Nowadays, it’s almost essential to have a mouse for your computer work. Even if you have a trackpad on your laptop, a wireless mouse makes things a whole lot easier and quicker. However, you want to make sure you get a quality wireless mouse that isn’t going to lose its connection or lag on you, especially when you’re in the middle of a project.
Regardless of the quality of the wireless computer mouse you buy, there will be a small amount of lag. However, as long as you invest in a high-quality mouse, the lag will be minimal and hardly noticeable, especially during everyday work and use.
When you get a new wireless mouse for your computer, you want to make sure it has little to no lag. Luckily, there are a few easy tests you can perform on your mouse to see just how much lag you’re dealing with. Continue reading to learn about the multiple tests you can do to recognize lag and how to improve your wireless mouse’s performance.
Do Wireless Mice Lag Too Much?
With the types of advanced wireless mice available today, you won’t notice them lagging too much or more than a mouse with a wired connection. For the most part, even higher-end mice may have a certain amount of lag, but not to the point where any user will notice.
As it’s hard to make them 100% perfectly responsive with zero chance of lag, the best we can do is get as close to zero lag as possible.
With that said, several tests can be used to assess your wireless mouse’s current lag so you can determine whether it’s time for a new mouse or to recalibrate.
3 Ways to Test the Lag of Wireless Mice
When looking for a new mouse, you’ll find that most manufacturers will promote how great their devices are with little to no lag time and that they will fix all the issues you had with your previous mouse.
We all know that everyone will do and say what they can to sell their product, so we’ve outlined a few key tests that you can do to make sure your wireless mouse is as quick as you need it to be.
Human Benchmark Test
If you’re experiencing lag with your mouse, or want to test a new mouse, then the Human Benchmark Test is a good starting point. It can help identify if the lag is actually from the mouse or if it might be your eyes and imagination playing tricks on you. The test is very simple and can be taken here.
For the Human Benchmark Test, your screen will show you a red dot for a random period, then will switch to a green dot. As soon as you see the color change, quickly click the mouse. The test will record your reaction time.
If you have an older mouse available, you can do the same test with both to see the level of improvement you’re getting. If it seems too similar or not quite the response time you’re looking for, you may want to keep searching for a better wireless mouse.
Click Latency Test
The Click Latency Test is a little bit different and tests the true response time of the mouse itself. As very few tests are, it’s not exact, but will be a close relative value of how the wireless mouse performs.
The Click Latency Test is measured using an audio recording of when the mouse is clicked and when the computer registers the input. This will take data of how much lag there is between the click of the mouse and the response from the click.
Wireless Mice with the Lowest Latency
When searching for an efficient and cost-effective wireless mouse, it’s hard to know what’s what and where to begin. Below is a list of some of the wireless mice that have had the quickest response time when it comes to the Click Latency Test:
- Razer Basilisk Ultimate HyperSpeed – With a 9.2/10 rating, the Hyperspeed comes in at the quickest response time, showing its surprisingly low lag.
- Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed– Just below the Ultimate HyperSpeed, the Viper Ultimate has a 9.0/10 rating. The little lag that may occur is so minimal that very few people will even notice, making it particularly good for gamers.
- Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed– The X HyperSpeed also received a 9.0/10, and although it comes in third in our top three list, it is one of the lightest and least expensive mouses on the market, and still has excellent performance ratings.
Sensor Accuracy Test
With the Sensor Accuracy Test, a device called an AxiDraw is used to create a specific design with a pen and will repeat this process a few times to show the accuracy and reproducibility of the machine. The idea behind this is for the pen to trace over the same exact line without creating new lines.
After a few times through with the pen, the AxiDraw will then hold the mouse and trace over that same design to test the sensors to see if they can track the same design without creating new lines that float away from the original figure 8.
With four different mouses used in this test, the Logitech G900 model performed the best, tracing the original design perfectly without creating new lines. This is crucial because when you’re using your mouse, you want the sensors to track the movement you are making, so there is an accurate response time, reducing the potential for lag as much as possible.
How to Calibrate Your Wireless Mouse to Reduce Lag
While the above tests are useful for identifying lag, they don’t necessarily fix the lag. Fortunately, there are ways you can calibrate your wireless mouse to improve latency:
If your operating system is Windows, then you will start by:
- Opening the Settings app and clicking on Devices.
- From there, you will click on Mouse in the dropdown selection. This will give you various options of selecting primary buttons, how many times to scroll through a page, and the speed and sensitivity of the pointer.
The process for those using Mac/iOS isn’t too different. Simply go to the Apple Menu, then go to System Preferences, then click Mouse. Once there, you will be able to determine track speed, sensitivity, and choose your preferences.
Between the tests to ensure you have a quality mouse and the different ways to calibrate it exactly to your liking, you should be on your way to higher productivity with your device in no time.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, wireless mice don’t lag too much; in fact, any lag present is usually unnoticed by the user, especially with higher-quality mice. However, if you find your new or old wireless mouse is experiencing any inaccuracies or delays, you can use a few tests to determine the extent of the lag.
When researching the best mouse for you, it’s important to know what these tests are, if prospective mice have gone through those tests, and how they stack up against their competition as well as your old one.
In conclusion, searching for a new computer mouse may seem like a daunting task, but when it comes to the little everyday things, a lagging mouse can be an unnecessary frustration!