Refresh Rate

Refresh rate is how often the display redraws, in hertz. Higher can look smoother — but only if the hardware can actually push frames to match, which on a power-limited handheld is often the catch: a 120Hz panel fed 45 fps is mostly marketing. The honest read pairs refresh with what the chip sustains and whether VRR is present. For many handheld games a bright, VRR-capable 60Hz panel beats a dim 120Hz one the silicon cannot feed.