What Does 120 FPS Mean for Gaming?

Hey there gaming friend! If you‘ve heard about terms like FPS (frames per second) and refresh rates but are unsure what it all means, I‘ve got you covered. As a gaming tech expert, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about frame rates and why 120 FPS has become the new gold standard for a smooth gaming experience.

What is FPS?

Let‘s start with the basics. FPS stands for frames per second, and it refers to how many unique consecutive images your game renders on screen every second.

For example, at 30 FPS a game displays 30 unique frames every second. At 60 FPS, it displays 60 frames every second. And so on.

The more frames rendered every second, the smoother and more fluid the graphics and gameplay feel. This is because there is less visual lag between each image frame your eye sees.

Higher FPS makes fast motion like driving and panning your camera feel incredibly smooth and responsive, especially in competitive multiplayer games where split second reactions matter.

Why High FPS Matters for Gaming

Here are the key benefits you‘ll experience with higher frame rates:

• Lower input lag – The delay between pressing a button and seeing the result on screen is significantly reduced. At 30 FPS input lag can feel sluggish.

• Smoother animations – Higher FPS makes camera movements and character animations much more fluid and natural.

• Reduced motion blur – Fast moving objects exhibit less motion blur, so everything looks sharper during action.

• Faster reactions – With lower input lag and smoother visuals, you can react quicker and improve your gameplay skills.

Professional esports gamers absolutely need high FPS to stay competitive. But even for casual gaming, you‘ll appreciate how smooth and responsive gameplay feels at 100+ FPS.

Comparing Common Frame Rates

Not all frame rates are equal. Here‘s how some common numbers compare:

• 24-30 FPS – The bare minimum needed for playable games. However graphics and controls will feel quite sluggish and unresponsive at 30 FPS.

• 60 FPS – The current standard target for smoothly playable games, especially on consoles. 60 FPS offers decent responsiveness for most gaming.

• 120 FPS – A very noticeable improvement over 60 FPS. You gain a competitive edge in multiplayer games thanks to incredibly fluid motion and quick reactions.

• 144+ FPS – Diminishing returns start beyond 120 FPS as the differences become smaller. Only professionals may benefit going higher than 144 Hz monitors.

Let‘s examine some frame rate examples in popular competitive games to illustrate the impact FPS has on gameplay:

Game	30 FPS	60 FPS	120+ FPS
Fortnite	Sluggish, laggy	Smooth, playable	Extremely fluid, ultra low input lag
Valorant	Choppy, delayed reactions	Decent responsiveness	Lightning fast reactions
COD: Warzone	Blurry, hard to track targets	Sharp visuals	Pinpoint target tracking

As you can see, competitive multiplayer games really come alive at 120+ FPS where responsiveness is maximized.

When High FPS Matters Most

You‘ll benefit most from 120+ FPS in these types of games:

• Online shooters – Fortnite, Apex Legends, Valorant, Overwatch
• MOBAs – League of Legends, DOTA 2
• Fighting games – Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter
• Racing / Sports games – Need for Speed, FIFA, Madden, NBA 2K

For slower paced, cinematic single player games like Red Dead Redemption 2, a steady 60 FPS is often perfectly fine.

The extra fluidity and responsiveness of 120 FPS can still be nice for action RPGs like Elden Ring or platformers like Super Mario Odyssey. But it isn‘t as critical as for competitive multiplayer titles.

Hardware for 120 FPS Gaming

To enjoy games at 120+ FPS, you‘ll need:

• A 120+ Hz monitor – This displays 120+ frames every second sent from your GPU. 60 Hz monitors max out at 60 FPS.

• Powerful PC or latest consoles – Modern AMD/Nvidia GPUs and CPUs are required to render over 100 FPS consistently. Xbox Series X and PS5 also now support up to 120 FPS.

• Optimize game settings – Turn off VSync and FPS caps. Lower resolutions like 1080p can help maximize frame rates if needed.

With the right setup, here are average FPS benchmarks in some popular games at 1440p resolution:

Game	Average FPS (1440p)
Valorant	260 FPS
Fortnite	180 FPS
Apex Legends	140 FPS
Battlefield V	115 FPS

As you can see, with a modern gaming PC you can achieve buttery smooth 120+ FPS even at 1440p resolution in many popular multiplayer titles!

Diminishing Returns Past 120 FPS

There certainly are diminishing returns once you go above 120 FPS or 144 FPS.

For example, tests have shown even pro esports gamers have trouble telling much difference between 200 FPS and 360 FPS. The reactions and visual improvements continue getting smaller.

For most gamers, 120 FPS or 144 FPS offers an excellent balance between incredibly fluid motion and not overworking your hardware for minimal gains.

Of course competitive gamers seeking every tiny advantage will aim for the highest FPS possible with monitors capable of 240 Hz or even 360 Hz refresh rates.

But for casual gaming, you want to find a frame rate that feels smooth for you without sacrificing too much graphical quality just to chase extremely high FPS.

Resolution vs Frame Rate

Let‘s also discuss the relationship between resolution and FPS.

Higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K put more strain on your graphics card, making it harder to maintain high FPS.

For example, a GPU may put out 140 FPS at 1080p but only 80 FPS at 4K in a game.

Competitive gamers will often lower resolution to increase frame rates and get an edge. For pretty single player experiences, higher resolutions like 4K are preferred.

The right balance depends on the game and your preferences. But with the proper hardware you can enjoy smooth FPS even at higher resolutions these days.

Achieving Consistent FPS

When evaluating gaming smoothness, consistency is also crucial – not just peak FPS numbers.

Frame pacing refers to whether frames are delivered evenly over time or whether there is stuttering.

A game that runs at 130 FPS on average but frequently dips below 60 FPS will feel less smooth than a steady 90 FPS with proper frame pacing.

Optimizing your game settings and hardware is key to not just high but consistent frame rates. FPS monitoring tools help keep track.

Syncing Your Display

Finally, let‘s quickly cover syncing your display refresh rate with rendered frames for tear-free gaming.

Screen tearing happens when your GPU sends frames at a different rate than your display is refreshing.

There are two main solutions:

• VSync – Syncs FPS to your monitor‘s refresh rate. Caps FPS at 60 on a 60Hz monitor. Prevents tearing but introduces input lag.

• FreeSync/G-Sync – Adaptively sync monitor refresh to GPU rendered frames. No tearing and minimal lag. Requires compatible hardware.

FPS caps in game settings can also avoid wasting resources above your monitor‘s limit and mitigate tearing.

Finding Your Ideal Frame Rate

I hope this guide has helped explain what frame rates mean for gaming and why 120 FPS is considered the new gold standard!

But aim for the FPS targets that feel best for your enjoyment and hardware capabilities. While competitive gamers demand 240 Hz, 120 FPS brings incredible smoothness for most.

Optimizing your PC or console and display settings makes high frame rates achievable. Give 120+ FPS a try, and you‘ll never want to go back! Let me know if you have any other questions.