A modder has discovered a way to increase the refresh rate of the Google Pixel 6a screen to 90 Hz.
Each entry in the Pixel 6 line comes with 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 screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate; and the Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate. But now it looks like the Pixel 6a might be limited by software, not hardware.
Several Pixel 6a owners, including 9to5Google contributor Max Weinbach and The Verge senior editor Sean Hollister, have confirmed that the mod provided by “The Lunarixus” works on their devices. (I don’t have a Pixel 6a on hand to test.) But there are some important caveats that could prevent most people from using the mod.
The first is that not everyone would be able to get the mod to work on their device at first. 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 are no guarantees that the refresh rate will increase.
The second is that some testers noticed a green tint on their screens after installing the mod. Not everyone had this problem, but having a noticeable color accuracy problem will likely outweigh the benefits of increasing the Pixel 6a’s refresh rate by 30Hz, at least for people who use the device as their primary smartphone .
The third is that it’s unclear what kind of impact this mod might have on a Pixel 6a. Lunarixus says:
“That said,” says The Lunarixus, “I’m not going to claim it does 0 damage, as Google said they chose to run a s6e3fc3 driver at 60Hz and until a statement comes out from Samsung Display or Google, we won’t . know the reasoning behind the removal of the frequency.”
Google did not 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 cause a distracting green tint or damage the hardware in unexpected ways. It’s worth keeping an eye on as The Lunarixus improves the installation process and more people try the mod.