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Can you see the difference between 60 and 30 fps? Test your ability inside!

Alo81

Low Poly Gynecologist
My original example below was bad.

Watch the examples at least twice all the way through to ensure that the speeds aren't slowed down due to loading.

Here is an updated head to head that should be a better test.

And here's one that's back to back rather than side by side. F-Zero GX

One side is 60fps. The other is 30fps.

See if you can tell which is which.

Left is 60.

So, I decided to make a little test to check if you can see the difference between 60 and 30fps when it relates to games.

Here's the test(Since creating this, I realized it was a poor comparison and there are better examples elsewhere in this thread.

Better examples can be found here and here.

There are three in game GIFs. Each image shows the same animation side by side with one being near 60fps, the other being near 30fps.

At the bottom of the post is the answer to which was which.

If you're having trouble differentiating, then covering one up with your hand and alternating which you're looking at may make the difference more prominent.

How important is frame rate to you in game? Is it something you're personally sensitive to? Could you tell the difference in the test? After taking the test, any change of heart on how important it is to you personally?

Keep in mind, this only represents the VISUAL aspect of frame rate, and not the increased responsiveness of a higher frame rate.



Full Disclaimer: GIF's in browsers support at most 50fps, so to keep the test fair one animation is 50, and the other is half that, at 25, which is analagous to the 60/30 split and only a few frames off. I recognize it's not a perfect example, but it's the best possible with animated GIFs.

Edit: Some feel the examples are unfair so here's one final example.

iKuvI6jaWm9cy.gif


Answer:
Left is higher frame rate

Edit 2: One more significantly better example.





















iRShSUFLPSeAa.gif
 

linko9

Member
I'd honestly be very surprised if anyone got any of those wrong. To me the difference is pretty huge.
 
Got all of em right. 60fps just looks smoother. Sucks for people who can't tell the difference.

EDIT: This isn't to say that people who can't tell the difference are, in any way, stuck with a substandard experience. I also have no issues with locked 30fps games, it would just be nice for the people who can't see it to be able to appreciate what 60fps brings to the table the same way I and a bunch of others do.
 

whitehawk

Banned
Haven't looked at the answers yet. My guesses:

1. Left is 60
2. Left is 60
3. Right is 60

edit: And I was right.
 

Darryl

Banned
right

left

right

so thats 2/3rds of them right. difference was not big enough for me to care about and i had to actually look to try to find the differences.
 

Piggus

Member
It amazes me that some people can't tell the difference. Especially when it comes to games or movies... 60 fps is just so smooth whereas 30 is more film-like.
 

MormaPope

Banned
Got all three right, took a few seconds to guess on each one. Very easy to tell the difference, one movement set/animation looks fluid and done in consistent motion, the other set looks extremely choppy and slower.
 

Alo81

Low Poly Gynecologist
I'd honestly be very surprised if anyone got any of those wrong. To me the difference is pretty huge.

I posted this on reddit as well and a large amount of people can't see a difference. Some people are just more sensitive to it.
 

PAULINK

I microwave steaks.
I can tell if a game is running 30 or 60 but these gifs were pretty hard to tell, would have been much better if it was in video form (though i'm pretty sure youtube caps at 30fps).
 

Ronabo

Member
It's easy to tell because the glowy shadow around the character blinks faster in the higher framerate ones.
 
I can't. Maybe it is because I have a hard time watching both gifs at the same time. If I were to see them in sequence I probably would have an easier time of it.

Having them side by side makes the difference stand out MORE IMO. The 30fps one looks to "hitch" in comparison.
 

stef t97

Member
The difference is also in the gameplay. In theory at 30 fps your input takes twice the time to take effect than at 60 fps. This doesn't take latency between your peripherals and the console/pc and response time of your monitor into account though but I'm sure those would make the gap bigger.
 

baphomet

Member
Of course I can tell. I can also tell that the smoother ones aren't running at 60fps. I feel bad for anyone who can't notice a difference in those though.
 

Roi

Member
I saw the difference, don't care to much though. I want my games to be fun/entertaining they don't have to be perfect graphic wise (maybe because as a Nintendo gamer I'm used to that ratio)
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
I got them all right and can see the difference clearly.

But I don't care.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Not really that great of a test -- the difference is much more pronounced when you're looking at the entire screen moving at 60fps vs. 30fps.
 

AlterOdin

Member
Yeah the difference is pretty big. Only thing is that the gifs were very close together and could "trick" you as they seem to be the same scene. (blend to the same scene) Did take a couple of seconds per gif to see it.

Maybe a little more spacing between the comparisons gifs would differentiate the fps more.

But that is just me, may be wrong :)
 

Dynamite Shikoku

Congratulations, you really deserve it!
I'm genuinely surprised that some people can't see the difference. I didn't know that was a thing. For me, it's like night and day.
 
Cover the 30fps side for 5 seconds, then cover the 60fps side. The shift will hurt your eyes.

Nope. Still can't see a difference.

I can't do Magic Eyes either.

There is a possibility that your browser can't play them smoothly, which would make them appear the same.

Possibly. But I've played 60fps games and 30fps games and haven't noticed or cared about those either. I've never been a graphics/performance type person. As long as the framerate doesn't drop to 3fps I'm fine.
 

MormaPope

Banned
For those not seeing the difference, look at the first gif, look at how the motion blur for the sword on the right side is much more apparent and ghost like, while the motion blur on the left side is more fluid and less apparent.
 

Kysen

Member
Got all of them right, the 30fps ones have that telltale jitteryness near the end of the animation. It looks awkward.
 

UrbanRats

Member
The difference is obvious, especially side by side, 30 fps is really choppy.

I have to admit though that in certain games, i can get used to 30 fps in about 10 minutes and until i see 60 again, it doesn't bother me.
 
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