I dismissed Nvidia Reflex as for esports superstars – but now I don’t want to go back to life without it

One of the best things about the graphics card hardware of nvidia is the accompanying software. In a close and very close competition between it and AMD, software has always been one of the key differentiators. In the last generation of hardware, Nvidia added a new piece of software that I casually dropped, but when the 3000-series generation came to an end, I finally gave it a try, and found myself hooked.

I’m talking about nvidia mirroringa little add-on software option that uses your fancy high-end graphics hardware and various clever methods to reduce input lag between your input devices, primarily the keyboard and mouse of course, but this would also work with drivers. you are deadliest in the game.

When the 30 series first launched, I dabbled in Reflex, but never paid much attention to it. I was more interested in the improved versions of DLSS which increases the frame rate and how it would allow me to increase the visual fidelity and lighting in real time in newer games like Cyberpunk 2077. But recently, I went back to Reflex, and in that I return, I realized how awesome this tool is.

We talk a lot about frame rate and network latency in games, but we don’t talk as often about system latency. I’ve always been aware of this: in my competitive RTS days, I would refuse to use a wireless mouse, superstitious because doing so invited more lag. I have read detailed articles on which arcade sticks induce the fastest screen response time. But that was over the limit. You got the best peripherals available and that was it; there were no other steps to limit or compensate for it. Which is where Nvidia Reflex comes in.

Nvidia has only one app to thank for my becoming a fan of the tool: a little Overwatch test map designed strictly to demonstrate what Reflex does for you in real time. Basically: you’re locked in one place, with a sniper rifle, and another character repeatedly dashes through a distant door. Try clicking your mouse to shoot as they run past, first with Reflex off, then turn it on. The difference is night and day. Some tests have even shown Reflex to be as good as using the in-game frame limiter, meaning you can have that sweet, unlocked frame rate while keeping lag to a minimum.

I knew this was what Reflex did, of course, both from mild experimentation and Nvidia’s marketing blitz in 2021. But it wasn’t until I sat down with Overwatch that I realized how useful the tool would be even for a medium level like me. When I saw Nvidia’s marketing, I thought, you know, at my level of play, what difference would a couple of milliseconds make? I’m not in the Overwatch League. But then… I tried.

And I guess you have to try it to believe it. I went from doing like one headshot out of twelve to doing nine or ten. It is a big difference. The main thing I couldn’t believe is how much of an improvement it was for me, with my average reactions and FPS skills out of practice.

The result is that if Reflex is available in a game, I turn it on. It’s in Overwatch 2, but it’s also available in a variety of other games, including Rainbow Six Siege & Extraction, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and a variety of Call of Duty games. There are even some less intensive campaign focused games in the mix like Deathloop, and some non-shooter games like God of War and iRacing. I can see a case for this lag reduction in many games, in fact I salivate at the thought that this could come to Street Fighter 6 (Capcom, Nvidia, make it happen).

AMD also has its own lag reduction technology, but from the tests and reading I’ve done, it doesn’t seem to be as impressive as Nvidia’s. But additionally, one thing that continues to drive Nvidia is how its various technologies combine and interact.

For Reflex, this is best demonstrated in Cyberpunk 2077, where on newer 4000-series GPUs, starting with the RTX 4090, you can run the game at over 120fps on maxed-out settings thanks to DLSS 3, a new upgrade to that. separate piece of technology. The capture? By generating additional frames, which is what DLSS 3 does, it induces additional delay. Nvidia’s solution is as simple as it is elegant: Cyberpunk 2077 compatibility with Reflex. DLSS 3 increases frame rate at the cost of additional latency, but then Reflex reduces latency, offsetting the “harm” DLSS 3 causes. The result is a game that feels the same or better, but with that sky-high frame rate and mega configurations.

In this regard, one can see how a combination of DLSS 3 and Reflex can form a kind of excellent application for GeForce RTX technology. You can see what the future of maximizing settings and images could look like without hurting the rest of your experience. But even without that, I’ve been excited and impressed with Reflex in shooters as a raw latency reduction tool. It’s not just for high-ranking esports nerds! I wish I had started using it sooner.