How Many FPS Can the Human Eye See?
If you’re into the highest or best technology, you’re probably familiar with FPS (frames per second). You know what you need for the best quality picture to watch movies and the fastest monitor out there to gain an advantage over your opponents while gaming.
Many people, though, have no idea what FPS is and how it pertains to them. Why would they need to spend more cash to get a higher number on their monitor? They know nothing about it after all! It affects each of our lives and the things we use and look at each day so let’s find out more.
Is There a Limit to How Many FPS You Can See?
FPS is the measurement used to time visual stimuli. We can perceive only so much of the world around us in a certain amount of time. So how fast can we see things? Are everyone’s eyes the same?
There is not an agreed-upon limit to how many FPS the eye can see. Experts continually go back and forth, but it has been concluded that most people can see 30 – 60 frames per second. Some scientists believe it could be even more for some.
Is There an Advantage to High FPS Gaming?
There is a definite advantage to high FPS gaming equipment if you’re spending more than just a small amount of time each week playing video games. The higher-end gaming units (with high FPS) give their owner a bigger advantage and boost than you can ever imagine. Possibly even a 90% boost!
But there is a point where the higher Hz monitors are just higher than any eye can see or recognize a difference. If your monitor is at the maximum speed that you can actually see, it doesn’t mean you are better at gaming because your response rate isn’t able to keep up.
Why Should I Have 120Hz/144 Hz Monitors?
After finding out the answer to “how many FPS can the eye see?”, you may wonder why you would want to spend the extra money for 120Hz/144 Hz monitors if the eye can only see up to 60 frames per second. Wouldn’t that be a waste? Well, the answer is a bit tricky and is still being studied.
The way we see flashes of light (like images) versus the speed at which we can view motion is very different. It’s like our brain can “see” things that our eyes don’t. The higher Hz, the more smoothly your images flow and the softer flowing motion you are able to see.
Think about tv shows or old movies that our grandparents used to watch. You could see the images flickering in front of you. This is because the speed was slow enough for the eye to detect the flicker between frames. Technology has come a long way!
In addition to the technology you are using, it’s also helpful to wear blue light glasses. These lenses offer an extra layer of protection to minimize the way looking at a screen can affect your eyes.
To learn more exciting things about your eyes, how to develop healthy vision habits, and more, contact us today to schedule an eye exam.
