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Latency

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

• The horizontal axis (X-axis) measures the time elapsed from the button press or stick deflection to the game's response. 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 lower the latency, the better. In competitive gaming, every millisecond matters — faster response times can provide a significant advantage, especially in fast-paced games like fighting games, shooters, and racing simulations.

For stick latency measurements (when available), we test by instantly moving the stick from the center to the edge, recording the latency at 99% deflection point.

You can switch the graph view to Average Latency, where latency is displayed as horizontal bars for easier comparison between devices.

Polling Rate

Polling rate refers to how frequently a gamepad sends input information to your console or computer. It's measured in Hertz (Hz), representing the number of times per second the controller reports its status.

For example:

• A gamepad with 125 Hz polling rate sends updates every 8 milliseconds
• A gamepad with 1000 Hz polling rate sends updates every 1 millisecond

Polling rate directly affects input lag. When you press a button, your input waits in the controller's buffer until the next polling interval. With higher polling rates, these intervals are closer together, reducing the maximum potential wait time.

For a detailed explanation of how polling rate impacts controller latency, check our in-depth analysis on Reddit.

The polling rate impacts gaming performance in two key ways:

1. Responsiveness: Higher polling rates result in faster, more responsive gameplay by reducing the maximum wait time between your physical input and when the computer receives it.

2. Consistency: Higher polling rates provide more consistent input timing, which is crucial for precise timing-based actions in competitive gaming.

While higher polling rates are generally better, they may increase CPU usage slightly. For most modern systems, this impact is negligible.

To test the polling rate of your gamepad, download our specialized software at https://gamepadla.com/soft.pdl.

Jitter

Jitter measures how consistently your gamepad performs over time. It's calculated as the standard deviation of latency measurements — essentially how much the response time varies between inputs.

Lower jitter values indicate more consistent performance, which is crucial for muscle memory and precise gameplay. High jitter can make a controller feel unpredictable, even if its average latency is low.

For competitive play, both low latency and low jitter are important for reliable, predictable performance.

Testing Methods

Gamepadla employs three complementary testing methodologies to evaluate gamepad performance comprehensively:

1. Polling Rate Test: A software-based test that measures how frequently the gamepad reports data to your system (in Hz). This test provides insight into the controller's communication frequency but doesn't directly measure real-world input lag. Download our polling rate testing software at https://gamepadla.com/soft.pdl.

2. GPDL Tester: This hardware-based solution accurately measures button latency through direct electrical monitoring. While it also tests joystick latency, those measurements are software-based and should be considered approximate. Stick measurements are useful for comparing controllers tested on the same setup but aren't factored into our LatScore due to their limited precision. More details available at https://github.com/cakama3a/GPDL.

3. Prometheus 82 (Gamepad Punch Tester): Our most advanced testing method physically actuates both buttons and joysticks to simulate real-world usage patterns. It achieves ±1-2ms precision for button tests and ±5-6ms for stick tests. These margins account for the mechanical actuation time present in real-world usage. Learn more about this innovative testing method at https://www.reddit.com/r/Controller/comments/1i5uglp/gamepad_punch_tester_a_new_method_for_testing/.

Each methodology has specific strengths and limitations. By combining these approaches, we provide the most comprehensive evaluation of gamepad performance currently available.