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Fortnite Could Run at 60fps on iPhone X but Here’s Why It Doesn't

Fortnite Could Run at 60fps on iPhone X but Here’s Why It Doesn't

By Rishi Alwani | Updated: 26 December 2018 15:14 IST

Highlights

Fortnite iPhone X per-frame rendering times vary between eight and 16ms
This is enough for the game to run at 60fps in most cases on iPhone X
However Epic Games prioritised the iPhone X running cool enough

Fortnite for iPhone X could run at 60fps but Epic Games won't allow it. According to the Fortnite developer, the iPhone X A11 Bionic SoC is up to the task, having the ability to produce per-frame rendering times in-line for what's needed to run Fortnite at 60fps. However Fortnite is capped at 30fps instead. A perplexing decision when you consider that last year's iPad Pro can run the game at 60fps. It appears that raw power alone isn't the only factor when deciding Fortnite's frame rate on mobile devices like the iPhone X. In a breakdown of Fortnite's 60fps performance on iOS devices, Digital Foundry explains that Epic Games had to keep the iPhone X's thermals in check too.

"Based on conversations with Epic Games, last year's iPhone X can - in theory - run Fortnite at 60 frames per second," the report reads.

"According to the developer, per-frame rendering times vary between eight to 16ms. In more complex scenarios it would be tight, but that's fast enough to hit 60 frames per second for the majority of the game's duration. However, the reality is that running the last-gen A11 Bionic flat-out would overheat the device, leading to lower CPU and GPU clocks, severely impacted performance and highly compromised battery life. Epic's solution is simple then - lock to 30fps and in the process give the device the thermal headroom to stay cool enough to run at peak frequencies."

Following the announcement of Fortnite Team Rumble LTM via the Fortnite 6.31 update, Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite Mobile on iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR now runs at 60fps. What this means is, if you play Fortnite Mobile on iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR, you will have the highest possible frame rate Fortnite has to offer on mobile devices. While this performance upgrade did not make it into the Fortnite 6.31 update patch notes, Epic Games employees took to Twitter to confirm the news.

"Not sure why it didn't make it in to today's patch notes, but if you play Fortnite on an iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, you can now play at 60fps," tweeted Epic's Nick Chester. "That's an impressive technical achievement by the team and it looks great! Turn it on in the options."

Naturally some wondered why recent devices like the iPhone X hasn't got the 60fps option. Chester didn't quite rule it out at the time.

"Performance is constrained by hardware, and the devices listed and more powerful than the X," he tweeted. "That said, the team is always looking at ways to get better performance on all devices all of the time!"

While it's unlikely that the iPhone X will see 60fps support in light of the Digital Foundry report, it will be interesting to see if and when Android devices get the similar feature, allowing for silky smooth gameplay.

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Apple iPhone X

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Stunning design and display
Great cameras
Wireless charging
Assured, timely software updates

Bad
Costs a small fortune
First party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone X review

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Apple A11 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 2716mAh

OS iOS 11

Resolution 1125x2436 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

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