You Can Push the Google Pixel 6a’s Display to 90Hz

A modder has discovered a way to push the refresh rate of the Google Pixel 6a’s display to 90Hz.

Each of the entries in the Pixel 6 lineup features a unique display: the Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate; the Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate; and the Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate. But now it seems the Pixel 6a could be limited by software, not hardware.

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A number of Pixel 6a owners—including 9to5Google contributor Max Weinbach(Opens in a new window) and The Verge senior editor Sean Hollister(Opens in a new window)—have confirmed that the mod supplied by “The Lunarixus” works on their devices. (I don’t have a Pixel 6a on-hand for testing.) But there are some important caveats that could stop most people from using the mod.

The first is that not everyone(Opens in a new window) could get the mod to work on their device at first(Opens in a new window). Installing the mod is a fairly complex process, although The Verge reports that The Lunarixus is working on a custom ROM that will simplify installation, and even if the steps are followed correctly there’s no guarantee the refresh rate will increase.

The second is that some testers noticed a green tint on their displays after they installed the mod. Not everyone had this problem, but having a noticeable color accuracy problem will probably outweigh the benefits of increasing the Pixel 6a’s refresh rate by 30Hz, at least for people using the device as their primary smartphone.

The third is that it’s not clear what kind of impact this mod can have on a Pixel 6a. The Lunarixus says:

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“With that being said,” The Lunarixus says(Opens in a new window), “I’m not going to claim it causes 0 damage, as stated Google opted to run an s6e3fc3 controller at 60Hz and until a statement from Samsung Display or Google comes out we won’t know the reasoning behind the removal of the frequency.”

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

All of which leaves us with a mod that can make Google’s mid-range smartphone better than it comes out of the box… as long as it doesn’t result in a distracting green tint or damage the hardware in unexpected ways. This will be worth keeping an eye on as The Lunarixus improves the installation process and more people test the mod.