Here’s a test that will tell you exactly what are the differences between 30 fps and 60 fps with the help of GIFs. One animation is running at 30 fps and the other at 60 fps.
These GIFs are from Dark Souls. The game has one of the best and sophisticated animation system that is not only fluent but also gives a weighty feeling. However, the game was originally made with 30 fps in mind but some modders manged to unlock a higher framerate and adjust the animation system to take advantage of the higher framerate.
One thing to note is that I am usually a person who can’t find a lot of difference between 30 and 60 fps easily, but this test made me see the error of my ways.
Most developers will most likely go with 30 fps because there isn’t a lot of difference to the naked eye and prefer to do more visual trickery. But this comparison clearly shows that 60 fps can really make a lot of difference. Sluggish animations will be a thing of the past.
Killzone: Shadow Fall is supposed to run at 30 fps, but it’s about time 60 fps is standardized across the board. A higher performance is absolutely vital for a lot of genres and that includes fps. There are of course variable frame rates too and games like God of War 3 and God of War: Ascension utilise that, but standardizing a specific framerate will allow devs to build games with that in mind, and we will never ever see a game with shoddy performance next gen at least on the PS4. Now it is up to you to decide whether you prefer a smooth frame rate or that extra visual oomph. Check out the GIF’s below (Via Tumblr)
Note: Please open the GIFs in a new window/tab to see the difference.
a) GIF 1
Left is higher frame rate
b) GIF 2
Left is higher frame rate
c) GIF 3
Right is higher frame rate
So there you go. Now you know there are slight differences, mostly minor but noticeable between both types of fps and higher fps is always better in most cases. Which one do you prefer?
Most of the developers will be aiming for 30 fps and 1080P for the PS4 but there is a noticeable difference between the two. We expect that developers will making 60 fps as standard, atleast for certain genres like racing and sports games. Whether this will turn out true for complex genres like role playing or open world games, remains to be seen.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
