FPS stands for "frames per second" and is a measure of how quickly a game can render frames on-screen. It is a term used to describe how smooth something like a video or a video game plays. In gaming, the rule of thumb is that the more frames per second, the better and smoother experience it will be for the user. FPS is often used as a crude measurement of performance, but its important to remember that its a non-linear measurement: the difference between 30 and 60 FPS is much larger than 60 and 90 FPS.

Low FPS in games can ruin the experience for people who want to blow off some steam. It can put you at a disadvantage against your opponents, especially in competitive titles. For example, playing Overwatch at 30 FPS can be hard because the frames are not accurately capturing what is going on in the game. Characters or animations will seem choppy, which hinders the gaming experience and limits how well you can actually do in the game.

The current benchmark for FPS in gaming stands at 60, but the optimal FPS depends on the user’s monitor, which has a refresh rate to determine its capacity. The refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz), and this is the limiting factor for frames per second. The difference between low and high FPS lies in the number of frames that are rendered every second. Low FPS implies that the game is struggling to render enough frames each second, resulting in choppy or laggy gameplay. On the other hand, high FPS signifies that your computer has no problem rendering every frame quickly, resulting in a smoother gaming experience overall.

FPS is measured either in-game or by using benchmarking software which tests the systems performance and gives an accurate representation of what kind of FPS youre getting. There are also built-in tools in some games that allow you to see your FPS.