Sony Dualshock 4

Latency

This chart shows how quickly your gamepad responds to button presses. Each point on the graph represents a test result.

• The horizontal axis (X-axis) measures the time that has passed from pressing the button to the game responding. This time is called "latency".
• The vertical axis (Y-axis) shows how often we got such a result, in percentages.

If you hover over a point on the graph, you'll see how long the latency was and how often it occurred.

The smaller the latency, the better. In an ideal world, as soon as you press a button on the gamepad, the action happens instantly in the game. If there's a large delay, you might press the button, but the action only happens some time later. In fast-paced games where every second counts, a high latency can become a problem.

Use this chart to figure out how fast your gamepad reacts.

Polling rate

The polling rate (also known as the report rate) in gamepads refers to how often the controller sends input information to the console or computer. It's measured in Hertz (Hz), which translates to the number of times per second the device reports its status to the computer.

For example, a gamepad with a polling rate of 125 Hz sends its status to the computer 125 times per second, or every 8 milliseconds.

The polling rate is essential in gaming for two reasons:

1. Responsiveness: A higher polling rate means the controller communicates its state to the computer more frequently, resulting in faster and more responsive gameplay. In fast-paced or competitive games, even a slight increase in responsiveness can give players an advantage.

2. Accuracy: A higher polling rate can also increase the accuracy of the controller. This is particularly important for devices like gaming mice, where precise movements can be critical, but it can also impact gamepads, especially in games that require accurate inputs.

However, it's important to note that a higher polling rate can also put more strain on the computer's CPU, as it needs to process inputs more frequently. Moreover, beyond a certain point, increases in polling rate may not yield noticeable improvements due to limitations in human reaction time and display refresh rates.

Jitter

Jitter is a measure of how much the gamepad's latency varies during testing. It is calculated as the standard deviation of the recorded delay times. A lower jitter value indicates more consistent latency, while a higher jitter suggests unstable performance. Low jitter is important for a smooth, responsive gaming experience.