Horizon Forbidden West Update Adds VRR, 40fps Mode, And More

The latest update for Horizon Forbidden West makes the game look even better on PS5. Patch 1.17 adds variable refresh rate (VRR) and high refresh rate (HFR) support, as well as adds a new "Balanced" graphics mode with 40fps support, ideal for players with 120Hz displays.

The new features were highly requested by fans, due largely to the huge impact they can have on visual fidelity. VRR syncs your refresh rate to the console output, eliminating screen tearing and other artifacting issues. The new "Balanced" graphics mode looks to create a happy medium between fidelity and frame rate, joining the Performance and Fidelity modes.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also offered a 40fps mode. The idea strikes a balance, giving you a higher frame rate than the usual 30fps, but with higher fidelity as well. Plus it divides evenly into the 120 refresh rate for 120Hz displays.

In addition to those big feature additions, the patch also fixes a number of crashes and other bugs. Several main and side quest bugs were addressed in which objectives or cinematics wouldn't trigger. It also fixed a number of bugs involving enemy machines and weapon behaviors, and it added a prompt in the UI to let players know that the Ultra Hard difficulty can't be changed. You can see the full patch notes below.

Horizon Forbidden West was a showpiece for the PlayStation 5, though it appeared on PS4 as well. And it's worth noting that right now you can get it for $35, which is the cheapest we've seen so far.

Horizon Forbidden West Patch 1.17 Notes

NEW FEATURES (PlayStation 5)

• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and High Refresh Rate (HFR) support
  • VRR improves dynamic resolution scaling on 60Hz
  • VRR & HFR targets a refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz
• New “Balanced” Graphics Mode introducing 40Hz for supported displays

KNOWN ISSUES

We are currently looking into several issues reported by the community. Please note that these issues are not yet fixed in this patch, but our teams are aware of them, and they’re being investigated.

FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

Performance and Stability

• Multiple crash fixes.

Main Quests

• Fixed an issue in Main Quest “The Wings of the Ten” where the objective “Defeat Regalla” was not updating.
• Fixed an issue in Main Quest “The Wings of the Ten” where the “Sunwings” might be missing during the objective “Override a Sunwing”.
• Fixed an issue in Main Quest “All That Remains” where the cinematic with Tilda after the gallery might not start.
• Fixed an issue in Main Quest “The Broken Sky” where sometimes Dekka would be behind Hekarro’s throne during the objective “Talk to Dekka”.

Side Quests

• Fixed an issue in Side Quest “Shadow in the West” where the objective “Kill Vezreh and His Machine” was not updating.
• Fixed an issue in Side Quest “The Gate Of The Vanquished” where the objective “Defeat Yarra/Drakka” was not updating.

World Activities

• Fixed an issue in Errand “Nights of Lights” where collecting the “Gizmo” earlier would block progress.
• Fixed issues in Relic Ruin “The Stillsands” where the activity would be blocked.

Machines

• Fixed an issue where the “Dreadwing” would remain cloaked when knocked down.
• Fixed an issue where “Apex Clawstrider Hearts” would be placed in “Valuables to Sell” in the inventory

Weapons

• Fixed an issue where “Elemental Arrows” from fully upgraded bows would destroy canisters instead of detonating them.
• Fixed an issue where using “Elite Precision Arrows” with “Iriv’s Downfall” would not deal additional damage for enemies in “Brittle” state.

UI/UX

• Updated text for selecting “Ultra Hard” difficulty to clarify that the setting cannot be changed.
• Removed exclamation point icon when all skills have been unlocked and skill points are available.

Other

• Fixed an issue where “Desert Bird Wing” could not be looted from birds.
• Fixed an issue where trophy "All Machine Types Scanned" would not unlock, if scanning remaining machines on NG+
• Fixed an issue where changing the “Crouch/Slide” button to R1 would make it unusable.
• Multiple localization and subtitles fixes and improvements.