6 months after launch, Horizon Forbidden West finally brings 120Hz mode and VRR

Horizon Forbidden West launched back on February 18, 2022, and has finally seen a pretty major update as of 1.17. This is all thanks to April 2022’s PlayStation 5 update, which added support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) for TVs and monitors that have HDMI 2.1 support.

Now, players of Horizon Forbidden West can enjoy this feature as long as they have an HDMI 2.1 monitor.

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Horizon Forbidden West sees major graphical enhancements

Version 1.17 of Horizon Forbidden West has gone live, adding a few graphical update features. It adds a High Refresh Rate (HFR) mode for 120Hz display systems, and a new “Balanced” 40Hz graphics mode for displays that support 120Hz.

The purpose of VRR is supposed to be that it will reduce framerate drops and other graphical issues that these games tend to occasionally face. Variable Refresh Rate will sync the framerate of the game to the monitor, which should help reduce problems like screen tearing and framerate drops, just in general.

It is important to note that HFR mode does not guarantee that players will see 120FPS. 120Hz isn’t 120 FPS, after all. It just means that the screen refreshes 120 times every second. It can, however, increase frame rate and reduce input lag, but it is not going to guarantee players 120FPS.

VRR will automatically activate for users who have a PlayStation 5 connected to an HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TV or monitor, and it can also be used on games that don’t support Variable Refresh Rate. This can, however, lead to graphical issues.

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Horizon Forbidden West's 1.17 update also fixes a number of issues

In addition to these major features, Horizon Forbidden West’s 1.17 update also fixed a number of crashes, and the patch notes noted that they are looking into many community-reported issues.

A number of quests, both in the main story and side content, were also fixed, which should make gameplay significantly better. Four issues with main story quests were fixed, and two side quests were appropriately fixed.

Dreadwings should stop remaining cloaked when locked down, and Apex Clawstrider Hearts will no longer be listed as “Valuables to Sell.” It is a lengthy set of changes, with some being more important than others, like the “Ultra Hard” difficulty. It will now clarify that this difficulty level cannot be adjusted once confirmed.

On the weapons front, Elemental Arrows fired from fully upgraded bows would destroy canisters instead of just detonating them. Elite Precision Arrows with “Iriv’s Downfall” will now deal additional damage to enemies who are “Brittle.”

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.

It was a massive update for Horizon Forbidden West by Guerilla Games, where it gains some graphical updates through VRR and also fixes a number of gameplay issues that players should be looking forward to.