Fact Check: "It Depends"Example Debator wrote:stRoBiNg Is UsELeSs In eSpOrTs
We're both correct. But you have to understand why we're both correct.
Doesn't Help CS:GO or Valorant Much, But It Helps Other Esports
It doesn't help hide-and-snipe games like CS:GO or Valorant as much as other games. Strobing doesn't help stationary gaze at crosshairs very much.
But strobing it helps "stare at everything during middle of continuous movement" situations like arena games a lot -- including some Quake Live arenas.
The Rainbow Six esports champion from a few years ago used strobing.
While strobe adds a bit of lag (~2ms from average(top,center,bottom) photodiode measurements, for 240Hz strobe versus unstrobed), strobe CAN speed up human reaction time in some games. - the gamer used larger open-space arena maps with few spaces to hide or camp-as-sniper, where you have to keep continuously moving. Little time to keep eyes permanently on crosshairs.
If the specific game allows you to use strobing to reduce human reaction time more than the strobe lag, then you win anyway.
The Art of Slight Increase In Display Lag For Bigger Reductions In Human Lag
Remember, reviewers don't measure the human-lag (reaction time) portion of input-lag.
The human reaction time is a hidden part of the lag chain you need to be aware of.
The benefit varies a lot, depending on how your eyes move & how the game mechanics benefit from strobing.
But here's a specific example for a specific person in a specific game:
Who cares if strobing adds +2ms lag...
...if it reduces human lag -10ms by letting you react faster with a specific game tactic!
You're still saving a net of 8ms lag.
Human & Reaction Time as Part of Latency Chain
Examples
Example1: Motion blur can hide camoflaged enemies during fast continuous movements (arena-style thrashing without stationary camp/snipe moments), and strobing removes the motion blur that hides the camouflaged enemies.
Example2: Motion blur can make RTS pans very blurry, if you want to watch what happens mid-DOTA2-pan. Strobing can help you read the labels above enemies in realtime during a 2000+ pixels/sec fast-pan like www.testufo.com/framerates-versus ... Not everybody practices the "work-the-RTS-faster-with-fewer-panning-pauses" technique, but some do!
Example3: High speed low-altitude helicoptor flybys over a forest, shooting hiding enemies below. The continuous scrolling creates motion blur that makes it hard to see the camoflaged enemies.
Etc
Etc
Etc
Less motion blur = you kill enemy sooner in THESE specific cases.
Sometimes strobing speeds up human reaction time MORE than the strobe lag, in CERTAIN games with CERTAIN game-play tactics!
It can even be very map-specific, e.g. it only helps some Quake Live maps (the wide open areas that force you to keep moving around continuously, and your eyes spend more than 50% of the time moving away from crosshairs).
To find out how to use strobing to reduce human reaction time correctly, in the correct esports game, please read this FAQ:
HOWTO: Using ULMB Beautifully or Competitively
Strobing is useful in esports -- but not in all games -- and not for all gameplay tactics
Right Tool For Right Game!
