About this video

• Video Title: Do Launch Control and Anti Lag Make You Faster? Testing Multiple Cars at the Horizon Drag Strip
• Channel: HokiHoshi
• Speakers: None explicitly named, but the transcript is a single narrative voice.
• Duration: 00:09:32

Overview

This video tests the effectiveness of anti-lag and launch control features in a drag racing context within a video game. The presenter conducts controlled tests on various cars with different grip and power levels to determine if these features provide a speed advantage.

Key takeaways

• Anti-Lag Benefits: Anti-lag is generally beneficial, especially in lower-power, single-turbo cars with more turbo lag. While its impact diminishes with more powerful engines, it rarely provides a disadvantage and has no performance cost, making it a worthwhile upgrade when paired with a race turbo.
• Launch Control Effectiveness: Launch control's effectiveness is more varied. It proves faster in low-grip situations but can be slower in high-grip scenarios.
• Launch Control Nuances: The benefit of launch control is most significant in lower classes, front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive cars, and when starting on surfaces like sand or dirt, or on an incline.
• Consistency vs. Speed: Launch control offers more consistent launches, even if it's slightly slower in certain high-grip situations.
• Manual Control vs. Launch Control: Manually managing throttle during a low-grip launch is unlikely to outperform launch control when the latter is already engaged with full throttle.

Overview

This video provides a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of anti-lag and launch control systems in a drag racing simulation, aiming to clarify their real-world impact within the game. The presenter conducted a series of controlled tests using a variety of cars, categorized by their grip levels (high, mid, low) and power outputs (low, mid, high). The goal was to quantify the performance gains or losses associated with these two distinct features across different vehicle configurations and track conditions. The presenter emphasizes that while the sample size is not exhaustive, the observed results are representative of broader gameplay experiences.

Key takeaways

• Anti-Lag's Consistent Advantage: The testing revealed that anti-lag is almost universally beneficial. In cars with lower power and single turbochargers, where turbo lag is more pronounced, anti-lag makes a significant positive impact on acceleration. As engine power and complexity increase, the gains from anti-lag become less dramatic but, crucially, never disappear entirely. The presenter notes that since anti-lag has no in-game performance cost, it's a highly recommended upgrade for any car equipped with a race turbo, as there's virtually no reason not to enable it.
• Launch Control: Situational Performance: Launch control, being a game setting rather than a car-specific upgrade, presented more mixed results. Its primary benefit lies in low-grip scenarios, where it demonstrably improves launch times. However, in high-grip situations, it can actually be slightly slower than a perfect manual launch. This behavior aligns with its intended purpose of assisting drivers in overcoming traction challenges.
• Launch Control Optimizations: The presenter found that launch control is particularly advantageous for front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles, especially when starting on slippery surfaces like sand or dirt, or when launching on an incline. Despite its potential to be slower in high-grip conditions, the presenter still recommends keeping it enabled for most situations due to its consistency and the fact that its performance deficit in high-grip scenarios is generally not substantial.
• Consistency and Control: A key finding is that launch control offers a more consistent launch experience compared to manual throttle control, even if manual control could theoretically yield a slightly faster time in specific, high-grip circumstances. The tests were conducted with consistent controller input (simply flooring the accelerator), demonstrating that relying on the game's launch control is often more reliable than attempting to manually feather the throttle, especially for achieving consistent results.
• Summary of Recommendations: In essence, the video concludes that anti-lag is a near-mandatory upgrade for cars with race turbos due to its consistent benefits and zero performance cost. Launch control is a valuable tool that generally improves performance, particularly in low-grip and specific drivetrain configurations, offering enhanced consistency even if it's not always the absolute fastest option in all scenarios.

Ask me anything about this video

1. What specific types of cars were tested, and how were they categorized (e.g., grip and power levels)?
2. Under what conditions did the presenter find launch control to be slower than optimal?
3. What is the presenter's ultimate recommendation regarding the use of anti-lag on cars with race turbos?
4. How does the presenter's testing methodology account for driver input variability when evaluating launch control?
5. Turn this video into a tweet...