30fps feels better than 60fps. What?

[Joo]

This is a first for me. I've been a lucky owner of a PS5 for almost half a year now and basically every game has been better at 60fps.

Just got my hands on AC Valhalla a couple days ago and to my surprise, no matter how many times I switch between the perf/quality modes, 60 fps just feels so floaty. It's like there's absolutely no weight to main character, when interacting with the world or in combat. Your mighty Viking ship feels like you're steering an inflatable boat because it feels light as a feather.

However 30 fps is still smooth to me in this game, especially once I've played like 5 minutes to adjust from the higher frame rate. Only real, lasting difference is that 30 fps mode adds some real sense of weight to everything. For me this feeling of "presence" I guess, is much more important than fast response times in a game like Valhalla.

Of course 60fps has lower input lag and better visual clarity in fast motion, which can make you better at combat, but I don't think it really matters in a game like this, and I'm playing on hard.

I have no idea why I feel like this with this one, single game. Take Tlou2, 60fps mode doesn't feel floaty at all and is way better than 30. Games like Sekiro and Apex are absolutely amazing at locked 60 on PS5 and make both feel like new games compared to my old base PS4. Control feels like a stuttery mess at 30 when compared to 60fps mode. What gives?

For the record I'm playing on a Sony X950H, so I guess it has better response times than your average tv to make Valhalla's 30fps feel better in theory, but I don't think it makes any real difference.

So Era, 60fps is praised to high heaven here and the wretched 30fps even seems to give headaches and other health issues to some, but any games where against all odds you've preferred the 30fps mode and why?

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

60 fps is the ENTRY LEVEL for me.
Anyone who will ever attempt to argue that 30 is fine (or even better) will get archived under the label "Crazy people" as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Deleted member 45840]

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[Red Light Camera]

60fps should be the absolute minimum for a video game.

Compare frames per second: which looks better?

 

[KillLaCam]

Never

 

[Glio]

If they are both equally stable, I always prefer stable 60FPS to 30FPS. (If 60 is very unstable I prefer 30 but we are not talking about that)

I've never been in a situation like you.

 

[snausages]

Maybe 30fps is just hiding how bad the sense of feedback is in Valhalla.

I actually played TLOU1 remastered at 30, because for whatever reason 60 enhanced the artificiality of the game for me. I think because that game was beginning to look outdated at that point anyway

 

[shadowsdarknes]

I enjoyed Ratchet fine in fidelity mode. 60 fps clearly felt better. But I realized my eyes largely adjust after awhile and the overall game frame rate becomes a distant thought.

But no, I can't say 30 ever actually feels better than 60.

 

[F34R]

I'm a 60+ kinda guy.

 

[Ayirek]

Of course 60 fps feels better. But 30 is far from unplayable, and anyone who says 30 is a 'slideshow' or any other such thing is a pretentious, hyperbolic clown who I just cannot take seriously.

 

[Vector]

Stable 60fps is a wonderful experience. A 60fps experience with frequent frame dips is awful though, and I'd rather have a smooth 30fps over it unless I can lower the graphical settings enough to clear 60fps consistently.

 

[Martinski]

60 fps don't just look better in motion but it's also much more responsive

 

[Brutalitops]

I'm convinced those who prefer 30fps are straight up in a Stockholm syndrome situation at this point

 

[dstarMDA]

There is a 30fps mode in Valhalla PS5?

 

[FinFunnels]

I can adjust to 30 FPS if it's my only choice, but I don't like it. Playing stuff like Assassin's Creed and GTA at 60 FPS+ feels revolutionary and makes me never want to play those types of games on consoles ever again.

 

[Resident Guru]

60 fps is the ENTRY LEVEL for me.
Anyone who will ever attempt to argue that 30 is fine (or even better) will get boxed under the label "Crazy people" as far as I'm concerned.

Click to shrink...

This 1000%. In no universe will 30fps ever be smooth. How people can be ok with the input latency and motion clarity issues of 30 fps when there is a 60 fps mode option available is something I'll never understand.

 

[Thorn]

In Rifts Apart I tried out the 30 fps mode just to see how it looked. I thought "okay looks nice I spose" then I tried out 60 fps mode and never looked back. Its a WORLD of difference.

 

[silva1991]

I was gonna pick always 60, but then I remembered I played the latest Ratchet at 30fps because I wanted maximum visuals. So depends I guess. Mostly always.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Era:

 

[Mockasin]

Stable 30fps > 60fps with constant dips

Stable 60fps >>> Stable 30fps

 

[Linus815]

60 fps doesnt make things less weighty, it literally just adds motion clarity........ yeah, i prefer my games not to be a blurry mess while moving the camera, thanks.

I played 10 hrs of AC:V on Ps4 pro before getting the PS5, and then continued there. The difference is night and day, its much more enjoyable on the PS5 at 60 fps.

Similiarly, played Odysesy to full completion on PC at around 80-120 fps, then played it on the Ps4 pro and thought the combat was significantly less enjoyable due to 30 fps.

 

[rickyson33]

I only play games if I can play them at 1 fps

when its slowed down to that level you really savor those frames

 

[xstaticprocess]

Nope, 60fps is always better, and I'd almost say it's a minimum requirement for me at this point

 

[Beatle]

If your brain plasticity is naturally high enough, 30 or 60 is something you will quickly get use to

 

[Deleted member 92915]

.

 

[fourfourfun]

I don't prefer 30fps, but I also have no issue if it is my only option. I also can happily get through OG Blighttown and Age Of Calamity. It isn't really a point of contention.

 

[Joo]

Maybe 30fps is just hiding how bad the sense of feedback is in Valhalla.

I actually played TLOU1 remastered at 30, because for whatever reason 60 enhanced the artificiality of the game for me. I think because that game was beginning to look outdated at that point anyway

Click to shrink...

Yeah you might be onto something.

Whether 30fps hides the lacklustre feedback in Valhalla or not, it just makes the MC feel way more connected to the game world.

Especially with the combat at 30fps you kinda lose a bit on responsiveness but the added sense of feedback makes it feel much better as a whole to me.

Never really had a similar situation with any game. Quite strange really.

 

[convo]

God Hand managed to be a good game at 30fps, things don't become unplayable. Stable framerates are nice though but maybe this VRR thing can even things out with some suboptimal performance. Once people throw around their 360fps Gaming monitors, they are either really into esports or just don't know where to throw all this horsepower at anymore.

 

[Glio]

I'm thinking that what you say happened to you reminds me of some reviews of The Hobbit when it was released at 48fps (Double the standard 24FPS).

Many people complained that he saw it strange and it was because it seemed more theater than cinema.

 

[dunkzilla]

60fps no matter what. Above that when possible.

 

[Deleted member 9035]

60 fps is the ENTRY LEVEL for me.
Anyone who will ever attempt to argue that 30 is fine (or even better) will get archived under the label "Crazy people" as far as I'm concerned.

Click to shrink...

I think once foveated rendering - or equivalent solutions for non VR platforms - becomes more widespread, this debate will change. I think it's pretty clear that our eyes don't perceive the world at a single framerate, and that the frequency with which we update our visual perception varies greatly over our field of vision.

 

[Olli]

Bleurgh. I had to switch from performance to quality on valhalla around 40 hours in due to the horrendous screen tearing issues in Jorvik (ps5). Feels like absolute ass even if it does look better.

Doesn't help that oled and it's instant response time make 30fps actually feel worse in alot of games.

 

[nsilvias]

Some games are just designed specifically with 30 fps in mind either because they aren't animated at higher fps or the physics are tied to fps so it throws the feel of the game into wack

 

[leng jai]

Newer AC games always feel mega floaty and weightless.

 

[mercuralia]

I played Rift Apart at 30fps for the extra visual fidelity, with the intent of playing through challenge mode at 60fps. Once I did change, it looked weird. Not worse, but weird coming from 20 hours of 30fps, so I put it back.

Basically I only find 30fps difficult to play when it's a first-person game with constant dips or bad frame-pacing (like Dishonored 2 on consoles), or a sports/racing game. I don't really care too much for 60fps unless I start a play session at 60, because the sudden change will be jarring.

60 fps is the ENTRY LEVEL for me.
Anyone who will ever attempt to argue that 30 is fine (or even better) will get archived under the label "Crazy people" as far as I'm concerned.

Click to shrink...

Fun.

I'd say I'm more confused by people who refuse to try games that only run at 30fps, nevermind calling people crazy for thinking it's fine.

 

[jroc74]

So....Rift Apart has me changing my mind on this.

It depends on the game/how its all implemented. The 30fps option in that game is really, really good. I didnt use 60fps once. Only for seeing which to choose.

Miles I chose 60fps for the most part.

 

[RK9]

I find 60fps zealots particularly annoying. There are some games that require it, but most don't.

 

[Xiofire]

Rift Apart, to me, looked atrocious in both of the 60fps modes, so I played that at 30fps with all the bells and whistles.

Normally though, yeah, 60fps every time.

I selected "Depends on the game"

 

[jroc74]

60 fps is the ENTRY LEVEL for me.
Anyone who will ever attempt to argue that 30 is fine (or even better) will get archived under the label "Crazy people" as far as I'm concerned.

Click to shrink...

Takes like these are weird.....

I find 60fps zealots particularly annoying. There are some games that require it, but most don't.

Click to shrink...

Thank you.

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I played mostly 30fps games my whole life and after getting XSX I can't go back. Just waiting on 60fps patches.

Games just look and feel awful at 30fps basically.

 

[caff!!!]

Highly prefer 60 FPS, if not 144 FPS because I prefer the smooth, but I could see 30 FPS with some good object motion blur and higher internal game logic rate be not bad. At least 20 FPS with drops or worse no limiter ala N64 aren't the norm anymore.

 

[Adulfzen]

60 fps will always be better but people who act condescending towards others who find 30 fps fine are assholes like some of the posters in this thread.

 

[MrCibb]

I've not had the same experience as you, I haven't played that game, but I think I understand what you mean. And I guess it depends on how games implement things. There's lots of techniques to make 30 FPS feel smoother and stuff. Maybe that's just a very good one.

If we're talking performance/visual kind of modes some games have now I'd always choose the 60 FPS if I have the option to, but a steady framerate is what matters most to me. I hate dropping frames, that really annoys me. So if a game is dropping noticeably below 60, I would instead choose the 30 option.

 

[Galava]

It really depends on the frametime graph for each game. If a game has a completely flat frametime graph at 30, but not quite so at 60, then 30 would feel smoother.

The answer is always freeSync/Gsync. I try to aim for 60, but if it's inconsistent af and I'm playing with a controller, then I'll lock it down to 30 (if on my TV, on my gsync monitor I don't bother, just let it fluctuate)

 

[Glio]

I find 60fps zealots particularly annoying. There are some games that require it, but most don't.

Click to shrink...

It's like moviegoers who tell you that if you haven't seen a movie at the cinema, it doesn't count.

Yeah obviously cinema is a better experience, but people don't have to be so inflexible, sometimes a TV is fine.

 

[Cheesy]

Sorry but higher frame rates make for an objectively better playing experience. I played on console for years and it's such a night and day difference going onto hardware that can handle higher framerates. That's not to say 30 fps is unplayable, like I said I've played console for years, but given the choice higher frames will always come first. If I had a PS5 with Ratchet I would absolutely give the lower framerate but prettier graphics setting a go, but would still likely go back to higher framerates.

 

[Deleted member 50232]

60fps every single time.

 

[Izunavis]

Will always choose 60 anytime I can choose it. But a stable 30 really isn't blasphemous to me as it is to some folks. I'll get used to it after a few minutes of play, so I don't mind as long as the framerate is stable.

 

[bes.gen]

yet to see any game not feeling hugely improved from switching 30 to 60fps.( and played all the examples mentioned from valhalla yo rift apart)
30 fps is currently something i just tolarate, if there is no performance mode.

 

[Sprat]

I always lock to 30 even on PC for this exact reason.

I find games at 60 feel like the character is skating over the world