One of the many staples of PC gaming is its limitless potential for customization, which goes all the way from Hardware to Software, and no place is that more apparent than customizing your graphics settings. But not everyone loves certain settings, and not everyone hates them either, but how do you feel about Motion Blur?
It’s one of those settings that seems to always be defaulted to on but is the first thing everyone turns off. In many ways Motion Blur can make a game look much smoother and more cinematic, so do we all collectively hate it so much? Even when implemented correctly, as in per-object motion blur, it’s hard to get away from that nagging feeling.
It joins the likes of Chromatic Aberration as the cinematic effects of gaming that no one seems to like, but is always included in pretty much every game (at least for AAA titles that is). But how can games utilize it properly and would you still disable it anyway?
Maybe it’s because as PC gamers we like nice and smooth images, crisp to the touch so to speak. And so making the image blurry when moving the camera probably adds to that feeling of ‘diluted quality’. We want to see every single pixel dammit, so stop putting artificial smudges on my screen!
What do you think? Do you love or hate Motion Blur? Do you always turn it off when playing games? Why is that? What other settings do you normally turn off straight away as well? And how can motion blur be used effectively? Let’s debate!
Login or Register to join the debate
PC Specs
I don't want my games to look like they were recorded on a film camera. Get all that post-processing out of here. Give me clean, unobstructed visuals.
PC Specs
I despise motion blur. I have a migraine issue, and it can act up due to motion blur in games. It's the first thing I disable when I install a new game.
PC Specs
Motion blur makes me actually sick. All of these cinematic options are horrible, and I don't understand why its enabled by default.
PC Specs
Can't say I'm surprised by the vote.
😂
PC Specs
Don't like any of the settings really they mostly bother my eyes especially if I'm wearing glasses and the reflections catch in my eyes and bounce off my glasses lol.
PC Specs
motion blur is good if fps are constent cuz it gives a smooth look
not good if fps are low
PC Specs
Yeah, the way it works in most games (which is expected behavior) is that the blur gets shorter with higher fps because the distance moved is shorter between frames. On a 60Hz screen I imagine it bothering people, but not so much at high fps.
PC Specs
Yup. I have noticed this in some games. I have a migraine issue and motion blur bothers me. But not so above 60 fps. Below that though, I just have to have it disabled.
PC Specs
Do you have issues with cars/trains/buses, by any chance? I'm so used to motion blur that it doesn't bother me, but my missis, for example, can't look at nearby objects when on a train, since the blur makes her sick - she also has to disable motion blur in games for the same reason. I wonder if it's related, since it's all our monkey brains going haywire when static things exhibit motion :D
PC Specs
I have no issues with vehicles and such. But I do have an issue with watching laptop/mobile/TVs in a dark room with no light, and also with strobe light effects and too bright lights. I actually have my laptop and mobile displays set to a brightness which is unusually low for others.
PC Specs
I turn all of those off by default. I get why they are doing those effects in movies. But they don't really work this well with games. Plus my eyes apply focus and everything well enough. While in movies those are nice to bring the important part of the scene out or mask lower FPS,... Though where I would make an exception is 30FPS consoles, or if I ever had to play at 30FPS, since blur can in a way make lower FPS less noticeable.
As for hate and love, I wouldn't say I either hat or love those options, what I really hate is not giving players choice with those options and what I love is the fact that you can turn them off or on depending on whether you like them or not. I don't like them, but if you do, I am happy we both have a choice.
PC Specs
Things that make game unplayable for me: motion blur, chromatic abberation, shit fov, thicc film grain.
PC Specs
All settings to make a game look like a movie are terrible hold overs from the film industry. Its awful features that only purpose is to make the game look worse, nothing good is ever caused by them. They should be dropped entirely from games.
PC Specs
NOTHING should be dropped, but people should be given OPTIONS. I like motion blur, I think many games without it look very weird (stroboscopic stills vs a flowing continuous image with blur). And because people disagree - options are a must. "All or nothing" something isn't the way to go.
PC Specs
Love it all in my fps...even role play like gta-
PC Specs
Camera motion blur can be pretty bad if not done properly, on the other hand I love Per Object Motion Blur since it smooths out some animations.
PC Specs
if present i disable all of the abow settings + depth of field
PC Specs
I do exactly the same so I can't agree more.
Since I use a G-sync monitor I had to turn off v-sync in games so I've enabled it in the nvidia control panel.
PC Specs
DoF is possibly my most hated effect. Why would they go out of their way to purposely obstruct visual information from me? It's really poorly done in some games too. Even when it's done properly however, it's still jarring and unnecessary.
I'm not looking ONLY at the middle of my screen. I'm looking at the whole thing.
PC Specs
I agree for most games here, but in something like Detroit: Become Human this effect was used properly and didn't bother me at all (looked like a movie, basically).
PC Specs
Detroit Become Human is the one of the game where it was imposible to disable it and it was so noticable, i had to play at much higher resolution and low fps just to make that blur as sharp as possible
PC Specs
What a shame, when your copy was free, huh?
PC Specs
Per object motion blur is great but Film Grain? seriously? why would you even consider doing that? except maybe when playing RED DEAD REDEMPTION! chromatic aberration is something i dont think ive even noticed but i am surprised lens flares arent here,
PC Specs
I almost never have a problem with motion blur, chromatic abberation and film grain though...
PC Specs
For me its a game to game basis, in racing game its a must but for FPS i get discomfort when turning wery fast and motion blur is on.
PC Specs
All of these settings are from the games=movies period. Time when games tried to be movies to expand their audience (not realizing interactivity is what makes games special). So your effect is making my game look like a movie..wheres the logic in that...its breaking my immersion if anything else.
PC Specs
I never hated motion blur, but since lot of guys do turn it off, seeing them doing made it my habit as well. I am a 60FPS player, and I don't think it interferes that much, maybe for people who play at 120Hz+ it does, but at 60FPS there is no difference at all. Correct me if am wrong.
PC Specs
I haven't played at 60Hz for a long time, so my experience is different, but I leave motion blur on, unless it's badly-implemented (which can happen sometimes). I finished DOOM 2016 and Eternal with motion blur as well - I don't see a big deal with it, but it seems like a lot of people complain about motion sickness from it...
PC Specs
I remember seeing the difference in NFS Underground games, but other than those, i really haven't had any issues for other games whatsoever. I just crank all the settings to max and never go back, and my experience so far has been great, no issues what so ever.
PC Specs
I insta disable all of these and depth of field... to me these setting make games worse!
PC Specs
Motion blur can eat my ass
I hate it. You don't want to blur stuff when turning or just running. Only with racing games.
PC Specs
Other then the camera blur. It's nice to have object blur and other effects in most cases.