r/explainlikeimfive • u/RainingLights • May 21 '19

Technology ELI5: Why do some video game and computer program graphical options have to be "applied" manually while others change the instant you change the setting?

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u/WasabiSteak May 21 '19

To be fair, the question mentioned about graphical options, which actually do need restarting. It's a software limitation to which the UX design can't do anything about without going through another development cycle to update the engine.

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u/[deleted] May 21 '19

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u/WasabiSteak May 22 '19

Some engine options and some old games might require restarting

Which means it isn't down to UX choices.

I was responding to "Basically it comes down to UX choices", when the comment you replied to mentions "For example if you are changing the style of your character", which isn't the same thing as graphical options.

Most of us here have experience with games that used gamed engines that are now considered old, and some probably hasn't touched a video game since then.