Console input lag; My mind is slightly blown.

[Fuzzle]

Maybe this is old news, I don't know.

I know that all software and hardware incur some type of input lag - that games especially usually spend several frames or cycles checking if a button is depressed before taking action. I had no idea though that this delay was a minimum of 66ms on 60fps console games, and 100ms on 30fps ones (which is what's most common).

I always had a "live and let live" mentality about the console/pc war, and figured hey as long as the games are good I don't mind migrating to consoles, but 160ms lag on 30fps games sounds pretty unappealing. If I realised I was getting those kind of numbers in a PC game, I'd consider it outright broken due to sloppy code or my hardware being below minimum specs.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-lag-factor-article
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-vs-console-lag-round-two-article?page=1

# The lowest latencies a video game can have is 50ms (three frames) - the PS3 XMB runs at this rate, but few games reach it.
# Most 60FPS games have a 66.67ms latency - Ridge Racer 7, for example.
# 30FPS games have a minimum potential lag of 100ms, but many exceed this.
# Game developers should test their own games using the camera technique in order to weed out bugs - West says that Heavenly Sword's response slows down to 300ms just by turning the character, and reckons it's a technical issue that should have been resolved before going gold with the game.
# Citing GTAIV as an example, West suggests that a 166ms response is where gamers notice controller lag, which could also explain the Killzone 2 furore too.

srsly. I wouldn't even play an online strategy game at 300ms.

 

[togmkn]

Whenever me and my other long-time PC gaming friends play on someone else's 360 using wireless controllers, we all see notice a slow response time. The console players, though, don't. Maybe they're just defending their system, or maybe they're just used to it. Either way, it's just another reason why I'd rather not buy a console.

 

[dragonfliet]

That was a good read. Most of the time, however, these things simply aren't noticeable consciously, and we simply adjust to it. 60-100ms is really not an issue and can simply be written off in your brain as the reflexes of the character, if you will, and doesn't bother us. I know we get all panicky when we see anything with higher than 10ms, but you simply adjust. I think it does a better job of alleviating concerns of some people as while, yeah, Killzone 2 isn't the snappiest of games, it isn't painful to play--you adjust pretty quickly to how it "feels."

~Jason

 

[pine]

100 ms of lag seriously detracts from a gaming experience, end of story. Maybe you could get used to it. But if you had the opportunity to compare a game with 100 ms of controller lag side-by-side to a game with almost none it would be very, very obvious which was superior.

 

[dragonfliet]

100 ms of lag seriously detracts from a gaming experience, end of story. Maybe you could get used to it. But if you had the opportunity to compare a game with 100 ms of controller lag side-by-side to a game with almost none it would be very, very obvious which was superior.

Meh, having played games on consoles and PC for years I can honestly say that I don't have a less enjoyable gaming experience when playing on a console. There will be plenty of console haters determined they now have proof, PROOF, that console games suck, but I've enjoyed a great many of them, 1/10th of a second input lag and all. As long as it's properly integrated into the game, it doesn't detract (I thought the Halo 3 example was pretty apt).

~Jason

 

[Fuzzle]

I agree that 50-100 is pretty acceptable depending on the game, but for fighters and stuff I just can't see anything over 100 being justifiable. If I get over 100ms in an online fighter, I feel anything resembling strategy and reflexes goes out the window and you're left just playing for the lulz. It just boggles me a little bit that you get this type of lag playing offline.

The only game I have for both my PC and console is Resident Evil 5, and the lag is definitely noticable on my console. It's just one of those floaty feelings I couldn't put my finger on.

 

[Capt.Toilet]

The only game I have for both my PC and console is Resident Evil 5, and the lag is definitely noticable on my console. It's just one of those floaty feelings I couldn't put my finger on.

Not sure about the floaty feeling. I have gamed with Majik on a few occasions, both connected to him and him to me, and the lag really wasn't present except during the QTE's.

 

[Festering Anus]

UFC Undisputed online is absolute **** for me. like 1000ms or something