iPhone 13 Pro 120Hz ProMotion limits third-party apps to 60Hz animations (Updated)
UPDATE: Apple has clarified that developers will be able to take full advantage of the 120Hz display soon. The company says developers will need to add a new Info.plist key to opt-in. Documentation is coming soon. A software update will also fix a bug where animations driven by Core Animation were not able to reach 120Hz refresh rates
One of the biggest new features of iPhone 13 Pro models compared to the standard 13 and 13 mini was the introduction of adaptive 120Hz ProMotion displays. This allows refresh rates ranging from 10Hz all the way to 120Hz, allowing for a smoother user experience. Although with today’s launch, some App Store developers have noticed their apps are not running at 120Hz all the time.
Currently ProMotion allows third-party apps to utilize 120Hz when scrolling or doing full-screen transitions, but animations are a totally different story. Almost all other animations are capped at 60Hz in third-party apps. A workaround has been uncovered that removes this limit for SceneKit and SpriteKit based applications, but it has yet to be seen if Apple will approve.
It’s been mentioned this could just be a bug, but with embedded code serving as evidence it’s highly unlikely.