delta time
Delta time is elapsed time between updates.
Use this when Movement speed changes when frame rate changes.
without the term
“The player moves twice as fast on my 120Hz monitor as on my laptop. Can you make movement speed the same no matter the frame rate?”
with the term · How do you ask a model for delta time?
Make this movement independent of render frame rate. Test low and high rates, a long frame, and pause using the chosen timestep policy.
What is delta time?
Delta time is the time since the last frame. Multiplying speeds by it keeps movement consistent at any frame rate. Physics usually needs a fixed timestep on top of that.
Why does delta time matter when vibe coding?
Multiplying by elapsed time helps motion but does not guarantee stable physics.
How do you do delta time?
Express rates consistently and choose a bounded fixed or variable timestep strategy.
What goes wrong with delta time?
Allowing one unusually long timestep to cross obstacles or destabilize the simulation.