Low to mid-range consoles and systems often have to choose between frame rate and image quality. The frame rate makes for a more responsive experience, but the image quality makes for a visually pleasing experience.
Can asynchronous reprojection give you the best of both worlds? We are going to explore.
What is asynchronous reprojection?
Asynchronous reprojection improves responsiveness by rendering the motion refresh rate separately from the graphics frame rate. It is the key technology that helps VR users feel no nausea by reducing the lag in head movements towards the screen, even if the rendered images are slightly delayed.
How does asynchronous reprojection work?
How does asynchronous reprojection work?
Asynchronous reprojection works by asynchronously rendering the image of your motion. When you move the mouse, the movement is rendered at a faster rate than the image rendering.
You can check out this demo of asynchronous reprojection at Google Drive by Comrade Stinger. The link is safe and just click AsnycTimewarp.exe to open the demo. Set the frame rate to 30FPS, then turn on Asynchronous Time Warp by pressing “4” on your keyboard. This will render your movements at 120FPS and you will feel very responsive when moving, however the footage is rendered at 30fps. You can even press “2” on your keyboard and it will freeze rendering for you. You can still move around and explore how it’s rendered to give you a more responsive experience.
You may notice black borders that don’t render, but can be easily remedied by extending the range of the rendered image. You can do it by marking Extend the edges of the time tunnel in the upper right box.
How can asynchronous reprojection improve your gaming experience?
Frame rate is something that we have always seen as something related to the smoothness of a game’s movement. When it comes to PC gaming, low frame rates are largely associated with input lag. Especially when you use a mouse to move around, as input lag is less noticeable on controllers.
You may want to refer to this explanation of video game graphics settings to learn which settings significantly reduce frame rates and increase input lag.
How can asynchronous reprojection improve your gaming experience?
Asynchronous reprojection can help traditional non-VR games in the same way that it helps VR games. Reduced input lag and responsive gameplay are always good things, as input lag can ruin interactive experiences.
If this is implemented in today’s games, you will be able to run demanding titles at higher graphics settings without sacrificing game responsiveness. Maybe Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn’t have been plagued with complaints if it had this feature.
If you want to try VR and asynchronous reprojection in action, check out the best VR headsets for PC gaming to help you get started.
Should asynchronous reprojection become a staple in future games?
Asynchronous reprojection may not reach non-VR games due to other features that increase responsiveness, such as NVIDIA’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR.
These technologies use AI to enhance a low-resolution image to a higher one. This increases the frame rate as your graphics processor displays the image at a lower resolution, reducing the workload on the graphics processor. These technologies have become so advanced that it is very difficult to distinguish between the enlarged image and the native resolution.
However, asynchronous reprojection may be available to everyone. DLSS and FSR are only available on the respective graphics cards that include them, making these features less accessible to everyone, even if those people have games that support them.
Asynchronous reprojection can make more games available to more players, so it should be a staple in modern games. You’ve already done it for VR, there’s no doubt you can’t do the same for normal games.
The receptive future?
Asynchronous reprojection has already proven to be a great feature for systems less capable in VR. It would be amazing to see it in modern games, especially more demanding ones. This feature might not be suitable for competitive gaming, but it would be great for people who just want a better gaming experience on a budget.
If asynchronous reprojection becomes more popular outside of the VR world, there may be hope that some smaller game developers can use this to create more graphically demanding games without trying to overcompensate for the low-end market. Eventually, this could make its way to larger games as well, giving more people the opportunity to enjoy more games.