Controller polling rate, explained
Report rate, browser observation rate and end-to-end latency are different measurements. Here is how to interpret the number this site shows.
Report rate is only one part of latency
A rate of 125 Hz corresponds to an 8 ms interval, 250 Hz to 4 ms, and 1000 Hz to 1 ms. In an ideal periodic system, an input arriving at a random point waits half an interval on average. On that assumption, 125 to 1000 Hz reduces the average wait by 3.5 ms. This is arithmetic, not a measured reduction in a game's total latency.
Controller scanning, firmware, transport, the operating system, the game and the display all add timing of their own. A high report rate alone does not establish fast button response.
What this site's test measures
The polling rate test samples Gamepad API snapshots and compares distinct Gamepad.timestamp values. It calculates a mean interval and the variation of those observed intervals. It does not count every raw USB or Bluetooth packet.
Chromium's Gamepad polling implementation has used a 4 ms interval, around 250 Hz. That describes a particular API implementation, not a universal limit on every browser API: WebHID can expose a separate input-report path. Browser version, operating system, timer scheduling and timestamp behavior can all affect the result.
A result near 60 or 125 Hz therefore does not prove that the controller hardware is limited to that rate. A busy page, throttling, repeated timestamps or missed snapshots can lower the observation rate. The jitter shown here includes the software path and cannot isolate wireless interference.
How to compare connections usefully
- Keep this tab visible and close heavy background work.
- Move a stick continuously, start the test and let a sample history build up.
- Repeat with the same browser, computer, controller mode and firmware.
- Change only the cable, Bluetooth or receiver connection, and repeat several times.
- Treat differences as observations on that setup. Do not turn them into universal model rankings.
If no usable timestamp changes arrive, the test cannot give a meaningful rate. Do not interpret a blank result as zero hardware Hz.
Manufacturer claims and independent measurement
For example, 8BitDo advertises 1000 Hz for the Ultimate 2 Wireless in wired and 2.4 GHz modes. That is a model- and mode-specific vendor claim; this page has not independently verified it. Bluetooth and similarly named models should not inherit that figure.
To investigate hardware report delivery, use a raw HID capture with documented timing and connection details. To measure button-to-screen latency, use an external physical measurement setup. Neither result can be replaced by the number on this browser page.
Sources
Documentation checked 26 October 2026; this is not a hardware benchmark.