Today is the day when the GNOME46 desktop will freeze its UI, functionality, and API/ABI functionality before the stable version is released on March 16. Unfortunately, one feature that may not be available is variable refresh rate (VRR) integration. This Week in GNOME reports on GNOME’s ongoing work around VRR. Especially improvements to the settings user interface, in addition, GNOME also updated VRR background support.

DorAskayo explained that variable refresh rate support for the Mutter native backend has been updated based on the status of GNOME46, Firefox's stuttering issues have been fixed, dynamic frame scheduling is now supported, KMS thread coexistence is connected, and other improvements. But it is still considered an experimental feature, so the gsettings command line experimental feature option needs to be set. Dor said:

"I hope to get more review and test feedback and, if there are no major issues, merge MR in its current form. Since GNOME46 is a bit late in the development cycle, it may or may not happen, but I personally hope it will, depending on the maintainer's decision."

But since the code hasn't been merged yet, and the freeze is scheduled to take place today, it's unclear whether it will make it to GNOME 46 unless it is accepted as a late-stage experimental feature to aid in wider testing.

Regardless, GNOME VRR support will appear in the GNOME47 cycle in the fall, with the latest VRR work benefiting from funding from the German Sovereign Technology Fund.