Table of Contents
A comprehensive latency study involving professional and amateur gamers reveals that even minimal input delays significantly impact gaming performance, with effects measurable at just 3 milliseconds of added latency for skilled players. The research, conducted by Linus Tech Tips in partnership with ASUS, tested four gamers across different skill levels using precision equipment to add incremental latency delays from 0 to 100 milliseconds.
Key Points
- Professional and above-average gamers show measurable performance drops with as little as 3 milliseconds of added input latency
- At 10 milliseconds of delay, average performance dropped by 7%, while 50 milliseconds resulted in over 25% score reduction
- High-level competitive gaming shows no functional limit to how low latency should be for optimal performance
- Gaming monitors in incorrect display modes can add up to 100 milliseconds of delay, severely impacting competitive play
- Skill level remains the primary factor in gaming performance, with latency advantages unable to compensate for lack of experience
Study Methodology and Equipment
The experiment utilized identical high-performance ASUS gaming setups equipped with custom Arduino Leonardo devices capable of adding precise latency increments. Test participants included professional Fortnite player Leon "Khanada" Kim from Dignitas, popular streamer Typical Gamer, music artist BBNO$, and Linus Sebastian from Linus Tech Tips, representing skill levels from beginner to professional.
Each participant completed multiple rounds of AimLabs testing while researchers secretly adjusted input latency between sessions. The base system latency measured approximately 12.5 milliseconds before any artificial delays were added through the custom hardware solution.
The testing revealed that different aim training tasks responded variably to latency increases. Tracking-based challenges showed the most pronounced performance degradation, while reaction-time measurements demonstrated a compounding effect where 50 milliseconds of added latency resulted in 100 milliseconds of increased reaction time scores.
Performance Impact Across Skill Levels
Initial testing at 10-millisecond intervals showed clear performance degradation starting immediately. However, when researchers conducted follow-up testing at 3-millisecond increments with additional participants, the results varied significantly based on player skill level.
"For top performers, it's a super clear line. Undeniably just 3% [performance drop] each added 3 milliseconds," explained the research team.
Professional player Khanada noticed latency effects around 35-50 milliseconds, describing higher delays as feeling like "dragging through mud" or "someone's holding my legs back in a race." Meanwhile, less experienced players showed less sensitivity to small latency changes but still demonstrated measurable performance impacts in controlled testing.
The study found that separating top performers from average players revealed dramatically different sensitivity levels. Elite gamers showed linear performance degradation with each 3-millisecond increment, while casual players displayed more erratic patterns with less consistent impact from small latency increases.
Real-World Gaming Implications
The findings have significant implications for competitive gaming infrastructure and equipment choices. Many common gaming setups introduce substantial latency through suboptimal configurations, particularly display settings and peripheral choices.
Gaming monitors represent the largest potential source of input latency in most setups. Displays configured in film or cinema modes can add up to 100 milliseconds of delay, effectively negating any advantage from high-performance mice and keyboards. Modern gaming mice typically operate with sub-1 millisecond latency, but this precision becomes meaningless if display lag dominates the signal chain.
Network latency also plays a crucial role in online competitive gaming. The study's findings suggest that the 25-millisecond ping difference between major gaming cities like Los Angeles and Dallas could meaningfully impact professional performance, explaining why esports teams cluster in specific geographic regions.
"We can confidently say that as little as 3 milliseconds impacts gaming performance for high - not even high - above average gamers," the researchers concluded.
Despite the measurable impact of latency on performance metrics, head-to-head gameplay demonstrations confirmed that fundamental gaming skill remains the dominant factor in competitive outcomes. Even with significant latency advantages, inexperienced players could not compete effectively against professional gamers operating with substantial input delays.
The research reinforces the importance of proper gaming setup optimization, particularly for competitive players, while highlighting that equipment advantages cannot substitute for developing core gaming abilities and game sense. As competitive gaming continues to evolve, these findings provide valuable guidance for both casual and professional players seeking to optimize their performance potential.
