30 FPS vs 60 FPS: Both Options Are Perfectly Fine, but they Are Situational

The issue of frame rate comes up periodically in the gaming community, with camps mostly split between 30 and 60 frames per second. Yet, it’s a much more complex dilemma than what many tend to imagine.

[freshslicepizza]

on the pc you can have the best of both worlds, fast frame rates and high visuals, on the consoles its usually one or the other with a few excpetions. i would rather they sacrifice the visuals a bit and instead focus on frame rates.

[ThatGuyDart]

Like the article states, it would depend on the situation. A game like Uncharted 4 for instance is fine at 30fps as long as it's stable. On the other hand, FPS's, fighting genre and racing genre should all be 60fps because of their split second gameplay.

[sullynathan]

Naughty dog knows that their games would be better in 60fps. That's why The last of us remastered is 60fps and it's why uncharted 4's multiplayer mode is in 60fps

[starchild]

All other things being equal 60fps is ALWAYS better than 30fps, no matter which genre we are talking about. 60fps gives you much more clarity while games are in motion (higher temporal resolution), and it also gives you lower latency and better controller response.

What I mean by "all other things being equal" is that sometimes you could argue that the limited hardware resources could be better spent on other aspects of the graphics or game design.

But given the exact same game running at 30fps or 60fps the higher framerate is always superior.

[bluefox755]

The thing is, for many people, the perceivable benefit of going from a rock solid 30fps to 60fps is minimal. Which is why the demand is so low on consoles, outside of competitive shooters and such.

[FlyingFoxy]

@bluefox755

Sorry but there is a large difference, 30fps = 33ms in response, 60fps = 16ms response, 120fps = 8ms response. I've been using a 120hz 1080p screen for the last few years and there is a big difference playing at 90-100+fps, even dipping into the 50's and 60's you can feel and see the difference. It's just so buttery smooth.

I'm about to upgrade to a 24" Dell 1440p 165hz Gsync screen and i aint going back to 60hz, because even if your current hardware can't fully handle it, there are no downsides, whereas if you went something like 4k resolution it's just going to bog down frame rates and the only option is waiting for more powerful hardware or turning down settings, with high refresh rate the benefit is there if you can reach that high fps to match, with no penalty if you can't.

And if anyone is wondering why 24", it's because currently all the other 27" 1440p screens suffer from pixel inversion, the Dell s2417dg doesn't, and viewing closer = bigger screen anyways.

[freshslicepizza]

insomniac did a study and found that more people support better graphics than 60fps, which is why they now do 30fps games. nintendo is one of the few that still believes in faster response times in a lot of their games but they are not going for high end graphics either.

[bluefox755]

@FlyingFoxy Way to miss the point, I said "perceivable benefit for many". Take your average, non-tech savvy gamer, let them try a solid 30fps game, then have them play a 60fps, how many people do you think will instantly say: "Oh, this is much smoother!" Not many I'd wager, unless you tell them what they're looking for ahead of time. I've done similar tests with my friends over the years in PC gaming. I'm not saying there is no benefit to 60 over 30 (I much prefer 60 myself), I'm not saying that serious gaming enthusiasts won't immediately tell the difference, I am saying for most gamers, it's not a big deal, if noticeable at all.

[Destiny1080]

is there any pc gamers that played the original crisis at 60 fps but yet most absolutely loved it

all racers are 60fps, most shooters, all beat em ups

a lot console games are designed with 30 fps in mind and so are the enemies, as long as the enemies are not jumping around like jack rabbits 30 fps is fine

[Manashake]

Playing Tomb Raider, and 60fps is so fantastic, if used right. Dragon Quest Heroes was unplayable for me. Locked 30 is also good. Anything less is a torture.

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

Damage control article to defend these Underpowered consoles.

My pc runs all games at 60fps+

[akurtz]

so 30fps is damaged? lol

[yarbie1000]

Yes...Yes it is

[JonnyBigBoss]

It's called rationalizing irrationality. It's a defense mechanism.

[Last_Boss]

With Diablo 3 awesom3!!

[bluefox755]

How can you be so excited about Zelda then, it will run at a paltry 900p and 30fps....

[Vegamyster]

My preference will always be 60 fps, having better visuals is nice but having the crisper gameplay in the long run is more enjoyable, the only real exceptions for me are games like Fire Emblem or turn based FF games.

[Athos]

30fps locked is the bottom of the barrel and honestly a crime if used for racers or fighters. Anything under 30 is honestly just terrible and there is no excuse for it. I primarily play on my gaming rigs and only use consoles for exclusives simply because I cannot handle the crap frame rates of console games.

[Gamist2dot0]

We all prefer 60fps regardless of the genre but when developers try to go inane with the game design, it becomes challenge for gamers to keep up.
Am I ok with 30fps??? Yes, I have to especially when the games are exclusive to PS4 console. When I completed Bloodborne, not once did I stop and think about the frame pacing issues. I only recognize it when some people pointed it out.
In the end, I play games for the fun factor and immersion anyway. A great game at 30fps will not deter me from enjoying it. A bad game at 60fps will.

[sullynathan]

Actually 60 fps is preferred and every game should have it. Thankfully, good amount of console games this year are in 60fps or have the option.

[bluefox755]

Here's the thing, most people will readily admit that more frames = better, BUT this always comes a cost. In order to make the jump from 30 to 60, you will either need a substantial power increase, or be willing to make concessions with regard to the graphical settings and/or resolution. Considering that the average gamer is perfectly fine with 30fps, and many will perceive little to no improvement (especially for slower paced games), you begin to understand why devs focus on pretty over performance. It comes down to supply and demand, just like everything else.

I do most of my gaming on PC, so it's usually 60fps, but I gotta admit, 30fps is just not a big deal on some games. Switching between multiplayer and singleplayer on Uncharted 4 was not jarring at all for me, while i could tell the difference, the experience still felt smooth and solid, even at 30...it just did. Now would I feel this way about CS:GO? Of course not. I understand there are some "never 30fps" people out there, that refuse to play on anything less than 60 for any type of game, but you gotta understand, you are a tiny minority. Most people are cool with a solid 30. If this wasn't the case, you can bet the developers would be bending over backwards to meet this new consumer demand. Most people just want a fun game that plays well and looks nice without sweating the details.

[Pandamobile]

I can't even remember the last time I played game at 30 FPS. It really kills the fun and immersion factors for me.

[Mithan]

There is no situation. 60fps is better.

[VoodooProject]

Why not push for 99fps locked like PC's. ? Just as long there is no screen tearing

[r3f1cul]

honestly there is no situation... story based game or not where 60 isnt just immensely better to look at and feel while playing a game... defend 30 all you want but its just not good ... and too argue that a higher smoother frame rate isnt always better just seems like the most ridiculous and naive argument i can possibly think of

[DialgaMarine]

I've come to the conclusion that 60 FPS is a necessity for competitive multiplayer, while 30 FPS is fine for single player/ co-op games. If a game can be 60 across the board, that's great, but it's not needed imo

[Yohshida]

60FPS > Resolution, Graphics
All day every day I take Performance over graphics

[Srelhow]

Situational no...... All games no mater the situation look and feel better at 60fps vs 30fps.