I'm a big sim racing fan, and started on Microprose Formula 1 Grand Prix, back in the days of digital joysticks.
I've played them less of late, as I've lost the enjoyment, but having a Logitech Driving Force GT wheel kicking around, I decided to have a quick look at what my new rMBP can do.
In my PC years, the best sim I had was Grand Prix Legends, and when my newest PC ran it at a steady max (the game's max) frame rate of 36 FPS, I thought that was as good as it gets.
I recently discovered that Feral Interactive have done F1 2012, and that I can enable the Force Feedback on my wheel, so with the Force Feedback kek installed, I downloaded the Dirt 2 demo.
I am absolutely blown away by what this machine can do!! I'm seeing frame rates in the 70s!!!
I did a quick and dirty test, by setting the resolution of Dirt 2 to the lowest resolution (640x480), and then to the max (2880x1800).
Based on all my previous experience, when I found that I could run it in the highest resolution, with everything turned up to max and still get 25 FPS, I thought I had peaked. Luckily, I decided to try 640x40, because I discovered that I could get a frame rate of just over 70 FPS.
Never having played a sim at more than 36 FPS, 70+ FPS came as somewhat of a surprise. I found that I had much more control over the car, my times were dramatically better, and I stopped having those 'tank slapper' out of control moments.
I managed to get up to 1440x900 with a frame rate of 60, and the car felt just as good as at 70 FPS.
So, has anyone looked into the frame rate issue, and worked out what is the optimal frame rate?
(I know that the human eye only needs 24 FPS to get a sense of motion, but that's not the issue here. I definitely have better control of the vehicle at 60 FPS than I do at 25 FPS. It's quite dramatic and noticeable.)
I've played them less of late, as I've lost the enjoyment, but having a Logitech Driving Force GT wheel kicking around, I decided to have a quick look at what my new rMBP can do.
In my PC years, the best sim I had was Grand Prix Legends, and when my newest PC ran it at a steady max (the game's max) frame rate of 36 FPS, I thought that was as good as it gets.
I recently discovered that Feral Interactive have done F1 2012, and that I can enable the Force Feedback on my wheel, so with the Force Feedback kek installed, I downloaded the Dirt 2 demo.
I am absolutely blown away by what this machine can do!! I'm seeing frame rates in the 70s!!!
I did a quick and dirty test, by setting the resolution of Dirt 2 to the lowest resolution (640x480), and then to the max (2880x1800).
Based on all my previous experience, when I found that I could run it in the highest resolution, with everything turned up to max and still get 25 FPS, I thought I had peaked. Luckily, I decided to try 640x40, because I discovered that I could get a frame rate of just over 70 FPS.
Never having played a sim at more than 36 FPS, 70+ FPS came as somewhat of a surprise. I found that I had much more control over the car, my times were dramatically better, and I stopped having those 'tank slapper' out of control moments.
I managed to get up to 1440x900 with a frame rate of 60, and the car felt just as good as at 70 FPS.
So, has anyone looked into the frame rate issue, and worked out what is the optimal frame rate?
(I know that the human eye only needs 24 FPS to get a sense of motion, but that's not the issue here. I definitely have better control of the vehicle at 60 FPS than I do at 25 FPS. It's quite dramatic and noticeable.)
