Evaluation of lag-related configurations in first-person shooter games

Abstract

In multiplayer video games, lag refers to the delay between a player's inputs and the corresponding outputs. A number of lag compensation techniques are often employed together to mitigate the impacts of lag in various ways. These methods, however, sometimes introduce new issues. This paper investigates the impacts of two sources of lag: tick rate and vertical synchronization (V-Sync) and the effectiveness of two common lag compensation methods: lag compensation and interpolation by measuring the player's shooting accuracy in a recent first-person shooter (FPS) game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). Our study shows that the lag compensation method and a higher tick rate can increase player performance significantly. However, the study is inconclusive for the interpolation method. The study also shows that V-Sync does not impact player's performance.