Summary
One of the greatest things about being a PC gamer is that you have easy access to higher framerates. Though consoles have begun catching up in recent years, PC libraries are still the best way to access hundreds of games that are compatible with refresh rates higher than the standard 60 fps. If you think gaming at high resolutions is cutting-edge, just wait until you see what games can offer when playing at double the usual frame rate.
Whether you’ve just gotten yourself a new high refresh rate monitor or are taking advantage of a new graphics card, you might be wondering which games truly shine at 120+ fps. Here are eight of the best options that will visually blow your mind.
Out of all the open-world games out there, Fallout 4 is easily one of the best out there to experience at 120 fps. With nuclear explosions, laser projectiles and the wacky animations of gory bodies exploding into a bloody mess, Fallout 4 feels like it has received a huge upgrade after the frame rate has been doubled.
Exploring the Wasteland has always been cited as one of the most immersive experiences modern gaming has to offer. With 120 fps, you can roam the lands looking for loot and weaponry with a far smoother refresh rate that will make all your adventures feel that much more immersive.
7Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Kazuma Kiryu thought his Tojo Clan days were behind him. He and the young girl in his care, Haruka Sawamura, have built a peaceful life from the ashes of conflict. All it took was a single gunshot to shatter that peace. Yukio Terada, the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, has been assassinated. With war on the horizon, the legendary Dragon of Dojima is pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind.Kiryu must travel to Sotenbori, Osaka in an attempt to broker peace between the rival clans, but Ryuji Goda, known as the Dragon of Kansai, will stop at nothing to get his war. In this world, there can only be one dragon.Rebuilt from the ground up, Yakuza Kiwami 2 uses the Dragon Engine to update one of the series stand-out titles into a modern classic.
If exploring a busy nightlife sounds like your idea of a fun time, the Yakuza games have that in spades. Yakuza Kiwami 2 in particular has everything enticing about a grimy criminal underworld, and it really feels more alive when experienced with more frames.
The combat is what really improves when enhancing the refresh rate. Like any great Yakuza game, there are dozens of special moves you can submit your opponents to. Each one looks all the more dazzling when experienced at a high frame rate.
Out of allthe many souls-like gamesout there, Nioh 2 is one of the most colorful and fast-paced. This makes it an easy choice for people looking to test out a new 120hz monitor. Every animation is already crisp at 60 fps, but doubling the frames really makes the game come alive, especially the special moves and the boss battles.
Being a high fantasy game, Nioh 2 is packed with magical effects, unique environments and multiple status effects. Their fast but elegant animations look gorgeous at 120 fps. Whether you’ve never played the game before or are in the mood for new game plus, you should seriously consider playing this one at its maximum refresh rate.
Open world games really benefit from higher frame rates. This can be easily demonstrated by playing The Witcher 3 for just a few seconds at 120 fps. Whether it’s seeing the Agni spell roam across the screen or Geralt’s long hair being brushed by the wind, this is an unforgettable experience at 120 fps.
The higher refresh rate is in fact the main reason to play The Witcher 3 on PC instead of consoles. The game looks so good in this state that not even 4K resolution can compare. Every single swing of Geralt’s swords looks so natural and smooth that it will be impossible to go back after seeing it this way.
Stealth games aren’t normally associated with the benefits of higher refresh rates, but Metal Gear Solid 5 makes a very strong case otherwise. Being both an open world title and a game with a very advanced physics engine, experiencing Mother Base, Central Africa and Afghanistan in this higher state makes the world feel that much more incredible.
It’s hard to describe just how much nicer things not only look but feel at 120 fps. Dashing into a bush at the last second, horseback riding away from enemies at full speed and sending rockets into giant mechs all just look way better with more frames. And if that didn’t convince you, just imagine strapping a soldier to a fulton balloon and watching him go sky-high at double the frames.
Yes, even horror games become more immersive at 120 fps. That may sound like a bad thing if you don’t have a high tolerance for spooks, but the Resident Evil 2 remake looks absolutely spectacular when pushed beyond 60 fps.
Not only is this a great game to play withHDRbut it especially looks amazing at a high refresh rate. Every single enemy, gun, boss and scene of blood and gore looks striking. It might make the game even scarier, but that’s a worthy price to pay in order to play one of the best survival horror games of recent memory in its true form.
2Portal
Though not everyone thinks of Portal as having much replay value due to its short length and minimal extra content, experiencing a game this unique at 120 fps is absolutely a good reason to revisit it. If you think shooting guns or casting spells at 120 fps is wild, just wait until you start shooting portals and jumping into them.
You don’t even have to play the entire game again if you don’t want to. If you just want a quick taste of this action, then boot up Portal, place one portal on the ground and another on the ceiling. Fall into the infinite loop at 120 fps and you’ll experience something normally only a real life roller coaster could provide.
If any game ever made truly feels like an altered state of consciousness when played at 120 fps, it’s got to be VR’s finest masterpiece, Half-Life: Alyx. This is not only one ofthe best PC-exclusive gamesout there but is the perfect companion to a 120hz set-up.
It won’t be easy being able to run a game this advanced at a frame rate this high, but if you already have a beefy enough PC then you should absolutely experience this one at 120 fps. Every small movement is hypnotic, and all the massive set pieces the game throws at you later on look beyond cinematic.
