In-Match and Out-Match Game Console Network Ping Comparison Analysis on a First-Person Arena Shooter (Case Study: East Jakarta, Indonesia)

Abstract

As offline and online game technologies evolve, gaming technology and devices constantly change. Games can be played on PCs or various console machines, including portable and non-portable devices. XDefiant is a free-to-play, first-person arena shooter in which players compete in fast-paced online matches. This research aimed to compare the ping values between in-match and out-match when playing an online first-person shooter game on a console machine. The study utilized a quantitative method using primary data and a descriptive approach, with data collected from June to July 2024. The game capture latency stage involved taking 30 screenshots in 10 in-match scenarios and 30 screenshots during out-match scenarios. Network pings were analyzed during both in-match and out-match. The mean ping during the in-match was significantly higher than during the out-match, with an average difference of approximately 12.77 ms. The standard deviation for the in-match was also higher than that for the out-match. An interesting finding was that the maximum ping during out-match was higher than during in-match, though the difference was only 1 ms. The ping trend increased during the in-match, while it decreased for better performance during the out-match. Despite the varying trends in both in-match and out-match, players reported excellent game performance during the research period.