I’ve always been skeptical of the frameset, so much so that I didn’t even bother testing it outside of benchmark tests on an RTX 4090 for the first few years. Of course, it was impressive to see the FPS counter almost double Monitoring in MSI Afterburnerbut the games never felt like they were running at those frame rates. I couldn’t help but realize that my inputs always felt a little low, but now I know that I was judging frame generation almost entirely by the fast-paced shooters I played most often.
Recently I have been playing Forza Horizon 6and it made me realize that I never gave frame generation a fair chance in a racing game. You could argue that racing games are fast too, but they don’t expose the downsides of framing in quite the same way. Battlefield 6 or Call of Duty: Warzone. Most of the time, you’re taking in the scenery and making smooth turns instead of hunting or tracking enemies. And for this kind of game, I’d say frame generation actually makes sense.
Forza Horizon 6 works fine without framerate
This strong base performance provides a good starting point for building the framework
So far, I’ve mainly used frame generation to fix poor performance in demanding AAA titles Black Myth: Wukong and Assassin’s Creed Shadowsbut looking back this is not the correct way to use frame generation. Even if it’s Nvidia Cyberpunk 2077 the demos look like this, frame generation can’t compensate for a weak foundation. Since your inputs are tied to your base frame rate, you should give the frameset a good starting point so you can really appreciate the added motion smoothness rather than noticing its limitations.
Like in a racing game Forza Horizon 6you get decent framerates without framerates anymore. For example, my RTX 4090 averages just over 100 FPS max at 4K without RT. And this is not with DLSS, but with DLAA. Yes, enabling RT cuts FPS almost in half, but I can always use DLSS 4.5 to get around 80 FPS. At this point, the responsiveness is already decent for a racing game, so using 2x framerate to reach 150 FPS feels like an improvement rather than a solution. Of course, it doesn’t feel like native 150 FPS, but I’d say the added fluidity more than makes up for it.
Racing games are becoming the strengths of the frame generation
Additional fluidity completes the sense of speed
In fast-paced shooters, I’m constantly rotating between targets, tracking enemy movement, and reacting to gunfire in a fraction of a second. I have to do all of this with extreme precision, so it’s more about how the game feels than how smooth it looks. If a game is running 150 FPS with framerate, but still doesn’t feel like I’m playing at those frame rates, I’ll notice it right away. However, in racing games, fluid motion smoothing is easier to appreciate as it enhances the sense of speed.
While I was driving at 200 mph Forza Horizon 6I fly past traffic, trees and buildings and this is where the frame generation really shines. It makes the world feel more fluid and helps reinforce the feeling that you’re traveling at ridiculous speeds. While sensitivity is important, especially when you’re playing online multiplayer, it doesn’t require split-second reactions like a competitive shooter. You’re looking at the road ahead and planning your next turn rather than reacting to unexpected enemy action. That’s why I think it’s worth creating a framework in a game like this Forza.
I still wouldn’t use it in competitive titles
But now I know the games where framing actually helps
Forza changed my mind about framing, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to run it again in quick shooters. My main problem with framing hasn’t changed. At the end of the day, I see this as a smoother move than the FPS booster, as it improves how smooth the game looks. Responsiveness is just as important as FPS in competitive games, so unless it improves along with my framerate, those extra frames matter less to me.
However, I care more about fluidity and immersion when playing racing games or slower single-player AAA titles. Responsiveness is still important here, but I just want it to be decent enough that I don’t immediately notice that it hinders the experience. As long as my base framerate is above 60 FPS, I don’t focus on responsiveness like I do when playing competitive shooters. In Forza Horizon 6I just use Nvidia Reflex to reduce lag and keep going. Given that I’m playing the game with a controller, I’m less sensitive to small lag differences anyway.
Forza Horizon 6 showed me when frame generation shines
The mistake I made was not testing framing over a wider range of games. I’ve judged this almost entirely through the first-person shooters I play on a regular basis, where responsiveness is just as important as framerate. But as I’ve learned, framing is useful when sensitivity isn’t your top priority. This is usually the case in racing games Forza Horizon 6 and as single player titles 007 First Light. I still don’t see it as an FPS booster, but as a smooth action, it totally has its place. Sometimes all it takes is the right game to change the way you view a feature, and I’m glad I did FH6 finally showed me what frame generation is actually good at.
