Gamers love to debate graphics, but such discussions are often filled with misconceptions or simply misinformation. The portal Howtogeek.com has dispelled 5 common misconceptions about graphics in games.

The higher the resolution, the better the graphics

Technically, the level of detail in a photo depends on the resolution. For example, 4K UHD resolution has four times as many pixels as standard 1080p FHD resolution. In the past, it was difficult for developers to display images at a resolution different from the native resolution of the display, but thanks to modern scaling methods, this is no longer a problem.

Another thing is that resolution is not the only graphical factor that affects the perception of “quality”. Subconsciously, we also pay attention to lighting, contrast, textural details, and many other little things. A game developed for PlayStation 3 will not look as good as a game developed for PlayStation 5 at 1080p.

Of course, high resolution is always good. But if it can only be achieved at the expense of frame rate, lighting, and other details, then the pursuit of 4K will bring more problems than benefits.

60 fps is always better than 30 fps

Often, the resolution debate also involves the issue of frame rate. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the moving image. And because of the display's high refresh rate, games can feel more responsive and more enjoyable.

Since conventional TVs typically support refresh rates up to 60Hz, most console games offer two modes to choose from: 30fps and 60fps. As a rule, the first involves better graphics and details at the expense of responsiveness, while the second, on the contrary, sacrifices visuals for the sake of frame rate.

Basically, some gamers refuse to play at frame rates below 60 fps, but the truth is that not every game needs it. It's completely useless for strategy and turn-based JRPGs, for example. Not to mention that chasing frame rates sometimes creates graphic artifacts and stuttering, even though the frame rate is technically at the desired level.

Ultra Graphics is an “intended by design” graphics standard.

On PC versions of video games, graphical settings are often much more detailed and extensive than on current consoles. However, even owners of the most powerful computers often encounter situations where their monster PC fails to reach the maximum possible graphics settings at a playable frame rate. And because of this, we often hear complaints about “poor optimization,” even though the game may run fine on “high” or “very high” settings.

The truth is that “super” installations are often designed for hardware that will appear in the near future. So developers are trying to build in durability potential. It's not without reason that when many people buy a new PC, the first thing they do is launch some relatively old games, pushing the graphics to the limit – and often these old games look very nice.

Blurry is always bad

People often hate blur, but it doesn't always affect the image. Blurred vision also occurs in real life, so if it suddenly disappears in the game, the movement may look unnatural. However, this type of blur is called “objective” blur – most gamers hate having a blur effect applied to the entire screen. Not to mention, a little blur helps 30fps games look smoother.

Ray tracing always makes pictures better

Ray tracing is the future of computer graphics. Simulating realistic lighting will always look better than trying to simulate the behavior of real lighting. But current ray tracing technologies are not perfect, and the hardware we use will not physically support a “perfect” version of ray tracing. Today's technology often creates image noise and other visual artifacts. Meanwhile, graphics engineers and game developers over the decades have come up with ways to make “fake” lighting look good, so that games look good without ray tracing.