system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: When I shoot somebody in a video game, is there an actual bullet flying through the air? Or is that just added light effects I'm seeing.

I always imagined it as when your sights line up on someone, there's an invisible "laser beam" that attacks people when you shoot the gun. 

Edit: The amount of dense people in this thread who seem to think I'm retarded, and that I believe there to be real bullets flying out of my TV screen is ridiculous. Obviously I'm referring to virtual bullets. But other than that, thanks for the awesome replies everyone!
gpt
It depends on the game or weapon. Some use what's called "hitscan," which is similar to your laser beam example: when the weapon is fired, the bullet is treated as a straight line that appears instantaneously. A hit is registered when that line intersects with the target.

Bullets can also be programmed as actual projectiles although it's more complex. Basically, a hit is registered when the hitbox of the bullet collides with the hitbox of a target.