Frame rate
FPS · Frames per second
Frame rate is the number of images a game draws each second, measured in frames per second (FPS); a higher and steadier frame rate makes motion look smoother.
A game builds its picture frame by frame. The frame rate says how many of those frames arrive each second. It depends on the hardware, the game’s settings and the resolution, which is why the same game can run at different frame rates on different machines.
Platform holders use frame-rate thresholds in their own rules. Microsoft’s publishing guide lets Xbox console games carry a “Designed to run at 60+ FPS” or “Designed to run at 120 FPS” label only if they hold a steady rate at or above that figure at 1080p or higher. Valve’s Steam Deck compatibility review sets a baseline of 30 frames per second at 800p for Steam Deck.
The word “steady” in Microsoft’s rules matters: the labels are about a rate the game holds, not a peak it reaches now and then.
Store pages for PC games rarely state a frame rate beside their minimum and recommended hardware; our guide to reading PC system requirements explains how to compare those lists with your own PC.
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