The present disclosure utilizes deactivated cylinders in a variable displacement engine to control the torsional vibration of a crankshaft. In a deactivated mode, deactivated cylinders are compressed and expanded by a reciprocating piston, but they are doing no net work and still causing an oscillating torque on the crankshaft. The present disclosure utilizes this oscillating torque to counter torque from the active cylinders. This is done through controlling the gas pressure in the deactivated cylinders by using intake and exhaust values to equalize the pressure between the cylinder and ports. The optimum gas pressure in deactivated cylinders to minimize total torque fluctuations is approximately one-half that of the active cylinders. A closed control loop adjusts gas pressure in the deactivated cylinders to cancel out torque from the active cylinders.