HOW-TO · SMOOTH MOTION · CHECKED ON DRIVER 621.14

NVIDIA Smooth Motion: what it is and how to enable it for any game

Smooth Motion is a driver feature that generates extra frames for games that have no DLSS Frame Generation. In NPI, open the game's profile, set Smooth Motion - Enable (0xB0D384C0) to On, optionally limit it with Smooth Motion - Enabled APIs (0xB0CC0875), apply and restart the game. It needs a supported RTX GPU and driver, and NVIDIA says it adds more latency than a built-in frame generation, so it suits slower games more than shooters.

You need

GPU
RTX 40 or RTX 50
Driver
571.86 or newer (setting)
NPI
3.0.2.1 or newer
Time
5 minutes

What Smooth Motion does (and doesn’t)

Smooth Motion is NVIDIA’s driver-level frame generation. It inserts extra frames into a game’s output without help from the game, so it works in titles that have no DLSS Frame Generation. A built-in DLSS frame generation (frame generation) is part of the game and uses the game’s own motion data; Smooth Motion cannot, which is why NVIDIA says it has higher latency and lower image quality than a native integration. REPORTED · TweakTown, quoting NVIDIA It adds frames you see; it does not make the game respond faster.

Which GPUs, drivers and APIs

Smooth Motion support
GPUWhat NVIDIA saysSource
RTX 50Introduced in NVIDIA App 11.0.2 for DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games.NVIDIA app release highlights
RTX 40Added in NVIDIA App 11.0.5. NVIDIA's Linux README says RTX 40 and newer.NVIDIA app; Linux README
RTX 30 and olderNo NVIDIA statement of support found. Users search for it, and we could not test.Our research, 8 Nov 2026

NPI’s two rows exist from driver 571.86. CODE · NPI 2994194 The APIs setting is a bitmask: DirectX 12 is 1, DirectX 11 is 2, Vulkan is 4, and 7 means all three, which is the default when the row is absent. CODE · NPI 2994194

decimal 7
  • bit 2 Vulkan
  • bit 1 DirectX 11
  • bit 0 DirectX 12

NVIDIA’s Linux driver exposes Smooth Motion as a Vulkan layer switched on with the environment variable NVPRESENT_ENABLE_SMOOTH_MOTION=1. OFFICIAL · NVIDIA Linux README

Enable it for one game

  1. Open the game's own profile in NPI

    Run NPI as administrator, then type the game’s name or exe in the profile box. How to use NPI shows the window.

  2. Search for smooth

    Type smooth. NPI lists Smooth Motion - Enable (↗), Smooth Motion - Enabled APIs (↗) and two debug rows.

  3. Set Smooth Motion - Enable to On

    Choose 0x00000001 · On.

  4. Limit the APIs (optional) only if…

    Choose a value for ↗ such as 0x00000006 · 0x00000006 Allow DX11+Vulkan to allow only DirectX 11 and Vulkan. Leave it alone to allow all three.

  5. Apply, then restart the game

    Click Apply Changes and start the game again. Toggling needs a game restart, according to the PC Games Hardware test of an RTX 5080. REPORTED · PC Games Hardware via TechSpot

To check it is working, watch the frame rate counter: the displayed number should rise. A frame-time tool such as PresentMon shows the extra presented frames. The row ↗ (Smooth Motion - Debug Bars) draws on-screen bars when it is On; it is a debug option, so use it for testing only.

Does it help? What reviewers found

We have no NVIDIA GPU, so we measured nothing ourselves. Published results, each with its own setup, are not averaged.

Reported FPS gain from Smooth Motion

Both published tests saw large displayed-FPS gains, but neither measured latency.

03774111149RTX 5080, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: 135 FPS (from 83.3 FPS off; PC Games Hardware via TechSpot)RTX 5080, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2135RTX 5080, same game, Smooth Motion off: 83 FPS (baseline)RTX 5080, same game, Smooth Motion off83RTX 4080 Super, early test (average): 120 FPS (from about 90 FPS off; PC Gamer)RTX 4080 Super, early test (average)120RTX 4080 Super, same test, off: 90 FPS (baseline)RTX 4080 Super, same test, off90

Average FPS shown (higher is better; says nothing about latency)

REPORTED · PC Games Hardware, PC Gamer Each pair comes from a single outlet and a single early test. Displayed FPS rises because frames are added; NVIDIA says latency also rises. Not our measurement.
Show the data
Reported FPS gain from Smooth Motion, data
ItemFPSSetup
RTX 5080, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2135from 83.3 FPS off; PC Games Hardware via TechSpot
RTX 5080, same game, Smooth Motion off83baseline
RTX 4080 Super, early test (average)120from about 90 FPS off; PC Gamer
RTX 4080 Super, same test, off90baseline

Smooth Motion vs DLSS Frame Generation vs Lossless Scaling

Smooth Motion compared
FeatureSmooth MotionDLSS Frame GenerationLossless Scaling
Where it runsNVIDIA's driver, any game on a supported APIInside the game, if the game supports itA separate Windows program over the game window
GPUsRTX 40 and newerRTX 40 and newer (multi frame generation RTX 50)Many GPUs
LatencyHigher than native frame generation, per NVIDIAUses Reflex in supporting gamesNot measured by us
CostFree, part of the driverFree, part of the gamePaid

Lossless Scaling is a separate product and we did not test it; the row above states only its public description.

Enable via the NVIDIA App vs NPI

The NVIDIA App offers Smooth Motion in its graphics settings. NPI writes the same rows per game and also reaches settings the App does not show, such as the enabled APIs. If the App resets a value, set it again after the App; NPI vs the NVIDIA App explains why.

NVIDIA’s own per-game list

NVIDIA also decides per program whether Smooth Motion may run. In driver 621.14, ↗ is set in 727 predefined profiles: 706 of them block it entirely (mostly browsers, CAD and media apps), 21 restrict it to some APIs, and 2 allow all. LAB · DRIVER PACKAGE · F44 Between drivers 610.47 and 621.14 NVIDIA lifted the restriction for 28 games, among them Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite and Valorant, and widened Counter-Strike 2 from DirectX 12 to DirectX 12 and DirectX 11. LAB · DRIVER PACKAGE · F47 If it will not turn on for a program, check that program’s own profile.

Smooth Motion items in NVIDIA's driver release notes (most recent first)
DriverDateItem in the notes
610.88Jul 28, 2026Improves frame pacing in certain DX11 games when Smooth Motion is used while G-SYNC is enabled
610.74Jul 07, 2026Tencent Meeting: Flickering may be observed when Smooth Motion is enabled globally
610.62Jun 16, 2026Resolved an issue that could cause jittering or ghosting in some DirectX 11 games when Smooth Motion is enabled
610.62Jun 16, 2026Resolved an issue that could cause some games to crash when launched with Smooth Motion enabled
595.97Mar 24, 2026HITMAN World of Assassination: Game stability issues when NVIDIA Smooth Motion is enabled
591.59Dec 18, 2025Assassin's Creed Valhalla: HDR toggle not functional when Smooth Motion is enabled
581.57Oct 14, 2025Games may crash if the installed game directory contains Chinese characters while Smooth Motion is enabled
581.57Oct 14, 2025Delta Force: game stability issues when Smooth Motion is enabled

When to turn it off

Turn it off in competitive shooters, where the added latency costs you, in games that have their own frame generation, and wherever it produces artefacts in menus or the HUD. NVIDIA’s notes list HUD flicker, jitter in DirectX 11 games and crashes that were fixed in specific drivers (above).

Not working?

Smooth Motion troubleshooting
SymptomLikely causeFix
No effectThe game's API is not allowed, the exe is not in the profile, the driver or GPU is too old, or NVIDIA blocks the program.Check Enabled APIs and the exe, update the driver, and see the per-game list above.
FPS drops with a frame capNVIDIA fixed a case of a large drop with RivaTuner FPS cap in driver 581.42.Update the driver; try the in-game or NVIDIA cap.
Stutter in DirectX 11 with G-SYNCFrame pacing issue improved in driver 610.88.Update the driver.
HUD flicker or crashesGame-specific driver issues listed in the notes.Update the driver, or turn Smooth Motion off for that game.

If NPI itself misbehaves, use the fix tree. Requirements are on the requirements page, and other tools in the DLSS tools comparison.

Undo

Set ↗ back to Off, or use the row’s reset, then Apply Changes and restart the game. Reset NPI settings to default shows every level.

Questions people ask

Does Smooth Motion work on RTX 30 or 40 cards?

NVIDIA introduced it for RTX 50 in NVIDIA App 11.0.2 and extended it to RTX 40 in 11.0.5. NVIDIA's Linux driver README says RTX 40 and newer. We found no NVIDIA statement of support for RTX 30, and we could not test any card.

Is Smooth Motion better than Lossless Scaling?

They solve the same problem differently. Smooth Motion runs in NVIDIA's driver on RTX 40 and 50; Lossless Scaling is a separate paid program that runs on many GPUs. We did not measure Lossless Scaling.

Does Smooth Motion add input lag?

Yes. NVIDIA says Smooth Motion has higher latency and lower image quality than a native DLSS Frame Generation integration.

Should I turn Smooth Motion on or off?

On for slower, single-player games where the frame rate is low. Off in competitive shooters where latency matters, and in games with their own frame generation.

Sources

  1. NVIDIA app release highlights nvidia.com · accessed 8 Nov 2026 · official
  2. NVIDIA Linux driver README download.nvidia.com · accessed 8 Nov 2026 · official
  3. NVIDIA Game Ready driver release notes and articles nvidia.com · accessed 8 Nov 2026 · official
  4. TweakTown tweaktown.com · accessed 8 Nov 2026 · reported
  5. PC Gamer pcgamer.com · accessed 8 Nov 2026 · reported

Keep going

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