Why 60 frames per second should be the standard for next-gen

We've got the chance to set the standard high. Let's do it right!

Words: Justin Towell on February 7, 2013

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RedHarlow - February 7, 2013 10:35 a.m.

Amazing how a website can go from something very well written like this one day, to "Teh funneiest Zelda memes on teh interwebz" the next day.
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shawksta - February 7, 2013 10:44 a.m.

Stop that, its for their own enjoyment, stop hating fun and variety
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sweetchiliheat - February 7, 2013 10:23 a.m.

Great article Justin. I play on my Xbox a lot more than my PC, so I always notice the increase in FPS when playing a game. Frame rate and graphics are pretty much always inversely related, which is why I'd rather play Far Cry 3 on the lowest settings (but still 1080p) and average 20-30fps. It's much better once you knock it down a notch, but then it stops looking amazing (even the lowest 1080p settings look incredible). Also, when playing Skyrim (PC), I constantly monitor my fps, as it helps me troubleshoot what causes the sudden drops (~20fps from 40-60). Then I can simply adjust the base settings to compensate for the mods that increase visual fidelity. The best example is playing Kirby's Return to Dreamland on a Dolphin Emulator. Most emulated games run fine on their native resolution, but become nearly unplayable at anything higher (I'm looking at you; The Last Story). But Kirby runs smoothly almost always, and a 1920x1080 (or higher sometimes). That, to me, is what every developer should strive for. I know next-gen graphics with 60fps is hard to achieve without some massive hardware behind it, but it's still something I think could be obtained next-gen.
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gryzor - February 7, 2013 10:01 a.m.

60fps has always been Nintendo's standard and bless them for that. Fast moving images with not enough frames can make you nauseous so it's important to have 60 frames for racers and fps. Playing Half-Life 2 on PS3 could get tiresome after a while, not so with Metroid Prime on wii. New DMC feels sluggish but that might be developer's intention cause Bayonetta didn't give me that impression apart from some bonus missions where game visibly dropped frames. Driving in GTAIV is not much fun because of the framerate. Wipeout went 30fps and we won't see it any more. On the other hand non-action based JRPGs could easily go with 30 frames to make visuals nicer. Anyhow no hardware will be enough if developers will not make effort to make quality games with good coding. How do you justify ZOE HD not running in 60fps?
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shawksta - February 7, 2013 9:54 a.m.

Nice article Justin and i can see where your coming from. Although sometimes it doesnt matter to people whose eyes just dont see it, but i will say seeing that 60 FPS trailer of The Wonderful 101 recently was awesome and your right about Mario Kart 7
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JarkayColt - February 7, 2013 9:32 a.m.

Awesome article Justin. Been a while since I've read a good in depth multi-page piece on this site. Unfortunately I don't have robot-eyes like some people, so I've never been able to tell the difference much. WipEout HD runs at 60 right? I know that looks amazing, anyway, and that's all I need. I agree that 'twitch' gameplay would benefit the most, so fighters, racers and shooters I guess? I think you want to know you're getting the smoothest feedback possible. Also, showing my ignorance a bit here, but does this have any bearing over how framerate tends to dip in some games? I think I would rather have games that run smoothly with no dips, even if they have to cut back somewhere else. I've played quite a few games with odd choppy moments and it really irks me. And I think the only (or rather, first) time I ever noticed framerate having an effect was in Pokémon. The 3rd Gen games are among my faves because they run at a slick 60fps. Then, when the series headed to DS (in 3D no less) it went back to 30, and the slugginess was especially apparent.
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GamesRadarJustinTowell - February 7, 2013 10:36 a.m.

Considering you say you don't have the old robot eyes, you're actually spot-on! And yes, dips are the worst. You can get used to any frame rate if you play it enough (not that you should have to), but anything that fluctuates is really annoying and always noticeable. Devs should really look at the busiest a scene can get and optimise to that.
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ObliqueZombie - February 7, 2013 9:02 a.m.

After playing on my PC and just recently getting back into my Xbox, it's... Incredibly weird to not be running at 60fps. I sorely wish to see next gen consoles start running at 60fps standard. Jeez, could you imagine Word of Warcraft, or Planetside 2, or Thw Witcher running at 30fps? *shudder* Great article Justin, but there's a typo in the second-to-last paragraph continuing the quote from Alex with the word environmental. Unless, of course, that is how he said it? ;)
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winner2 - February 7, 2013 2:28 p.m.

I think if you put the witcher (2 at least) in at 30 fps either the disc itself would jump out and beat you or the coding would take over your comp and try to get revenge.
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StrayGator - February 7, 2013 7:08 a.m.

Eye candy is easier to discern than fluidity, and most customers value it more. Therefore, fluidity as a top priority will remain the exception rather than the rule until visual fidelity will plateau
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GamesRadarJustinTowell - February 7, 2013 8:28 a.m.

Ah, but what if fluidity IS the eye-candy? It's certainly what makes Mario Kart 7 look so great. Technically its graphics aren't that amazing. But 60fps makes it gorgeous nonetheless!
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Imgema - February 7, 2013 11:22 a.m.

Indeed!
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