# Does Low Input Latency make you a better Gamer? FT. BBNO$, TypicalGamer, Khanada Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qjSGEOEaXo Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/5qjSGEOEaXo Generated: 2025-12-24T19:03:37.63+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Input latency significantly impairs gaming performance, as demonstrated by all four testers—Linus, Khanada, bbno$, and Typical Gamer—experiencing noticeable degradation in reaction time and score across various Aimlabs tasks when latency was increased from 0ms up to 75ms, with some subjects like Khanada experiencing a total performance drop of over 25% in relative score by 50ms added latency in one test. **Key Points:** - The experiment measured the impact of added input latency (0ms to 75ms) on the gaming performance of four testers: Linus, Khanada, bbno$, and Typical Gamer, using various Aimlabs scenarios. - Khanada showed the largest performance drop in the 'Detection (Ultimate)' task, losing over 25% of his relative score when latency reached 50ms compared to his 0ms baseline. - In the 'Droidtrack Entry' task, all testers showed a clear performance decline as latency increased, with the average relative score dropping from 100% at 0ms to approximately 75% at 50ms. - The Amare Microshot (Easy) task showed less sensitivity to latency for the top performers, who maintained a relative score above 90% even at 9ms added latency, unlike the bottom 9 performers. - The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W monitor tested achieved 720p at 720Hz and 1440p at 540Hz. - bbno$ (Andre) rated his Fortnite skill at 8.5/10, while Khanada (Leon) rated his at 9/10. - The physical act of adding latency, especially at higher amounts like 50ms and 75ms, caused visible frustration and physical strain, such as Khanada sweating profusely and Linus reacting strongly to the perceived lag. ![Screenshot at 1:16: Linus holding up the custom black box device used to precisely inject input latency into the system, ranging from 0 to 100 milliseconds, highlighting the core measurement tool for the experiment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-01-16.jpg) **Context:** The video investigates the real-world impact of varying levels of input latency on gaming performance, specifically testing four individuals with different skill levels—Linus Sebastian (host, tech expert), David Gauthier (writer/co-host), and guests bbno$ (musician) and Khanada (pro Fortnite player), and Typical Gamer (streamer/creator). The experiment used custom hardware connected between the mouse/keyboard and the PC to precisely inject latency from 0ms up to 75ms while participants completed specific tasks in Aimlabs and a round of Counter-Strike, with the goal of determining at what point lag becomes noticeably detrimental to performance. ## Detailed Analysis The video tests how input latency affects the performance of four participants: Linus, Khanada, bbno$, and Typical Gamer, across three Aimlabs tasks (Detection Ultimate, Droidtrack Entry, and Amare Microshot Easy) and one Counter-Strike scenario. The experiment used a custom device to add latency incrementally from 0ms up to 75ms, while participants were unaware of the exact amount of delay being injected. The results across all tasks showed a consistent degradation in performance as latency increased. For the Detection Ultimate task, the average reaction time increased by 152.75ms when latency reached 50ms. For tracking tasks, performance dropped significantly; for instance, in the Droidtrack Entry task, the average relative score dropped from 100% at 0ms to about 75% at 50ms. The Amare Microshot (Easy) test showed that while top performers maintained relatively high scores (above 90% relative score at 9ms added latency), lower-ranked players experienced a more significant drop. In the Counter-Strike segment, high latency (50ms and 75ms) caused noticeable struggle, with Khanada losing rounds quickly and expressing frustration. The video also briefly highlights the low latency of the sponsor's hardware, such as the ASUS ROG Swift OLED monitor capable of 540Hz at 1440p, and notes that for high-level esports players, even small latency increases (like 10-25ms) negatively impact performance, suggesting that for competitive play, minimizing all input latency is critical. ### Introduction & Setup - Video explores how input latency affects gaming performance using four testers (Linus, Khanada, bbno$, Typical Gamer) and custom hardware to inject delay - Testers are introduced with their self-rated skill levels (Khanada 9/10, bbno$ 8.5/10 for Fortnite) - Hardware used includes the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W monitor (1440p 540Hz/720p 720Hz) and ROG peripherals. ### Test 1 - Flick/Reaction (Aimlabs): Performance consistently dropped as latency increased; bbno$ saw his reaction time increase by 240ms at 50ms added latency (from 394ms to 634ms). ### Test 2 - Tracking (Aimlabs): Performance degradation was significant, with the average relative score dropping from 100% at 0ms to about 75% at 50ms. ### Test 3 - Tracking/Flick (Aimlabs): Similar degradation patterns seen, with the average relative score dropping from 100% at 0ms to about 75% at 50ms. ### Ad-Hoc CS - GO Test: Khanada struggled significantly with 50ms and 75ms added latency, leading to round losses and visible frustration, confirming that high latency severely impacts performance in fast-paced shooters. ### Ad-Hoc Amare Microshot (Easy) Test - Top 9 performers showed less sensitivity to low latency increases (0-9ms) than bottom 9 performers, suggesting elite players might be slightly more resilient to very minor lag spikes. ### Conclusion & Discussion - Input latency greater than 10-25ms is clearly detrimental to performance, even for professional gamers; the smallest latency increments (3ms) already cause measurable dips in performance metrics, and the total system input latency (monitor + peripherals) is the key factor to minimize. ![Screenshot at 0:00: Linus introduces the experiment setup, questioning how much latency is too much for gaming performance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-00-00.jpg) ![Screenshot at 0:42: The ASUS ROG Swift OLED monitor is shown capable of switching between 720p 720Hz and 1440p 540Hz modes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-00-42.jpg) ![Screenshot at 1:14: Linus holds up the custom black box device used to inject precise amounts of input latency into the system.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-01-14.jpg) ![Screenshot at 1:48: The baseline system latency without any added delay is measured at approximately 12.25ms.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-01-48.jpg) ![Screenshot at 2:11: bbno$ is introduced against a fire background, stating he is a musician and 'jelqing enthusiast'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/5qjSGEOEaXo/00-02-11.jpg)