FPS (frames per second)

FPS stands for frames per second — how many individual images your console or PC draws every second. A game running at 60 FPS is drawing sixty pictures a second. The higher the number, the smoother the motion looks and the faster the game responds to your controller.

Is 60 FPS good for gaming?

Yes. 60 FPS is the standard most players aim for and what most PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S games target. It feels smooth, camera movement is clean, and input lag is low enough that nothing feels sluggish. Thirty FPS is still perfectly playable — plenty of visually heavy games run at 30 — but the difference is obvious the moment you switch between them, especially in shooters and racing games.

Is 120 FPS worth it?

Only if your screen can show it. A 60Hz television physically cannot display more than 60 frames a second, so a game running at 120 FPS on a 60Hz TV gains you nothing visible. On a 120Hz screen the difference is real but smaller than the jump from 30 to 60 — it is most noticeable in competitive shooters and fighting games, where response time matters. For story-driven and single-player games, most people would rather have better visuals at 60 than fewer effects at 120.

What causes frame drops?

A frame drop is the game briefly failing to keep up with its own target. It happens when a scene demands more than the hardware can deliver at that instant — a crowded area, a big explosion, a lot of characters on screen at once. On PC, settings that are too high for the graphics card cause it. On consoles it is usually built into the game itself, which is why many console games offer a Performance mode that lowers resolution or effects to keep the frame rate steady.

Many modern games let you choose: Quality mode for sharper visuals at a lower frame rate, or Performance mode for a higher, steadier frame rate. Neither is wrong — it depends on whether you care more about how the game looks or how it feels.