Does Half a Second Matter? The Effect of Game Latency on Player Emotion

Network-enabled games require communication between computers, which can degrade the player experience. This study investigates the emotional impact of added input latency in a lab setting and post-play appraisals in the face of latency. We conducted an online experiment (n = 94) using a custom-built web game, randomly assigning participants to 0ms (control), 500ms, or 1000ms latency conditions. Pre- and post-game surveys measured frustration, enjoyment, immersion, and game evaluations including perceived ease of use, usefulness, reliability, performance, advocacy, and intention to use. Results demonstrated that both 500ms and 1000ms latency significantly increased player frustration while significantly decreasing enjoyment and immersion compared to the control group. Latency also significantly lowered players' perceptions of the game's ease of use, reliability, and performance. However, no significant effects were found on perceived usefulness, game advocacy, or intention to use. These findings highlight that even sub-second delays significantly worsen player emotion and game quality perceptions.