Combat DPS Calculator
How to Calculate DPS with Fire Rate and Damage
In gaming and combat simulation, Damage Per Second (DPS) is the primary metric used to determine the effectiveness of a weapon or build. To calculate basic DPS, you need two fundamental numbers: the damage dealt by a single hit and the number of hits delivered per second.
The basic formula for DPS is:
Factoring in Critical Hits
Most modern RPGs and shooters include a critical hit system. To find your Average DPS, you must account for the statistical weight of these higher-damage shots. The formula for Average Damage per Hit is:
- Average Hit = Base Damage × (1 + (Crit Chance % × (Crit Multiplier – 1)))
For example, if you do 100 damage with a 20% crit chance and a 2x multiplier, your average hit is 120 damage. Multiply this by your fire rate to find your true average DPS.
Sustained DPS vs. Burst DPS
Burst DPS represents the damage you deal while the trigger is held down and the magazine is full. However, Sustained DPS is a more accurate measure for long boss fights because it accounts for the time spent reloading.
The calculation for Sustained DPS is:
Practical Example
Imagine a rifle with the following stats:
- Damage: 40
- Fire Rate: 10 shots/sec
- Mag Size: 50 rounds
- Reload: 2 seconds
The Burst DPS is 400 (40 * 10). To find the Sustained DPS, we calculate it takes 5 seconds to empty the mag (50 rounds / 10 rounds per sec). Total cycle time is 7 seconds (5s shooting + 2s reloading). Total damage per cycle is 2,000 (50 * 40). 2,000 / 7 = 285.7 Sustained DPS.