Should You Use 30FPS or 29.97FPS for Gaming?
As a hardcore gamer and content creator, this question comes up a lot. And it depends completely on your use case.
The Short Answer
Use 30FPS for most gaming and streaming. But switch to 29.97FPS if you‘re creating video content for older TV or broadcast standards.
Now let‘s dive deeper into the nitty gritty details…
What is 29.97FPS?
You‘ve probably noticed that 29.97FPS comes up a lot in video production. This odd frame rate is a legacy holdover from analog NTSC broadcast television in North America.
Here‘s a quick history lesson:
- 1953 – Color TV introduced in US using 60Hz power frequency
- 30 FPS chosen to smoothly integrate with 60Hz AC power
- But color subcarrier frequencies caused interference
- So they had to slow FPS to 29.97 to prevent visual artifacts
This allowed color TV signals to fit into existing black and white standards. And we‘ve been stuck with 29.97 FPS ever since!
Fun fact – they actually skip some frames to reconcile the 0.03 frame rate difference. So 29.97 FPS video is sometimes called "drop frame" footage!
What About Good Old 30 FPS?
Modern digital video gear has no problem recording and playing 30 FPS footage. This nice round number is easier to work with across game engines, streaming software, and video editing programs.
So for online gaming, capture cards, live streaming, and PC gameplay videos – I always recommend sticking to 30 FPS.
- Game engines are optimized for 30 FPS or 60 FPS
- Encoding software like OBS or XSplit runs smoothly at 30 FPS
- No weird frame count issues to deal with in post-production
It‘s the "Goldilocks" frame rate – just right!
Comparing Frame Rates for Gaming
Let‘s break down how changing FPS affects your gaming experience:
Higher FPS = lower input lag and less motion blur:
| Frame Rate | Input Lag | Motion Blur |
|---|---|---|
| 30 FPS | High | Noticeable |
| 60 FPS | Low | Minimal |
| 120+ FPS | Very Low | Nearly Zero |
So faster is better, right? Not always!
Higher FPS requires beefier hardware for both game engines and video recording. You might experience choppy performance, screen tearing, or excessive file sizes.
That‘s why 30 FPS is the sweet spot – smooth motion plus wide device compatibility.
When Should You Use 29.97 FPS?
If you‘re producing gaming content specifically for older TV or broadcast standards, use 29.97 FPS.
For example, if submitting footage to broadcast networks or studios that still follow NTSC standards. Or for certain YouTube channels optimized for legacy televisions.
In these cases, 29.97 FPS will correctly match refresh rates to avoid flickering or skips.
The Frame Rate Choice is Yours!
Hopefully this clears up the 30FPS vs 29.97FPS debate. If you‘re playing or streaming modern games, I say go with 30 FPS for the win! It‘s really the best "one frame rate fits all" for today‘s world.
But if working specifically for retro display formats, use their native 29.97 FPS instead.
As always, take your gaming performance to the next level with the right capture gear. Check out my reviews of the latest GPUs, gameplay recording cards, high FPS monitors, and more!
Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below!
Game on,
Jayce
