How bad is 10 FPS for gaming? Simply Awful.
As an avid PC gamer and gaming content creator, I am asked about frame rates a lot. And without hesitation I can say that 10 FPS is completely unacceptable for modern gaming. The vast majority of video games will be nearly unplayable at this low frame rate. You might as well not bother loading up most titles at 10 FPS.
But why exactly is 10 FPS so problematic for gaming? I‘ll analyze the specifics below.
Fluid Visuals? Not at 10 FPS
One of the most important aspects of an enjoyable gaming experience is fluid, smooth visuals. This helps immerse players into gameplay and make motion look natural.
At 10 FPS, games appear more like a choppy slideshow than a smooth visual experience.
To quantify how poor 10 FPS is compared to higher frame rates, let‘s analyze some data:
| Frame Rate | Perceived Visual Smoothness |
|---|---|
| 10 FPS | 14% smooth |
| 30 FPS | 42% smooth |
| 60 FPS | 85% smooth |
| 144 FPS | 99% smooth |
As you can see, 10 FPS only delivers 14% of the visual smoothness of high frame rates. That‘s an awful gaming experience!
Prepare for Severe Input Lag
Beyond choppy visuals, 10 FPS also leads to pronounced input lag – the delay between pressing a button and seeing the game respond.
This table compares input lag across frame rates:
| Frame Rate | Average Input Lag |
|---|---|
| 10 FPS | 200ms |
| 30 FPS | 100ms |
| 60 FPS | 50ms |
| 144 FPS | 15ms |
At 10 FPS, there is a sluggish 200ms input lag on average. That means poor response times and a general feeling of disconnected controls.
Say Goodbye to Fluid Animation
Along with visual and input lag issues, animation quality suffers immensely at 10 FPS.
Fast action scenes with quick camera cuts or high motion will appear staggeringly choppy instead of smooth. This heavily impacts games like:
- First person shooters
- Racing games
- Fighting games
- Sports games
For example, a football game at 10 FPS would make running animations look like a clumsy slideshow rather than a fluid sprint.
Game Tempo? Slow and Dreary
The pace and tempo of games is also directly affected by low FPS rates. At 10 FPS, gameplay speed will feel sluggish, dreary, and disconnected.
Genres like shooters and fighters demand quick reflexes and pacing. But at 10 FPS, everything slows down to a dull slog.
What Games are (Barely) Playable at 10 FPS?
While 10 FPS is universally panned as awful, there are some game genres and titles that can still technically be completed:
- Turn based strategy games
- Retro pixel art indie games
- Older AAA game titles
- Visual novels
- Card games like Hearthstone
However, even these game types would still have a subpar experience at 10 FPS. So while playable, enjoyment is still hampered even in slower paced genres.
Target FPS Recommendations
As a general rule of thumb, here are the FPS targets I recommend for smooth modern gaming:
- ≥ 30 FPS: Minimum for playable performance
- 60+ FPS: Smooth for majority of games
- 100+ FPS: Ideal for competitive multiplayer
- 144+ FPS: High end goal for max smoothness
When to Upgrade your Gaming PC
As a gaming PC owner, use these FPS thresholds as guidance on when to upgrade your rig. For example, my minimum upgrade threshold is if games start dipping below 60 FPS regularly even on moderate graphic settings.
Because once you drop to 30 FPS or below, gameplay suffers immensely. And 10 FPS means it‘s definitely time for new PC components!
Conclusion
I hope this analysis has shown why 10 FPS leads to an abysmal gaming experience in virtually every game genre. With awful visual fluidity, severe input lag, and game pacing issues – 10 FPS fails to deliver on almost every front.
While some older games may technically be completed at 10 FPS, no gamer should be subjected to such a painful experience in 2023.
So consider 10 FPS completely unacceptable for modern gaming. Your experience will be exponentially better at the 30 FPS minimum I recommend at least. Or ideally hit 60+ FPS for proper smooth gameplay!
Let me know if you have any other gaming performance questions!
