For the most immersive gaming experience possible, people spend a lot of money on expensive PC equipment.
However, issues like screen tearing and frequent hardware issues might degrade the enjoyment.
This issue is fixed with the VSync game option. Displays, video games, and graphics processors can all be synchronised using VSync.
Let’s investigate VSync in greater detail and assess its importance.
VSync technology: what is it?
A graphics technique called vertical sync, or VSync, synchronises a game’s framerate with the refresh rate of a gaming display.
The original purpose of this technology was to combat screen tearing, which happens when your screen displays portions of several frames at once. As a result, exhibits may be divided along a horizontal axis.
Tearing occurs when the GPU refresh rate and the number of frames per second are out of phase.
Even though screen tearing can happen at any time, it is most obvious when playing games with a high frame rate that frequently change the rate at which vertical objects like buildings and trees move.
Video games become less visually appealing when they are torn, which reduces viewer immersion.
This is resolved by VSync, which limits the graphics card’s refresh rate to the frame rate, preventing more excellent frames per second than the display can support.
It uses page flipping and double buffering to display frames after a full refresh cycle in order to prevent viewers from noticing tears.
VSync Causes More Issues Than It Addresses
Performance and responsiveness are sacrificed, even though VSync is a guaranteed fix for screen tearing. To better understand why, let’s look at VSync’s two main goals.
The frame rate of the GPU is first slowed to match the refresh rate of the display.
The GPU frame rate is then adjusted to match the refresh rate of the monitor.
Have you noticed that the GPU output in both VSync methods is slowed down to match the static display refresh rate?
That specific detail is crucial. The rate at which a GPU generates frames is inversely correlated to the complexity of the in-game scene being displayed, while the monitor refreshes periodically.
The GPU cannot force its frame rate to match the refresh rate in order to send the most recent frame to the monitor.
Gamers who perceive a lag between their actual controller inputs and the content displayed on the screen refer to this as “input lag.”
The crosshair in fast-paced FPS games significantly lags behind your precise mouse inputs as a result of this input latency.
Does it matter that much?
VSync only alleviates screen tearing when necessary, and it only does so by reducing frame rates. If your display cannot match the frame rates of a specific game, VSync can be quite useful.
Contrary to HDR, VSync cannot increase your screen’s resolution, colors, or brightness.
It’s a preventive technology that prioritises preventing a specific problem rather than developing improvements. Additionally, it frequently reduces performance.
If frames must be fully drawn before being displayed, your frame rate may suffer, and at its best, it can only be as fast as the refresh rate of your display.
In games where higher frame rates can reduce input latency, it may also affect how well you perform in competitions.