40fps are the way forward for consoles and handhelds

[Red Kong XIX]

Pros

• Smoothness is much better than the rather small jump of only 10fps would imply
• Visual fidelity very similar to 30fps modes
• Input latency is much better

Cons

• Not every TV/Display supports it
• Impacts battery life on handhelds compared to 30fps

I already play every game that allows it in 40fps, it is the perfect sweet spot between smoothness and fidelity. Not every TV or Display supports it though, it needs 120hz/VRR, so I think they still should provide a 30fps mode for people who can't use the 40fps mode. A 40fps target also seems more achievable than a 60fps one on consoles and handhelds.

Here is the DF video on the topic when Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart first introduced their 40fps mode:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXi7uO7wxdc

Here is Alex talking about 40fps on the Steam Deck (timestamped):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF8NzlBiaOM&t=521s

 

[Vexii]

40fps is goated

 

[PucePikmin]

Yeah... would require mass upgrading of TVs for it to be the standard. Not happening.

 

[jett]

Nah, not interested in this weirdo middle ground. Give me a 60fps baseline.

 

[th1nk]

For full-on action games I's rather still have 60+ fps, but for more cinematic experiences 40 fps is a hell of a lot better than 30 fps, yes.

 

[rodeo_chirb]

I feel like the TV con is a pretty huge one

 

[Foot]

Nah, not interested in this weirdo middle ground. Give me a 60fps baseline.

Click to shrink...

This is how I feel.

 

[Ouroboros]

Yeah, I love 40fps on the steam deck. It is very hard for me to tell between 40 and 60fps. But If I'm being honest, If I'm spending $500 on a 'next gen' console, there should be a 60fps option.

 

[Gonzito]

Nah, 30 fps is fine

 

[super-famicom]

The 40fps Life on Steam Deck is amazing. I'd definitely like to see it supported on all new handhelds in the future. I'll stick with high refresh rates on desktop though.

 

[scare_crow]

Eh, 30 is fine.

 

[Jawbreaker]

40 FPS still doesn't feel great. 60 should be the floor.

 

[MattDoza]

Isn't VRR usually why this route works? Not to mention the games that seem to take advantage of it also can be run at 60fps with other optimized settings.

Nah, the way forward is options. Not a singular performance optimization.

 

[BassForever]

30 is fine, I'd rather you maximize graphics at a stable 30fps, or do what you need to do for a stable 60fps.

 

[Tsunami561]

i'd rather get a PC and play at 60 than spend >800€ on a 120hz tv for a 40fps compomise

 

[Red Kong XIX]

Yeah... would require mass upgrading of TVs for it to be the standard. Not happening.

Click to shrink...

True, thats why they still should provide a base 30fps mode, for the people who don't have a 120hz/VRR TV or display yet.

 

[Grunty]

Nothing wrong with 30 fps.

 

[Deleted member 8852]

Console games not being able to lock 60 FPS on performance mode is unacceptable.

 

[Bengraven]

40 in Spider-man on Steam Deck looks a lot more smoother than 30 looked on my PS4, but I'm not sure how wide that gap would be if I were playing on a larger screen.

 

[DanteMenethil]

On steamdeck capping at 40fps feels huge for the 10 additional FPS

 

[Linus815]

Yeah... would require mass upgrading of TVs for it to be the standard. Not happening.

Click to shrink...

I dunno why people are always like this when something relatievly new comes around.
120hz panels are pretty standard even on cheap tv's now. Games would still support 30 fps if you don't have a 120 hz panel.
Tech is going forward all the time.

 

[Nene]

Why would you want to downgrade to 40fps when 60fps has been the standard for decades?
Have console gamers been beaten down so much that they think 40fps is an improvement?

 

[Gitaroo]

45fps with VRR, that should be the baseline for most games I feel like. 40fps still isn't smooth enough for my brain.

 

[Teiresias]

Isn't VRR usually why this route works?

Click to shrink...

So long as the framerate is 40fps locked and the display supports real 120Hz refresh, the game/console can just duplicate the frames to give even frame pacing within the 120Hz refresh of the display. This doesn't require VRR.

 

[logash]

I don't care about 60 fps as much as long as the visuals or the scope warrant it. Zelda is my game of the year so far and I didn't even think about the performance.

 

[Dan-o]

If they can't hit a solid 60fps, I'd absolutely take a solid 40fps over variable, but I won't personally complain about 30fps either.

 

[ResetEraUser]

Not many people can answer this, since most of us don't have a TV capable of 40fps. Thus it's hard for us to judge if it's worth the investment.

 

[LetalisAmare]

It should absolutely be an option. It annoys me when a game releases and it's not an option.

 

[Ascenion]

45fps with VRR, that should be the baseline for most games I feel like. 40fps still isn't smooth enough for my brain.

Click to shrink...

You do realize that 45fps wouldn't work on PS5 right? VRR has ranges, the most common being 48-120hz. Anything below that VRR can't help unless you're using freesync or Gsync.

 

[MadeULook]

I'm down with 40 FPS but only if 60 isn't achievable in a game. I've found 40 to be a great middle ground for visuals and smoothness but my personal preference will always be 60.

I'd take a stable 30 or 40 over a unstable 60 though. Fluctuating framerates are no fun and are hard on the eyes no matter the target.

 

[Red Kong XIX]

40 in Spider-man on Steam Deck looks a lot more smoother than 30 looked on my PS4, but I'm not sure how wide that gap would be if I were playing on a larger screen.

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It has a similar effect on big screens imo. The PS4 version doesn't have it, but Spidey and Miles on PS5 both have 40fps modes and it has become my favorite way to play these.

 

[Shiz Padoo]

After doing it mostly on Steam Deck and my PC I agree. But even 30fps when done properly is absolutely acceptable. Totally fine.

 

[mcruz79]

40fps is really really good on my C1.
Its much more smooth, specially when rotating the camera with R3, than the typical 30fps and it can make gameplay much more precise also.
Its ok to have always the 60fps for people that doesn't care for lowering visual quality and resolution for more performance but making 40fps mandatory instead of just 30 would be really cool.

It really makes a big difference for me on gameplay.

 

[Nameless]

40fps should be the absolute minimum and 60fps should be the standard. Especially in an age where video is more important than pretty screenshots, framerate shouldn't be treated as the second-class citizen in a game's presentation. Push fidelity and CPU budgets as a high as you can while adhering to that 60fps target.

30fps looks bad(in motion) and feels bad and needs to be abolished.

 

[Kingdom Key]

Hell no. 40fps is still a nightmare on an OLED TV.

 

[ZeroNoir_]

I do 40 fps even in a 75hz monitor because it feels better than 30 fps. Yes I'm weird

 

[Praedyth]

Nope. I don't think there's any right answer for the target framerate, but I think the biggest lesson for this gen is that players want more options on consoles.

 

[Cassius Africanus]

You know what, I agree with this. It's a good point between performance and practicality. Of course it would be awesome if 60 was the baseline, but that doesn't support reality or the information we have so finding a good compromise is the next best option.

 

[Orayn]

It's definitely a useful option to have going forward and we'll see more of it as the generation progresses. I could see Starfield having a 40 FPS "perf" mode.

 

[RedHeat]

I wish devs allowed unlocked FPS without the need of VRR. Of course the screen tearing might be unbearable, but gimme all the juice my console has!

 

[MattDoza]

You do realize that 45fps wouldn't work on PS5 right? VRR has ranges, the most common being 48-120hz. Anything below that VRR can't help unless you're using freesync or Gsync.

Click to shrink...

I honestly didn't realize this. Huh. Interesting.

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Nope. Playing in 60fps on my PS5 has spoiled me.


I want 60fps in anything and everything I can get now.

 

[mosdl]

I got a LG C2 recently and tried the 40fps mode in Horizon FW and found it better than 30 but moving the camera/etc still felt a bit jittery compared to 60. Still not sold on it.

 

[Devil]

The vast majority probably doesn't have a 120hz TV.

Also, Ragnarok at around 90fps was a bliss. I want more options ABOVE 60fps and not below. And I'll gladly buy a Pro version of the current gen consoles if required.

 

[Magnus]

I've only tried it with the insomniac ps5 games on my LG C9. To be honest, it looked kind of barfy to me. Couldn't get used to it. Switched back to performance and haven't looked back.

 

[JonnyTorso]

I mean, if there's a 60 and 40fps mode sure. 40 is certainly better than 30 on capable displays, but unless the game is hard CPU limited at 40 I would always prefer a 60 mode.

 

[Musubi]

120hz TV owners stay winning.

 

[jstevenson]

I've only tried it with the insomniac ps5 games on my LG C9. To be honest, it looked kind of barfy to me. Couldn't get used to it. Switched back to performance and haven't looked back.

Click to shrink...

One man's barf is another man's treasure! 😂

 

[PucePikmin]

I dunno why people are always like this when something relatievly new comes around.
120hz panels are pretty standard even on cheap tv's now. Games would still support 30 fps if you don't have a 120 hz panel.
Tech is going forward all the time.

Click to shrink...

Lots of people bought 4K TVs before 120hz became more common, and they're not upgrading. 4K looks good enough for them, they don't need the relatively small upgrades VRR brings. The OP said 40fps is the "way forward," implying it will become a new standard. It won't. It will be a rarely used option only implemented by a few very polished, technologically-focused games.

 

[sha1ashaska22]

I'm in as soon as LG or Sony makes a new OLED with passive 3D added back in. My 2016 model (the last year with 3D) doesn't support 40fps so I can't say I've tried it but it makes sense. But I won't buy a non-3D TV until this TV is dead.