How much does your arcade stick lag? Arcade stick input lag testing & results thread

I am also curious if there is any test between Vx SA and xboxone sticks on PC (i.e Te2 Razer Atrox XB1) since XB1 support usb3


Nikogel360 has been very busy on youtube producing comparisons between different sticks for a few years. I thought I’d try to compile that work in one post.
https://twitter.com/nikogel360
https://www.youtube.com/user/nikogel360/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP0oINHdtl4
Testing with Ryu vs Ryu (square buttons wired together) on PS3 Ultra SF4.
RAPV4 (PS3 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS3 mode) 3:2
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS3 mode) 10:0
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS4 mode) 1:3
RAPV4 (PS3 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS4 mode) 0:20
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs RAPV3-SA 4:6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1_xZoXRlo8
Testing with PC USF4
RAPVXSA vs RAPV silent 隼 (PS3 mode) 93:0

(more later)

https://www.openrec.tv/movie/jPgYoNkL4AL
PS4 SFV
Testing with Chun Li vs Chun Li
Brook UFB vs XCM Cross fire converter (ver 3.0) with RAPVX 12:0
Brook UFB vs RAPV Hayabusas 2017 13:0
Brook UFB vs Brook super converter (ver 2.2.2) with RAPVX 15:0
Brook UFB vs MCZ TE2+ 16:0
Brook UFB vs MCZ TE2 19:0
Brook UFB vs GGXRD Custom fighter’s pad 19:0
Brook UFB vs RAPV Hayabusa 24:0

Numbers refer to how many times one stick won versus the other, normally over 100 trials.

At least these results don’t try to equate millisecond scores with a testing method that don’t allow for actual timing like Teyah did. :coffee:

If we had the number of ties, we could calculate relative timing differences…

Any test for the new PS4 Slim/Pro controller using wired connection?

I wasn’t in any hurry to post this because I’ll still go visit my friend who has the button with two pairs of quick disconnects soldered for additional tests (e.g., I want to put the PS360+ in PS3 mode in the mix) again at some point, but since I don’t know when that will be, I decided to release what I got. He has a Razer Atrox and an LPT switch (it’s supposed to be particularly fast), and I took a Hori Real Arcade Pro VX SA Kai (Xbox360) and a controller equipped with a Brook Universal Fighting Board (latest firmware) there. Here are our findings (we used Ryu’s Solar Plexus Strike (f + hp) in USF4 (PC), each set consisting of 500 attempts):


* Razer Atrox (Xbox360) vs Hori Real Pro Arcade Pro VX SA Kai (Xbox360)
Atrox: 22
Tie: 455
HRAP VX SA Kai: 23

Technical tie, given the methodology. The data would mean that the HRAP VX SA Kai is 0.0334ms faster, but I believe this kind of accuracy isn't really possible over 500 attempts (e.g., while we were testing and counting, sometimes one PCB would even take a "two-point" lead).

* LPT switch vs Hori Real Pro Arcade Pro VX SA Kai (Xbox360)
LPT: 94
Tie: 404
HRAP VX SA Kai: 2

Convincing victory for the LPT switch. The data says the LPT switch is 3.0667ms faster. ((94 - 2) / 500 * 16.6667)

* Razer Atrox (Xbox360) vs Brook Universal Fighting Board (XboxOne mode)
Atrox: 17
Tie: 436
Brook UFB XboxOne: 47

Brook UFB in XboxOne mode wins by 1ms. ((47 - 17) / 500 * 16.6667)

* Razer Atrox (Xbox360) vs Brook Universal Fighting Board (Xbox360 mode)
Atrox: 32
Tie: 436
Brook UFB Xbox360: 32

Tie. This makes me wonder if these PCBs are at the limit of responsiveness for Xbox360 controllers.

* Razer Atrox (Xbox360) vs Brook UFB (PS4 mode)
Atrox: 0
Tie: 374
Brook UFB PS4: 126

Impressive and unexpected victory for the Brook UFB in PS4 mode, given that the Atrox PCB is supposedly very good as far as Xbox360 controller PCBs go. 4.2-ms difference. (126 / 500 * 16.6667)

* Razer Atrox (Xbox360) vs Brook UFB (PS3 mode)
Atrox: 0
Tie: 386
Brook UFB PS3: 114

Another big victory for the Brook UFB, this time in PS3 mode. 3.8-ms difference. (114 / 500 * 16.6667)

* LPT switch vs Brook UFB (PS4 mode)
LPT: 8
Tie: 448
Brook UFB PS4: 44

Brook UFB in PS4 mode wins by 1.2ms. ((44 - 8) / 500 * 16.6667)

Given what I’ve seen so far, including from tests posted by others (e.g., on this thread :)), I have a feeling the Brook UFB in PS4 mode is the fastest PCB out there. In XboxOne mode (XInput support) it’s certainly excellent already, besting those Xbox360 PCBs like that. Also, the fact that in Xbox360 mode it’s as good as them means we have three PCBs of different origins with the same performance and this may be a limit for Xbox360 controller PCBs.

100 trials each, so number of ties is anything where one doesn’t win.

I don’t think he’s done it. I have and posted the results on this very page.

Oh, ok. :slight_smile:

RAPV4 (PS3 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS3 mode) 3:2 95 ties imply the data says there’s a 0.16ms difference, but I don’t think 100 attempts can provide this kind of accuracy, so if it’s 3-2, it’s probably a tie.
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS3 mode) 10:0 90 ties imply the data says there’s a 1.67ms difference.
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS4 mode) 1:3 96 ties imply the data says there’s a 0.33ms difference. This might actually be a tie, since 1-3 is very close over 100 attempts…
RAPV4 (PS3 mode) vs PSU2TE2 (PS4 mode) 0:20 80 ties imply the data says there’s a 3.33ms difference.
RAPV4 (PS4 mode) vs RAPV3-SA 4:6 90 ties imply the data says there’s a 0.33ms difference. This might actually be a tie, since 4-6 is very close over 100 attempts…

Testing with PC USF4
RAPVXSA vs RAPV silent 隼 (PS3 mode) 93:0 7 ties imply the data says there’s a 15.5ms difference.

https://www.openrec.tv/movie/jPgYoNkL4AL
PS4 SFV
Testing with Chun Li vs Chun Li
Brook UFB vs XCM Cross fire converter (ver 3.0) with RAPVX 12:0 88 ties imply the data says there’s a 2ms difference.
Brook UFB vs RAPV Hayabusas 2017 13:0 87 ties imply the data says there’s a 2.17ms difference.
Brook UFB vs Brook super converter (ver 2.2.2) with RAPVX 15:0 85 ties imply the data says there’s a 2.5ms difference.
Brook UFB vs MCZ TE2+ 16:0 84 ties imply the data says there’s a 2.67ms difference.
Brook UFB vs MCZ TE2 19:0 81 ties imply the data says there’s a 3.17ms difference.
Brook UFB vs GGXRD Custom fighter’s pad 19:0 81 ties imply the data says there’s a 3.17ms difference.
Brook UFB vs RAPV Hayabusa 24:0 76 ties imply the data says there’s a 4ms difference.

I’m skeptical about numerical accuracy over 100 trials… Even 500 trials make me a little uneasy. I don’t know how many trials would be needed for 0.01ms accuracy or what the margin of error is for 100 and 500 trials.

Stop, stop, just stop. That testing methodology does not allow for millisecond timings.
All you can do is comparative results.

Assigning any timed results from VS testing is a fallacy. You are asking for a metric the testing never took into consideration.
With VS testing you also have to factor in a controller interfering with the results of the other.

You don’t. This kind of testing does not and will not give ms results. All that would happen with more testing cycles is you have more accurate VS results.
All you have is what one controller does better than the other on average, not their latency in ms. You can test a billion times with each controller and never have accurate ms results as time was never a metric that was measured. All that being tested for is Win, Lost and Tied, that is it.

So using one testing methodology we get DS4 wired average response being 14.2ms versus 3.2 msec (plus two full frames of animation) for wireless, a difference of 11ms on average.

If the ability to convert from ms to trials is correct, we would expect there to be 11/16.66 = 66% of the time the wireless DS4 should win.

Using a different testing method, we test wired DS4 versus wireless DS4, seeing how quickly they respond to down inputs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07nKZBXed7M

70 times the wireless DS4 beats the wired DS4 out of 112 trials. Now six times there was a dropped input, so if we remove those trials, converting from trials to ms gives u 70/106 = 66% of the time the wireless DS4 beats the wired DS4.

Seems pretty conclusive to me that you can use number of trials as a way to determine the difference in speed between sticks.

Happy to explain any of the above in further detail if you need me to.

Edit - added quote to make it clearer who I’m responding to.

@Darksakul I fail to understand why you say that. In any case, in the tests my friend and I did:

  1. The LPT switch is 3.0667ms faster than HRAP VX SA Kai;
  2. Brook UFB in PS4 mode is 4.2 ms faster than Atrox;
  3. Atrox is essentially equal to HRAP VX SA Kai;

So… LPT = VxSaKai - 3.0667; BrookUfbPs4 = Atrox - 4.2; Atrox = VxSaKai.

The math says LPT = Atrox - 3.0667, so BrookUfbPs4 should be (LPT + 3.0667) - 4.2, right?

  1. Brook UFB in PS4 mode is 1.2ms faster than the LPT switch.

Given items 1, 2 and 3, item 4 makes me think the math is pretty supportive… (separate experiments reached the same conclusion)

I’m going to try to write an analogy that explains why my thinking and Darksakul differ. This analogy is only for input lag, I have another idea for polling rate but I won’t complicate things for now.

Me and my buddy work together. We figure we’ll catch a movie together, shift ends at 4pm, movie is at 4:17 with another at 4:33 if we miss the first one. Now, I have a car that can get me to the theatre in 1 minute. My buddy wants to walk, which will take him 5 minutes. I offer him a lift, but he’s adamant that given work finishes at 4pm he’ll still make it in time.

So with this setup, both of us are going to make the movie. This is where we agree, so long as we finish at 4pm, we’ll be seeing the same movie session.

But, as we all know, work doesn’t always finish exactly on time. Let’s pretend (and this is pushing the analogy a bit) that work finishes any time between 4:00 and 4:16, and any given day we have no idea when it’s going to finish. Let’s pretend we see a movie a week for the whole year, with work finishing randomly between those time. I’m fine, even if work finishes at 4:16, I’m still going to make it. But my buddy won’t make it if he finishes at 4:13 or later.

See this is the thing. I completely agree that so long as we both arrive by 4:17 we can see the same session. But, if we leave at 4:13,4:14,4:15 or 4:16 my buddy will be turning up too late to the movie., and will be seeing the next session. So long as we both leave at 4:00 every time 1 minute and 5 minutes makes no difference, if it’s randomly distributed you can’t count on it.

I am very curious how XB1 Atrox will stack up

Unless it’s significantly better than the Brook UFB in XboxOne mode, it will still lose to the Brook UFB in PS4 and PS3 modes. It could still be excellent. I usually prefer to use my Brook UFB in XboxOne mode because of the XInput support provided by the driver. :stuck_out_tongue:

Funny is the past XB1 Mad Catz and Hori controllers do not act as actual XB1 controllers and instead as specialized controllers. Hence the issues with triggers with XB1 Arcade sticks on PC.
Not all fighting games or even Xbox One games in general will recognize a XB1 Arcade controller. The XB1 DOA game is an example how XB1 sticks wasn’t working with the game, prior to a dedicated DOA stick.

Arcade controllers specifically designed for the PS4 will be recognized by the system and any game (not factoring in any legacy controllers).

Question is are we speaking of XB1 controllers with the XB1 console or a PC?

My concern is with the Atrox is Razer’s own track record for reliable products that don’t break easily.

The controller PCB shouldn’t care, when it comes to the PCB’s own individual input lag… AFAIK none of these Arcade controller PCBs has specific PC support, it just so happens PCs usually work with console USB controllers. Well, I suppose the USB polling rate could be different, at most (I imagine it depends on the host driver).

The board does not care, but the system does. And Polling rate means little these days outside of USB Mouses.

Well, do you imagine a given PCB could have significantly different input lag when used with a PC instead of an XboxOne? I don’t see that happening…