User Study-based Models of Game Player Quality of Experience with Frame Display Time Variation

Computer games are often rendered with inconsistent frame timing (frame jitter), particularly in cloud-based game streaming where frames traverse network bottlenecks before being rendered. While previous studies have helped understand the Quality of Experience (QoE) with frame jitter, derived models have tended to be limited in their prediction ability for conditions not yet tested. This paper combines results from four different user studies that assess QoE based on frame jitter, the studies differing in games, game systems, and methods of induced frame time variation. Analysis of the results shows the degree to which frame jitter degrades QoE, and that playout interruption sizes matter while interrupt frequencies do not. The rich user study-based data set provides the basis for models for predicting game player QoE with frame jitter - models which should be predictive for both cloud-based game streaming and traditional games, and for a wide range of player actions and game genres.