Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?]

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phatty
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by phatty » 05 Jan 2019, 18:17

In regards to hit boxes, the hot boxes are different for each hero. Obviously, size, head location / size, etc are different.

I haven't played quake but if all the models are the same size, hitboxes may generally be bigger for overwatch because of the hero diversity.

I played Unreal Tournament a lot and relative the UT, the hit boxes are "smaller" but mainly because there is really just one model and that model is small.

The movement for overwatch is also slower in general as the basic characters move a bit faster in UT.

So couple increase movement speed and generally smaller models, the hit boxes are generally smaller in UT and i Imagine that is the case with Quake as well.

If you took a bunch of tracers or ana's give them a movement speed boost, I think you'd have the same target / aiming dynamic as UT / Quake (my guestimate).
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ericl
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by ericl » 05 Jan 2019, 19:15

I just want to throw this out there:

Gamers (most of them) have no idea what good hardware is. They come here asking for advice.

Popularity =/ best

A VERY clear example: Many 'pros' use HyperX headsets. Do they have the best sound? Hell no! Yet... it's one of the most popular pro-gamer headsets.

Most gamers (not all of them, but most of them) are young, aspiring gamers between the ages of 13-25 with VERY limited budgets. They'll buy whatever they can afford & is marketed as gamer gear. I'm not hating on them one bit, and that's what I did when I was growing up.

When you're looking at gaming configurations (both for popularity and even tournaments), you're going to get the most cost effective solutions (and not the absolute best.)

For example, it appears as if Zowie and Asus have secured deals with major organizations which is likely why you see so many Asus PG258Q monitors at tournaments.

And, if I was a professional gamer living in a team house and I knew that the tournament machines had a PG258Q, I would buy the same monitor to practice on in order to replicate a tournament environment as closely as possible.

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saw141
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by saw141 » 06 Jan 2019, 12:54

I agree.

I think that testing for optimal screen size could be done by measuring average user response times, with a spectrum of skill (measured by some “objective” ranking). An example would be taking organically ranked counter strike players at each level, up to tournament winning pros, and doing tests. Non gamer <-> Pro gamer. Then, run reaction time tests, input tests, average use scenarios, gaming scenarios, on a range of display sizes. Panels would need to be as uniform as possible for all paetcipants. Then potentially couple that data with user accounts of experience quality. Questions could be like
  • 1. Which size of monitor do you prefer?
    2. For what reasons do you prefer [previous answer]?
    3. Do you feel that any particular size(s) hindered or improved the experience, and or your ability? (List of sizes with multiple choice or scale ranking)
This could help give a better understanding of what is more beneficial for average players at each level on the spectrum; then an average for all?

I’d love to be involved in this research. Unfortunately I don’t have any college education in computer science or hardware, or anything like this. I just love science and gaming. I can’t afford an accredited education at the moment, and the job market near me isn’t very abundant for this type of work.

phatty
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by phatty » 06 Jan 2019, 19:19

You can get average response times to objects popping up on the screen and pushing a button.

While tracking eyes to see how many jumps occur during each image.

You could have them focus in the center, and test images as they go further out. Then randomly across different distances.

The eyesight should be vetted by optometry / opthalmology first to remove any possible medical conditions affects vision / peripheral vision.

At what size do we see physiologic changes in response. And at what point does that change result in preformance degradation that is noticeable.

Is there a "lag training effect" like situation, "size training" affect.
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Chief Blur Buster
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 06 Jan 2019, 23:36

ericl/saw141/phatty, good legitimate research items that I'd (Blur Busters) be willing to help fund, given the right researcher credentials.

Much past research in gamers often pull people off the street, rather than curated eSports gamers (like champion players), such as this hardware.info article where gamers overwhemingly prefers 120 Hz.

While useful for mainstream, I need to see data breakdowns per audience (casual, hard-core enthusiast, as well professional career gamers). I'm also particularly interested in high-Hz analysis at the "pushing limits" end. Which means more research with championship players.
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saw141
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by saw141 » 07 Jan 2019, 22:28

Thank you for quite literally providing this forum for discussion and communication about all of this, Mark. It may seem simple but you’re facilitating a really interesting place. I love this website and it’s the only main place I turn to for information about high quality gaming displays, aside from maybe reddit, overclockers or Linus tech tips forums. This is certainly the most focused and potentially resourceful.

Thank you :)

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RealNC
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by RealNC » 08 Jan 2019, 07:27

I don't understand the whole debate. You can make the image on a bigger display look smaller. The reverse is not true. You cannot make the image of a smaller monitor look bigger.

I mean, it's just common sense. A bigger display can never be worse than a smaller one. It can either be better or the same.
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k2viper
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by k2viper » 09 Jan 2019, 10:06

Chief Blur Buster wrote: Yes, but there are multiple tradeoffs acting against each other in real-time
- Bigger size
- Human's eyesight (nearsightedness, farsightedness)
- Whether you're a nonstop crosshairs-starer (always on crosshairs, rely on peripheral vision only)
- Whether you're a prolific eye-tracker (scattered all over screen plane)
- Peripheral vision is further away from crosshairs, making it harder to react to distant enemies at edge of FOV
- Eye tracking taking longer with bigger angle of views (bigger displays at closer view distances)
- The role you play (camping sniper vs crazy jumping runner)
- Etc.

The pro and cons fight against each other creating noise in all this statistics. The dominant factors that wins out is often a subjective thing, so more research is needed in how often these variables affect each other in a typical FPS game.
True story.
Looking deep into my over 20 years of FPS multiplayer experience of various games, roles, hardware and habits, the only thing I'm confident is "IT DEPENDS".
Last 6 years I ended up using 27" FHD displays and absolutely love the size, but the games I play these years (TF2 and Overwatch) are of multiple roles and benefit eyetracking at crosshair with thus having ability to quickly take look on HUD area, log area and killfeed area.
I'd not want to go again on smaller screens, but it took time to me to get used to 27" and have enough "connected feel" with these, that's why also I'm a little scary to try some even bigger displays like e.g. 31,5" 1440p ones.

Notty_PT
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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by Notty_PT » 09 Jan 2019, 10:39

RealNC wrote:I don't understand the whole debate. You can make the image on a bigger display look smaller. The reverse is not true. You cannot make the image of a smaller monitor look bigger.

I mean, it's just common sense. A bigger display can never be worse than a smaller one. It can either be better or the same.
As I told you, that increased the input lag on every monitor I used.

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Re: Optimal Screen Size for FPS Gaming [Scientific Research?

Post by RealNC » 09 Jan 2019, 11:16

Notty_PT wrote:
RealNC wrote:I don't understand the whole debate. You can make the image on a bigger display look smaller. The reverse is not true. You cannot make the image of a smaller monitor look bigger.

I mean, it's just common sense. A bigger display can never be worse than a smaller one. It can either be better or the same.
As I told you, that increased the input lag on every monitor I used.
Maybe you didn't use GPU scaling? I'm not seeing any input lag difference here with GPU scaling.
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