What Impacts Mouse Latency?
A mouse’s latency is affected by a few key factors. The first consideration is the kind of sensor it has to track movement. Different technologies are used in optical and laser mice.
Optical sensors track movement through an LED, whereas laser sensors use a laser. Although optical sensors are more accurate than laser sensors, they can be less responsive in fast-paced games. Laser sensors have higher responsiveness but less precision.
The polling rate is another essential factor that influences latency. The polling rate is the frequency with which the mouse tells its position to the system. A higher polling rate indicates that the mouse is telling the computer about its position more frequently, resulting in less latency.
Lastly, how the mouse is used can have an impact on latency. The mouse may have higher latency if used on surfaces like glass tables that prevent accurate tracking. Optical mice generally have lower latencies. There are, however, some exceptions. Low latencies have been designed into some high-end laser mice, such as the Razer Mamba.