This controller latency test measures the part of input lag that comes from the controller and its connection. The update rate test works as a controller polling rate test: it reads your controller as fast as the browser allows for 5 seconds and counts every new reading, giving updates per second, the average gap between readings and how even they are. The button response test times how fast you react to a lamp with the controller, so you can compare a cable with Bluetooth, a wireless dongle or your mouse. It works with Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC controllers in any current browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS.
How to measure controller latency in a browser
- Connect the controller and press any button.
- Open Update rate and timing. Move both sticks in fast circles, press Measure update rate and keep moving for 5 seconds. A controller only sends new readings when something changes, so moving the sticks is what makes it report.
- Note the connection in the Connection list, then press Start 10 tries in Button response. Press any controller button the moment the lamp turns green.
- Change the connection, for example from cable to Bluetooth, and run both tests again.
- Switch Respond with to Mouse or keyboard and run 10 tries with your mouse for a baseline.
- Compare the runs in the table and press Copy results to keep them.
What the numbers mean
| Readout | What it measures | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Updates per second | New readings the browser received per second | About 66 for Joy-Con, 125 to 250 for most controllers, up to 1000 for high rate pads |
| Time between updates | Average gap between readings | 4 ms at 250 per second, 8 ms at 125 |
| Spread | How much the gaps vary | Under 1 ms on a cable, a few ms on wireless |
| Long gaps | The slowest 5 percent of gaps | Close to the average; 20 ms or more means dropouts |
| Button response | Your reaction time plus the input delay, average of 10 | About 200 to 300 ms for most people |
A reading can arrive at any point between two updates, so on average the update rate adds half the gap to your input: 2 ms at 250 per second and 4 ms at 125 per second. Button response times include your own reaction, which varies by 20 to 40 ms from try to try, so only compare averages, and only trust differences that repeat over several runs.
Wired, Bluetooth or wireless dongle
A cable gives the steadiest timing and cannot drop out. Bluetooth shares its radio band with Wi-Fi, other Bluetooth devices and USB 3 ports, which can delay readings in bursts. The update rate test shows that as a large spread and long gaps even when the average looks fine. Dedicated receivers, such as the Xbox Wireless Adapter or a maker's own USB dongle, use their own wireless link and are often closer to a cable than Bluetooth is.
To improve a wireless connection, keep the receiver within sight of the controller, plug it into a USB 2 port or a short extension cable away from USB 3 ports, and move the Wi-Fi router or other wireless devices further from it.
Polling rate overclocking
USB controllers ask the computer to collect their readings at a fixed interval, often 4 or 8 ms. On Windows, community tools such as hidusbf can shorten that interval to 1 ms for some controllers, usually the DualShock 4 and DualSense. The real gain is small: going from 250 to 1000 updates a second removes about 1.5 ms of delay on average. The tool also installs its own filter driver for the controller, so use it only if you are comfortable removing it again. Some newer controllers offer a 1000 per second mode on a cable or their own receiver, which is the safer route. Run the update rate test before and after any change, and check the mouse polling rate test if you want to compare with your mouse.
The controller feels laggy
- Check the screen first. TVs outside game mode can add 50 ms or more, far more than any controller. Turn on game mode and run an input lag test.
- Look at the spread. A large spread on wireless with a steady result on a cable means interference, not a slow controller.
- Update the controller. Firmware updates from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have fixed connection and timing problems.
- Check the frame rate. A game running at 30 frames a second adds about 33 ms per frame, which dwarfs the controller's part.
What a browser cannot measure
- The delay inside the controller between the button contact closing and the reading being sent.
- The full chain from button to screen. That needs a high speed camera or a hardware tester that watches a light on the controller and the image on the screen.
- Rates above the browser's own polling. The update rate shows what reaches the page, which can be lower than what the controller sends.
For pure reaction speed without a controller, try the reaction time test, and for every other input, the gamepad tester.
Controller latency questions
What is a good controller polling rate?
250 updates a second, one every 4 ms, is good and is what the DualShock 4 and the standard DualSense use on a cable. 125 a second adds up to 8 ms between readings, which most players do not notice. 1000 a second is the top rate most controllers offer and mainly matters in fast competitive games.
Is Bluetooth controller input lag noticeable?
Usually not, when the signal is clean. Bluetooth tends to add a few milliseconds over a cable. Interference is the bigger problem: a weak signal causes gaps of 20 ms or more, which you feel as stutter. The update rate test shows those gaps as a large spread.
Why does the update rate stop at a round number?
Your browser reads controllers on its own schedule, so it cannot show more readings than it collects. If two different controllers give the same round number, you have reached the browser's limit. In Chrome and Edge, the extras panel for PlayStation and Nintendo controllers shows the rate the controller itself sends.
How do I test controller input lag?
Measure the parts separately. This page measures the controller's update rate and lets you compare button response between connections. The screen usually adds more delay than the controller, so also run an input lag test pc for your display.
Does a wired controller have less latency?
Usually, by a few milliseconds, and it never suffers from interference. Run the update rate test on a cable and then on wireless. If the wireless spread is much larger, use the cable or a dedicated wireless receiver for competitive games.