor, e.g 100FPS on a 60Hz monitor, you can enable V-Sync to get a smoother gameplay experience. 

Q. It says to disable V-Sync in online games, but what about single-player games?
A. V-Sync can be enabled for single-player games, provided you meet the criteria mentioned in the second section of this article, The reason why it is discouraged for online multiplayer games is that it can cause some input lag which should be avoided in online multiplayer games.  

Q. How can I view in-game FPS while playing on BlueStacks?
A. Go to BlueStacks settings by clicking on the gear icon on the side toolbar. Next, click on the "Engine" tab. Scroll down until you come across "Display FPS during gameplay". Click on the checkbox beside this to view in-game FPS.  Please note that this may result in some resource consumption so If you notice any lag or stutter in your gameplay, please uncheck this. 


Thank you for choosing BlueStacks. We hope you enjoy using it. Happy Gaming!

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