What is bloom in gaming?

Bloom in gaming refers to the visual effect of a soft glowing light around bright objects or sources of light. It is commonly used to simulate a realistic level of light diffusion and lens flare in a scene.

Bloom is achieved by rendering the scene at a higher brightness and blurring the resulting image. This blurring effect spreads the light from bright areas to neighboring pixels, giving the illusion of a glowing effect. This can enhance the overall visual quality and realism of a game, particularly when representing intense light sources such as the sun or bright artificial lighting.

The use of bloom in gaming can greatly impact the visual aesthetics and mood of a game. It can create a sense of warmth, depth, and atmosphere, especially in outdoor environments with a strong focus on lighting. Bloom is often employed in genres like first-person shooters, open-world games, and RPGs to enrich the player's visual immersion and make the game world feel more vibrant and alive.

However, bloom also has its drawbacks, as excessive use can result in a washed-out or overly bright appearance, making it difficult to distinguish fine details or causing visual fatigue. To mitigate these issues, game developers often provide graphical options to adjust or disable the bloom effect based on player preferences and system capabilities.

Overall, bloom in gaming serves as a visual enhancement technique that adds a level of realism and dynamism to a game's lighting and visuals, enhancing the overall visual experience for players.