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[nkarafo]

Of all the shitty visual effects that make it harder for you to see your videogames, vignette seems to be the most intrusive. It just reduces your visibility around the screen, might as well just put a giant border, that at least would be cleaner and help with performance. Bonus points if you have a smaller TV/monitor, which makes the effect even worse.

I was playing RDR2 and it bothered me enough to download a mod for this thing alone, since there is no option to disable it like in most games on PC. I don't think i would be able to play the game otherwise, it's that bad for me. I mean, it looks somewhat tolerable in brighter scenes but in the darker or indoor scenes it's just awful.

And speaking about options and mods, i realized a lot of modern games have this effect and you can't disable it on a console. Which makes me think i would miss a ton of games because of that shit.

So yeah. Vignette... Plus auto exposure, motion blur, chromatic aberration, film grain, excessive bloom, piss filters, etc. Why are developers doing this to their videogames? Why hide the visuals instead of showing them? Playing older games that have none of this crap makes them look so much cleaner and sharper and better to look at.


Edit: Added example pic posted by Guilty_AI

 

[joeygreco1985]

I turn it all off on PC.

I believe the purpose of vignetting is to slightly darken the edges of the screen to make UI elements more easily visible though. I guess that depends on the game

 

[Radical_3d]

Most PC gamers have been using monitors with the most washed out colours with their GTX Titan Sli. Today is sightly better but you use reshade so, no. I won't be taking shit from the 1080p collective.

 

[keefged4]

I hate it, as well as chromatic aberration. Both are a cancer and the first thing I'll turn off / mod out in any game.

 

[Physiognomonics]

It's awful in Elden Ring on consoles and can't be removed. It's the reason I didn't buy Nioh3 on PS5. I hated it in the demo. Previous games didn't have it.

 

[Gonzito]

Chromatic Aberration, Vignete, Motion Blur and Film Grain

Burn them all, no mercy. They're trash and eye cancer

 

[IAmRei]

i don't have any issue with vignette, it's artistic reason for some. depend on the game, i usually turn it off for brighter game.
in the console, i'm fine without any option of it.

 

[JoeBlack2027]

As with motion pictures and cartoons it's used to focus your attention towards the center of the screen. Results vary.

You can also blur the edges of the frame to that same effect. I find the best vignette effects are done by altering the colors on the edges of the screen instead of just putting a feathered matte over the whole thing (read: changing the in game colours instead of putting a black filter on top of everything)

 

[rm082e]

It's an artistic choice. It's one I usually prefer to have on if the developer includes it because it's usually used in games where it fits the tone. Mass Effect is a good example. The vignette plus film grain is part of the visual DNA of that series for me.

The only effect like this that really bothers me personally is chromatic aberration. That's one I will go out of my way to turn off or remove every time. But pretty much everything else you listed doesn't bother me too much. I will toggle off motion blur by default as well, but if there were no option to turn it off, I wouldn't be that bothered.

 

[winjer]

I always turn it off, even if it takes a mod or a config of a ini file.
It's just one more of those useless graphical "features" that serves to reduce image quality, just like motion blur, film grain, chromatic aberration, lens flares, etc.
I whish devs would stop implementing all this crap.

 

[nkarafo]

As with motion pictures and cartoons it's used to focus your attention towards the center of the screen. Results vary.

Non of the movies or cartoons i watch have this.

 

[Sakura]

I can't stand it.
Just feels like I'm gaming with bad peripheral vision or something, it's very distracting.

 

[nkarafo]

It's an artistic choice. It's one I usually prefer to have on if the developer includes it because it's usually used in games where it fits the tone. Mass Effect is a good example. The vignette plus film grain is part of the visual DNA of that series for me.

The only effect like this that really bothers me personally is chromatic aberration. That's one I will go out of my way to turn off or remove every time. But pretty much everything else you listed doesn't bother me too much. I will toggle off motion blur by default as well, but if there were no option to turn it off, I wouldn't be that bothered.

Why do you accept vignette as "artistic choice" but not chromatic aberration?

 

[JoeBlack2027]

Non of the movies or cartoons i watch have this.

They most likely do, it can be very subtle. Especially if they change the colouring itself the way I described in the edit.

 

[crackajack]

I hate blur stuff the most I think, just does not go well together with modern monitors and TVs that blur the image already. I guess I could live with camera effects if it actually tries to deliver a camera feel. So Outlast for sure. Or it could be used to highlight cutscenes, although with current seemless presentations I don't think anyone wants to separate those modes anymore.
Watched a video about Speed Racer recently, where it was explained how much of a technical masterpiece it is (still would not make the garbage story actually good imho) But they filmed many scenes in layers and than added them together to lose the usual depth of field effect every camera provides. So they went out of their way to remove camera effects, together with all sorts of crazy transitions it is certainly an interesting production. Whereas games way to desperately try to emulate camera imperfections. Kinda funny that a movie for once did the other way.

 

[Gonzito]

The only thing I like is Depth of field because it makes cutscenes look more cinematic and immersive, and sometimes it hides low res textures. But the rest of these effects are just terrible

 

[nkarafo]

They most likely do, it can be very subtle. Especially if they change the colouring itself the way I described in the edit.

They don't. I'm watching a cartoon show right now and it's super clean around the edges, no darkening or blurring or anything.

And well, Games are never subtle, the effect is distracting. In RDR2 is distracting as fuck, especially when you are inside a building.

Also the vignette effect darkens the edges around the screen, reducing your peripheral vision. It's not just changing the colors.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Some devs just like when games imitate camera effects

 

[nkarafo]

Some devs just like when games imitate camera effects

I'm not aware of any camera that does this. I know chromatic aberration and limited exposure are camera related issues (not effects) but i have never seen a camera that has a vignette issue.

 

[Larxia]

Chromatic aberration and vignette are the reasons I still haven't played Elden Ring.
I know I could mod them out, but it means no online, and the online aspect is always a cool thing in souls game, it's not the same without it.

It always confuses me how everyone is all about 4K 4K 4K oled etc, while being fine with visual effects that make your game looks 720p.

 

[Kumomeme]

Dragons Dogma 2 is one of biggest culprit of this features. it ruined the game. i get the devs might find stuff like vignette or chromatic abberations like artistic decision but personally i dont see how it would games looks better since it would often make it look better without it.

some of these features are being overboard than film for example.

 

[German Shocks]

Chromatic aberration and vignette are the reasons I still haven't played Elden Ring.
I know I could mod them out, but it means no online, and the online aspect is always a cool thing in souls game, it's not the same without it.

It always confuses me how everyone is all about 4K 4K 4K oled etc, while being fine with visual effects that make your game looks 720p.

Buy two copies.

 

[rodrigolfp]

All those effects are brain farts from devs.

Chromatic Aberration, Vignete, Motion Blur and Film Grain

Add Depth of Field too. All effects that blur things.

 

[Paasei]

I always turn that shit off, but I play on PC. Can't stand all that shit.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I'm not aware of any camera that does this. I know chromatic aberration and limited exposure are camera related issues (not effects) but i have never seen a camera that has a vignette issue.

Modern cameras fix it using digital methods, but it will still appear in raw images as it is a natural effect that comes from light not hiting the edges of the lens properly.

 

[Parazels]

What is vignette?

 

[Tajaz2426]

Man, I knew something didn't look right on my Samsung Odyssey ultrawide. The outer edges on most of my PC games looked trash and thought my eyesight was starting to go.

Didn't know what that was until now, thanks gents.

If someone could give a good explanation of what vignette is would be my bestest friend forever. Thanks in advance

 

[Gonzito]

What is vignette?

 

[Guilty_AI]

What is vignette?

 

[Parazels]

Never seen that in games!

 

[JoeBlack2027]

They don't. I'm watching a cartoon show right now and it's super clean around the edges, no darkening or blurring or anything.

And well, Games are never subtle, the effect is distracting. In RDR2 is distracting as fuck, especially when you are inside a building.

Also the vignette effect darkens the edges around the screen, reducing your peripheral vision. It's not just changing the colors.

Anyways, to answer your question about how can someone play with it on, it's just not something I ever really notice while playing the game. To me it just sets the mood the way the developers wanted it set and I play and look at the contents of the game through that "lens" or "filter" they've crafted. Very rarely do I feel the need to disable post effects, I can see the enemies, the environment, the objectives just fine.

It's an interesting topic regarding how different visual perception is for different people, I can definitely get why people want that clean look if these effects stand out to them in a negative way. Maybe something about the difference between where your eyes rest compared to mine during gameplay, during fast movement, shooting, during camera pans, things like that.

Not to brag if this can be called bragging but I have a 1.4 K/D in battlefield 6 and I play with all those effects on, with motion blur set to 100 so I don't feel like it affects my performance either.

 

[Gonzito]

Never seen that in games!

 

[nkarafo]

Modern cameras fix it using digital methods, but it will still appear in raw images as it is a natural effect that comes from light not hiting the edges of the lens properly.

Either way it's an issue, not a desirable effect.

I don't understand the obsession of simulating camera related issues in games. To make them look what, more "realistic" as in, you are physically looking at them through a shitty camera?

Ok so then why do we invest in good quality monitors/TVs with the best image quality possible? Why care about image quality at all if the games themselves force a crappy, flawed look?

The least they could do is making these things optional. On PC most of the time they do, thank god, but what about console users?

 

[Guilty_AI]

Man, I knew something didn't look right on my Samsung Odyssey ultrawide. The outer edges on most of my PC games looked trash and thought my eyesight was starting to go.

Didn't know what that was until now, thanks gents.

If someone could give a good explanation of what vignette is would be my bestest friend forever. Thanks in advance

 

[Guilty_AI]

Either way it's an issue, not a desirable effect.

I don't understand the obsession of simulating camera related issues in games. To make them look what, more "realistic" as in, you are physically looking at them through a shitty camera?

Ok so then why do we invest in good quality monitors/TVs with the best image quality possible? Why care about image quality at all if the games themselves force a crappy, flawed look?

The least they could do is making these things optional. On PC most of the time they do, thank god, but what about console users?

I mean, i don't like them either, even stuff like depth of field i tend to disable and will only leave it in cutscenes if the option exists. I'm just pointing out that this is a thing

 

[Tajaz2426]

Son of a bitch, you're setting here telling me at 45, I've been living life wrong all these years.

I'm hurting and self reflection is needed in this moment. Thank you for leading me to the water and showing me life can be as grand as it once was.

That's a stark difference.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Son of a bitch, you're setting here telling me at 45, I've been living life wrong all these years.

I'm hurting and self reflection is needed in this moment. Thank you for leading me to the water and showing me life can be as grand as it once was.

That's a stark difference.

Should've said "That's a shark difference."

 

[adamsapple]

Consoles users, how can you stand it?

We don't. If given the option, it's an immediate disable.

 

[Dutchy]

but i have never seen a camera that has a vignette issue.

Some photographers like using full-frame sensor camera's with lenses that aren't full-frame in order to get a deliberate vignette (mismatching crop factor). But that's rare, and I honestly think you can do it just as good looking in post. Naturally I don't think vignetting is ever involved indeed.

 

[Bojji]

Chromatic Aberration, Vignete, Motion Blur and Film Grain

Burn them all, no mercy. They're trash and eye cancer

Absolute shitshow.

Add radial blur to the mix:

Glaucoma simulator.

 

[rm082e]

Why do you accept vignette as "artistic choice" but not chromatic aberration?

Oh I'm not making an argument that one is objectively acceptable and one isn't. It's entirely user preference.

I just happen to like a mild vignetting effect (and film grain) in some genres like gritty Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Certainly there are examples of games that take it too far, or where it feels out of place.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've never seen chromatic aberration used in a way where I liked it. Bloodborne is one of my favorite games of all time and it's obnoxious in that game.

I have no problem with differing opinions. It would be nice if every game had all of these as options in the graphics settings menu - including on consoles.

 

[nkarafo]

Son of a bitch, you're setting here telling me at 45, I've been living life wrong all these years.

I'm hurting and self reflection is needed in this moment. Thank you for leading me to the water and showing me life can be as grand as it once was.

That's a stark difference.

If that makes you feel any better, this effect mostly exists in modern games where heavy use of post-process effects is a thing. Mostly during PS4 generation and later. So if you started playing games at, say, 6y old, then the vast majority of the games you played in your life were clear of this.

 

[R6Rider]

Vignette is lame except for usage as helping with motion sickness with VR games.

 

[Bojji]

Oh I'm not making an argument that one is objectively acceptable and one isn't. It's entirely user preference.

I just happen to like a mild vignetting effect (and film grain) in some genres like gritty Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Certainly there are examples of games that take it too far, or where it feels out of place.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've never seen chromatic aberration used in a way where I liked it. Bloodborne is one of my favorite games of all time and it's obnoxious in that game.

I have no problem with differing opinions. It would be nice if every game had all of these as options in the graphics settings menu - including on consoles.

vignette can look ok when it's subtle, I liked it in games when it first appeared. But of course... developers started increasing the intensity of it to the max in some games (with no sliders).

 

[Miles708]

i have no problems with post processing effects, i can tolerate chromatic aberration and i LOVE motion blur, especially on 60fps games.

Vignette can die in a fire and every artist implementing it in games should be made fun of in all their coffee breaks for the next 6 months.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

It's an effective technique for certain kinds of photography. It took a special sort of smooth-brain to think vignetting does the same thing for moving visuals as it does for an artistic single frame.

 

[nkarafo]

On the other end of the spectrum, I've never seen chromatic aberration used in a way where I liked it. Bloodborne is one of my favorite games of all time and it's obnoxious in that game.

I thought it worked well in Alien Isolation. But yeah, in some games it makes my eyes hurt. the worst offender for me was A Plague Tale - Innocence, i think this game actually damaged my eyes.

 

[HRK69]

Chromatic aberration and vignetting are pretty bad. I can live with the rest, it doesn't bother me that much. In fact, I even like the depth of field in certain situations.

 

[DaciaJC]

Chromatic aberration and vignetting are pretty bad. I can live with the rest, it doesn't bother me that much. In fact, I even like the depth of field in certain situations.

Same. I usually leave motion blur and DoF on.

But CA and vignettes can die in a fire.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Vignette, depth of field, motion blur, chromatic aberation, any lens FX.

I turn them the fuck off and usually gain a few frames in the process.

In Mass Effect you have to use a mod to disable them.