What Does FPS Mean in Gaming 2020 Review.
FPS Stands for “Frames Per Second.” FPS is used to measure frame rate – the number of consecutive full-screen images that are displayed each second. It is a common specification used in video capture and playback and is also used to measure video game performance
Overview
In-game, FPS constitutes as to how many frames (images) your monitor is displaying each second. The higher the FPS, the smoother and more responsive the game will seem.
In contrast, low frames per secondwill make it appear as though the game is stuttering and will, by extension, make it more difficult and far less enjoyable to play.
If you are new to gaming, be it on PC, on a console, or both, then you are bound to have already heard or seen the acronym “frames per second” used in games and hardware discussions.
Not clear on what frames per second is exactly? Wondering what it means in-game? Then just read on, as we will answer almost all the frames per second-related questions in this article!
What Is FPS?
Let us address the most elemental question in gaming – what really is frames per second?
The acronym stands for “frames-per-second,” and it denotes how many frames your graphics card can render each second and/or how many frames your monitor can display each second.
The former is dependent on your graphics card’s processing power, whereas the latter depends entirely on the monitor’s refresh rate.
FPS may also refer to the First-Person Shooter game genre.
What FPS Should You Have In a Game?
- FPS ratings are usually rounded up to the following:
- 30 frames per second – The most common framerate seen in the majority of console games and on some low-end PCs.
- 60 frames per second – Often regarded as the ideal frame rate, 60 frames per second is only achievable on consoles by certain well-optimized games.
- 120 frames per second – Only achievable on high-end gaming PCs, which are connected to 144Hz refresh rate monitors, 120 FPS is noticeably smoother than 60 frames per second. However, due to high hardware requirements and the inevitably high prices, it remains popular only among enthusiast gamers.
- 240 frames per second – The peak framerate that you can hope to achieve today, 240 FPS, can only be displayed on 240Hz refresh rate monitors, much like 120 FPS is only visible on 144Hz ones. However, the difference between 120 FPS and 240 FPS is nigh-indistinguishable.
What Is The Difference Between Frame rates?
As we have already explained, frames per second constitutes how many frames are displayed on your screen each second. In essence, the more there are, the smoother and more responsive the image will appear.
Imagine, for example, if you were watching something running at 1 frames per second.
This would mean you would see only one image each second, which would result in what looks more like a slideshow than an interactive experience.
But not only will high framerate affect responsiveness, but it will also affect the visual experience, primarily the animations.
Provided that a game has natural-looking animations, they will appear to flow seamlessly in high framerates, although the more outdated games with rougher animation may actually look worse.
Do You Get An Advantage From High FPS?
The answer is most definitely yes, but it may be either more or less than what you might expect, and some people may not get any advantage at all.
So, how does high Frames Per second help?
By seeing more frames onscreen, you will be able to react more swiftly to any changes taking place. On top of that, a more responsive in-game environment allows you to observe and analyze it better in real-time.
Is Higher FPS Better?
Most would unanimously agree that higher is better. However, the truth is that sometimes lower FPS is better in some cases.
Moreover, in some older games or those that don’t use motion capture technology, the animation may seem too clunky at high framerates, as we’ve already mentioned.
Screen Tearing
When your graphics card’s frame output is out of sync with the monitor’s refresh rate you will see screen tearing. When this happens, you will want to turn on V-sync either in your graphics card’s control panel or in the game’s own settings menu.
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