Pushing the Limits? Frame Rate Benefits to Players for up to 500 Hz in First Person Shooter Games
Computer games -- and computer game players -- often drive technology improvements, with graphics cards and monitors pushing the limits of display technologies. High frame rates, in particular, promise to provide lower latencies and smoother game visuals to gamers, especially important for competitive first person shooter (FPS) game players. What is not well-known is to what extent gamers benefit from ultra-high frame rates in terms of player performance and quality of experience. This paper studies the effects of frame rates -- especially high frame rates -- on FPS game players. A custom FPS game was developed to allow for consistent delivery of frame rates from 7 f/s to 500 f/s, while recording objective (performance) and subjective (smoothness) measures. Analysis of data from a 44-person user study shows player performance (e.g., score) improves sharply from 7+ f/s, but levels out after about 90 f/s. However, users perception benefits over the full range of frame rates studied, rising sharply from 7+ f/s, but continuing to improve through the top 500 f/s.
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