PC gaming is filled with jargon that mixes together marketable names with scientific descriptions to create a pile of terms that are next to impossible to decipher. Knowing the vocabulary of graphics terms is important for optimizing your performance, understanding your games, and tweaking your graphics menus, and we’re here to define all of the labels flying around.
We’re focusing on terms that you’ll find commonly in games that don’t have an obvious definition — we trust you can figure out what “reflection quality” means — but there may be some terms we missed. If there’s something you’re wondering about, click that author name on top of this article and shoot me an email.
Graphics settings
Let’s start at the top with the graphics menu. Here, we’re looking at terms that may not be obvious at first glance rather than all of the settings you see in a graphics menu. Settings like texture quality and shader quality refer to, well, the quality of textures and shaders, respectively. We’re digging a little deeper for settings that don’t explain themselves.
You won’t find all of these options in every graphics menu. In most games, you’ll only see a handful of them. However, knowing all the terms sets you up to know what you should tweak.
Rendering isn’t perfect, and you’ll sometimes see some visual artifacts that are left over. Here, we’ll help you put a name to a face so you know what visual artifacts you’re seeing.
Camera effects
In addition to graphics options, most modern games include a suite of camera effects that add a certain visual look to the final image. In an ideal case, you have the option to turn these settings off.
Display terms
Your monitor plays a big role in your gameplay experience, which is why we have a separate roundup of thebest gaming monitors. These terms refer to your display, and they can impact the look and feel of your games.
Performance terms
Finally, there are some terms that refer to the performance of your games, and you won’t find them in a settings menu. These terms may not come up often, but they’re important to know so you’re able to nail down the performance you’re seeing.
