NVIDIA’s Smooth Motion feature is meant to make games and videos feel smoother by interpolating frames between rendered ones, and it works amazingly well when used correctly. But if you’ve turned it on and noticed worse performance, lag, or stuttering, you're more than likely using it incorrectly. So follow along as we show you how to use NVIDIA Smooth Motion correctly to get the best possible performance.

Takeaways:

  1. When I enable Smooth Motion in games, the performance gets worse.
  2. Worse FPS when using NVIDIA Smooth Motion in games?
  3. NVIDIA Smooth Motion vs Lossless Scaling? Which is better?

How to Fix NVIDIA Smooth Motion Causing Bad Performance in Games

The simple rule to follow for NVIDIA Smooth Motion is that if a game already has a built-in frame generation feature, such as DLSS Frame Generation, AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation, or Intel XeSS Frame Generation, do not enable NVIDIA Smooth Motion. These two systems both attempt to insert interpolated frames, but at different points in the rendering pipeline. When both are active, they conflict, causing:

  • Frame pacing issues and judder
  • Dramatic FPS drops
  • Input latency and stutter

What to Do Instead:

  • Keep in-game Frame Generation ON (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). It's better than Smooth Motion.
  • Turn NVIDIA Smooth Motion OFF in the NVIDIA App for that game

Smooth Motion is designed for games without Frame Generation support, not as a replacement or enhancement for it. If you’re unsure whether a game supports Frame Generation, check its graphics settings. If you see options for “DLSS Frame Generation,” “FSR 3 Frame Generation,” or similar, disable Smooth Motion.

IMPORTANT: Do not enable Smooth Motion Globally on your system, or you will have a lot of performance issues in other games and software. Only enable it for specific games in the NVIDIA app.

NVIDIA Smooth Motion Causing Bad Performance in Games

When to Use Smooth Motion

Smooth Motion shines in games that don’t have their own Frame Generation, particularly older or indie titles. It helps these run smoother without needing in-engine support.

Best use cases:

  • Single-player games and simulators
  • Older games capped at 60 FPS or below
  • Visual or cinematic experiences where latency doesn’t matter

Avoid using Smooth Motion in:

  • Competitive or fast-paced shooters
  • Any title with built-in Frame Generation
  • Games where GPU load is already high

Note: In some games like Age of Empires, Smooth Motion can start to do really weird things with image quality when you have a lot of stuff going on, on screen. It's not really an issue unless you are using population limit mods that increase the amount of stuff on screen. 2000 pop caps, for example.

Which is Better: Lossless Scaling or NVIDIA Smooth Motion?

It all depends on your hardware. If you have a 40 series card or newer, Smooth Motion is the winner hands down. It's easier to set up and use, and it just works straight out of the box. If you have an older GPU, you won't have access to Smooth Motion, so Lossless Scaling is the default winner, and it does an amazing job of adding extra FPS and smoothing out stuttering issues.

Other Fixes for Smooth Motion Performance Drops

If you’ve already turned off Smooth Motion in Frame Gen games and are still seeing performance issues, try a few of the other things listed below.

Lower the GPU Load (Drop your Graphics Settings a Bit)

Smooth Motion uses extra GPU resources for frame interpolation. In demanding games, this can push your card to 100% usage and cause lag.

  • Lower ray tracing, shadows, or resolution scaling.
  • Limit background GPU workloads (overlays, video players, browsers).

Update Your NVIDIA Drivers and App

Smooth Motion is still new and being improved regularly.

  • Open the NVIDIA App > Settings > Updates
  • Check for and install the latest Game Ready Driver and App updates
  • Restart your PC after updating

Use Exclusive Fullscreen Mode

Some users have reported smoother frame pacing and fewer stutters when running games in exclusive fullscreen rather than borderless windowed mode.

Disable Other Frame or Input Tweaks

Features like NVIDIA Reflex, V-Sync, or manual frame limiters can conflict with Smooth Motion in some titles. Try toggling them off or on individually to test which combination performs best.