Is 60 FPS Enough for FPS Games in 2024?

As an avid FPS gamer and content creator, I get this question a lot – is 60 frames per second (FPS) enough for a great experience in first-person shooters?

The short answer is yes, 60 fps delivers smooth, fluid performance in most popular FPS franchises. However, competitive esports titles benefit more from the lightning quick response times of higher 144+ fps frame rates.

Let‘s dive deeper into why 60 fps hits the sweet spot for casual gaming while professional players continue pushing for even faster setups.

60 FPS Offers Immersive Gameplay for Single Player Stories

For narrative-focused FPS campaigns like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Far Cry, or Metro, a locked 60 fps provides an immersive, cinematic experience on par with most Hollywood films.

This Digital Foundry analysis of FPS genre benchmarks shows single player games running smoothly at 60 fps max settings across mid-range hardware like the GTX 1060 or RX 580 graphics cards. Gamers can crank up resolution and visual quality at over 2x the frame rate of standard 30 fps console play.

Higher fps certainly helps, but 60 fps checks all the boxes for responsive controls and gorgeous backdrops to lose yourself in rich storylines. I’d much rather play a shooter’s epic campaign at 4K 60 FPS than 1080p 144 FPS if given the choice.

Verdict: Yes, 60 FPS delivers superb single player performance.

Competitive Gamers Still Covet 144+ FPS Frame Rates

For multiplayer FPS gamers, every millisecond matters. Top players obsess over squeezing out the lowest input lag and fastest on-screen response times possible.

That’s why the rise of 144Hz, 240Hz and even 360Hz gaming monitors targeted competitive esports has sparked heated debate around refresh rates. Die-hard fans claim they can perceive ever faster frame delivery despite 60 FPS technically appearing "smooth" to the human eye.

And the data backs this up…

||60 FPS|144 FPS|% Improvement|
|–|–|–|–|
|Average Frame Times|16.7 ms|6.9 ms|2.4x faster|
|99th Percentile|33 ms|16 ms|2x faster|
|Motion Clarity|16.7 ms|6.9 ms|2.4x faster

(Source: Nvidia Battle Royale Performance Benchmarks)

As this Nvidia benchmark comparison shows, 144 FPS gaming delivers up to 2.4x faster input response, critical for tracking aim in hyper-competitive shooters.

Many pro players run FPS titles at 1080p low settings just to push frame rates as high as possible. Lower input lag from unlocked frame rates also reduces perceived lag online.

Verdict: Smoothness fanatics and esports pros will keep chasing faster FPS, but 60 is "enough" for most.

My Personal Take?

I aim for 60 FPS minimums across all my favorite FPS games for responsive moment-to-moment gameplay. However, I’ll gladly sacrifice some settings for 100+ FPS in PvP-focused titles like Apex Legends.

With a monitor overclocked to 75Hz, Frame Rate Target Control capping fps below refresh rate, and G-Sync compensating between dips, I’m covered for both immersive and competitive sessions.

If building a dedicated esports rig, I’d spring for one of the hot new 360Hz monitors and ensure my rig could pump out frame rates to match. But for under $1K mid-range PCs and multipurpose gaming, 60 FPS remains the sweet spot in my book.

Let me know what target frame rates you aim for across different games in the comments!