Comparing the Effects of Network Latency versus Local Latency on Competitive First Person Shooter Game Players

Competitive gamers, and especially esports gamers, want lower latency to improve their chances of winning. There are two main sources of latency in competitive computer games: local system latency and network latency. While researchers have studied the effects of both, a direct comparison has not been done, especially for competitive gamers and low-end latencies. This paper assesses the effects of local latency and network latency on experienced {\em Counter-strike: Global Offensive} players comparing data from two user studies. Analysis of the results shows that local latency has about a 2x higher impact on player performance (accuracy and score) and Quality of Experience (QoE) than does the same amount of network latency.