So I'm in the middle of BioShock Infinite just now (trying my damnest to avoid spoilers!) but just wondered whether anyone noticed the "Lock Framerate" option on the 360 version? If so, did you disable it? It is on by default.

Not sure whether having the game installed onto the hard drive has anything to do with it, but I'm noticing a decent jump in performance in the game since disabling. It's a little erratic as you would expect, but some sequences are really smooth. I don't have any frame capture tech or analysis to back it up, but currently on my way through Hall of Heroes and it's feeling a lot smoother. Maybe around high 40s / 50 fps? It's an interesting option to have if nothing else!

Bioshock 2 also had it, I believe.

I think it also turns off Vsync. I'd rather have a solid 30 and no screen tearing than an erratic 30-50 with tearing, though.

Bioshock 1 has is as well, I noticed it was there when I started to replay it last week.

I don't find the frame rate that bad in either game on 360 so I've always just left it

I tried both settings and in the end I'm giving up on the 360 version as the inconsistency and general choppiness really bothers me. I found that while it was never terrible it fluctuated to the point that I kept getting distracted. I've since ordered the PC version and will happily run it on the lowest settings if it can run a little more consistently.

I don't want to sound rude or elitist but as a PC user i must admit that i chuckled a little after reading you describe 40-50 fps as "really smooth".

Well then you failed on both accounts.

Don't worry man- I'm a PC gamer recently converted from Xbox, and 40-50 IS nice and smooth, especially when you're accustomed to 20-30.

In a nutshell, most console games have a "cap" coded into them that prevents the FPS from going over 30. The game will occasionally struggle to maintain 30fps and drop below, during which you'll see some screen tearing and feel a bit if input lag, but it won't be that noticeable since you're only fluctuating between 25 and 30. Unlocking the framerate tells the engine to render as many frames as possible per second, even if it exceeds the refresh rate of your TV (which will cause screen tearing also).

This will make certain sections that aren't processor intensive run at 40-60fps, but as soon as things get hectic it'll come crashing back down to around 25. A sudden drop of 30 frames will be a lot more noticeable than 5, making the game feel choppy and inconsistent as the frame rate soars and dives. Hope that helps.

@lashe:

I turned it off. The framerate improves dramatically but there is some screen tearing. It's basically like turning off v-sync.

@JasonR86: That's exactly what it's doing. The "sync" in vsync means syncing the frame cap to your monitor's refresh rate (60hz on most TVs). I it drops below that it will tear, so vsync instructs the GPU to cut the FPS to half your refresh rate (30).

A 360 or PS3 definitely CAN NOT run games at 60 without dropping a single frame, so unless you want your frames lurching back and forth between 30 and 60 (very jarring), leave the 30fps lock on. My computer isn't cutting edge but can run the game @ 1080p about 45-50fps, so I lock it at 30 and enjoy a nice, consistent feel without a single dropped or torn frame.

I tried it for a bit and could do with the reduced graphical fidelity, but eventually the higher framerate made the game harder to play because of the constant jumps from 30 to 60 fps.