If you’re looking for a smooth gameplay experience, then having access to fast refresh rates is one way to achieve that. While not everyone might be able to tell the difference, for those who can there is a considerable improvement when jumping up to 60fps from 30fps. But, for iPhone users, that hasn’t always been a possibility.
Many games, like Pokémon Go, are locked to 30fps on Apple’s smartphones. However, it’s possible to get higher than that, as long as the game itself supports it. And now the mobile augmented reality title where trainers go out into the real world and try to find pocket monsters does just that. In the most recent update to Pokémon Go, bumping the version number to 1.191.0, the title now supports native refresh rates.
Which means, depending on your iPhone, you can unlock a refresh rate up to 120Hz. You’ll need the iPhone 13 Pro and/or iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its 120Hz ProMotion display to reach that benchmark, though. If you have a slightly older phone, though (like the iPhone 8 Plus), you should be able to see performance at 60fps.
Interestingly, as noted by The Verge, Niantic, the developer behind the mobile AR game, isn’t go out of its way to promote the native refresh rate unlock. You’ll need to dig into the “Advanced Settings” area of the game to unlock the feature, too. So, the game’s developer isn’t heavily promoting the new addition and you need to dig into settings to make the change.
Still, it’s a worthwhile and welcomed change to the title. And for the folks who will be able to tell a difference, playing the game, and even simply moving through the menus, should feel a lot more smoother while playing.