Mozilla has released an emergency update, Firefox 139.0.1, to fix graphical glitches that appeared after the launch of Firefox 139. The earlier version introduced features such as
Full-Page Translations, but also caused visual issues like flickering videos and webpage distortion on computers with NVIDIA graphics cards.
Users reported the problem in discussions on Reddit, explaining that videos would flash or glitch, especially on platforms like Instagram. Mozilla investigated and identified the cause as a change in how Firefox interacts with DirectComposition, a Windows graphics feature. In version 139, Mozilla had removed a blocklist that previously prevented Firefox from using DirectComposition on systems with NVIDIA graphics cards and monitors running at different refresh rates.
This change exposed a bug in the NVIDIA driver on Windows 10. The issue occurred when users played 60 FPS videos on a 60 Hz monitor while scrolling or interacting with a second high-refresh monitor. In these cases, parts of the video display leaked into other browser windows. Videos running at 30 FPS were not affected because the frame timing matched both monitors.
The problem did not occur on systems with a single monitor or on setups using AMD or Intel graphics.
Mozilla clarified that DirectComposition itself is not faulty. The issue resulted from Firefox using a specific method that involves Surfaces rather than Swapchains. A developer noted that a new rendering approach called the Layer Compositor is being developed and will be tested in Firefox Nightly versions to see if it resolves the issue on affected systems.
With the release of Firefox 139.0.1, Mozilla has restored the previous blocklist, which resolves the graphical errors. According to the release notes, the update fixes the corruption seen on systems with NVIDIA graphics cards and multiple monitors operating at different refresh rates. Users can install the update by opening Firefox Settings and checking for updates.
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