1. [Publications](/publications) 2. Timing Matters: The Impact of Event-Specific Frametime Spikes in First-Person Shooter Games # Timing Matters: The Impact of Event-Specific Frametime Spikes in First-Person Shooter Games ![](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/publications/LatencySpikeQoE.PNG?itok=7YaufFpN) Frametime spikes can disrupt gameplay in first-person shooter (FPS) games, affecting both performance and player experience. This paper examines how spikes during specific game events impact players. We developed a custom FPS game that maintains a steady 500 frames/s while inducing frametime spikes during weapon reloading, fast mouse movement, or targeting. Thirty-eight (38) participants played the game in a user study, providing both performance data and user-reported visual smoothness. Results show that spikes while targeting lowered accuracy and score, while spikes during reloads and mouse movement did not affect performance but still degraded user experience. These results suggest that both the relative timing and size of frametime spikes matter in FPS gameplay. Per-action models better account for average QoE when spikes happen, showing better fit than models that only consider spike size (independent of action). ## Authors Samin Shahriar Tokey (WPI) [Ben Boudaoud](/person/ben-boudaoud) [Joohwan Kim](/person/joohwan-kim) [Josef Spjut](/person/josef-spjut) Mark Claypool (WPI) ## Publication Date Tuesday, September 30, 2025 ## Published in [2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX)](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/11219884/proceeding) ## Research Area [Computer Graphics](/research-area/computer-graphics) [Esports](/research-area/esports) [Human Computer Interaction](/research-area/human-computer-interaction) ## Copyright This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to .