Now that Overwatch 2 is here and getting regular updates, it seems like a good time to put in a new request for this feature. When properly implemented, a motion blur effect can give the appearance of smooth motion, even at low framerates.
I spend a lot of my time editing videos, and one of the difficulties in watching and producing videos about Overwatch has to do with how the game looks at a low framerate. Most commercial films are shot at 24 frames per second. However, the low framerate of live action film is never an issue because the camera and filming techniques capture natural motion blur, so your eyes don’t notice the difference. With video games, there is no motion blur at all, since each frame is discreetly rendered as a still image, requiring much higher framerates to give the illusion of motion.
Everything in Overwatch is fast paced, and unless you are playing on a 144Hz monitor or higher, some of the objects can be difficult if not impossible to keep track of. Instead of seeing a smooth movement, objects and effects (even characters other than Tracer) can appear to flicker and blink in and out of existence. This effect is exacerbated by the lack of motion acceleration (characters begin and stop moving immediately with no inertia). Not only does this give low end spec gamers a disadvantage compared to those using higher refresh rate monitors, but it makes watching footage of Overwatch somewhat of an eyesore, as the typical viewer will be watching at between 30 and 60 FPS, typically on a 60Hz monitor or television.
Now imagine if you could watch and play Overwatch at a smooth 30 FPS without all of the judder by introducing an optional motion blur effect. Suddenly, the game is much easier to play for those with more affordable hardware. Not only does it play better, it looks better too, across more devices. Imagine an Overwatch that looks just as good on your smartphone as it would on a 144Hz monitor. It even improves the quality of the encoding on the video itself, since it is requires less data to display gradual motion rather than fast motion. If you try to compress fast motion at a low bitrate, you get much more digital artifacts and noise, especially in a color rich game like Overwatch.
I personally think that the addition of an optional Motion Blur setting would be an absolute win for everyone. It makes playing, watching, and recording (or streaming) the game a much more enjoyable experience. I think it is one of the features that could really add the polish that Blizzard is known for to the game.