Polling Rate Test

Measure real controller polling rate in Hz. Compare wired vs Bluetooth and diagnose report throttling.

Polling rate

Waiting

Move a stick or hold a trigger to generate state changes. The counter measures unique controller state updates per second.

Current

0 Hz

Peak

0 Hz

Total samples

Rating

Low

Note: browser polling is capped by requestAnimationFrame (typically 60 to 240 Hz), so wired 1000 Hz pads may still cap at your monitor refresh rate.

Overview

What the Polling Rate Test does

Polling rate is how often your controller reports state to the host, measured in Hz. Higher polling means the console or PC sees your inputs sooner, which lowers total input latency. This tester counts unique state changes per second while you move a stick or hold a trigger, and shows you exactly what your controller is delivering right now.

Steps

How to run the test

Connect the controller wired or over Bluetooth.
Hold a trigger or move a stick continuously so the report changes every frame.
Watch the live Hz value stabilize over 5 to 10 seconds.
Disconnect and reconnect on the other transport (wired vs Bluetooth) and re-run to see the delta for your specific pad.

Why polling rate matters for input feel

Every millisecond your controller is not reporting is a millisecond the game has stale state. At 125 Hz a report goes out every 8 ms. At 1000 Hz it goes out every 1 ms. The perceived difference matters most in fast-twitch scenarios: rocket jumps, wave dashing, quick-scoping, and precision platforming. Casual play barely notices. Competitive play sees it as a measurable reduction in average input lag.

Why the browser caps what you see

The W3C Gamepad API is polled by JavaScript on each animation frame. That means the tester samples the controller at your monitor refresh rate: 60, 120, 144, 165, 240 Hz. A 1000 Hz Xbox controller sending reports at 1 ms intervals still only surfaces new values to the browser once per frame. So a browser polling test is a floor, not a ceiling. If your pad reads 240 Hz in a 240 Hz browser, you know it is at least that fast; native software may reveal more.

How connection type changes polling

Wired USB gives every controller the best chance at high polling. Bluetooth adds a radio stack that batches reports and typically caps around 125 to 250 Hz. Xbox Wireless (the dongle) uses a proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol that runs faster than Bluetooth, usually 250 Hz. Third-party 2.4 GHz dongles from 8BitDo and GameSir advertise 1000 Hz polling with a compatible controller and cable. If polling matters to you, buy a controller and cable that explicitly support it.

Troubleshooting sudden polling drops

If polling was 500 Hz yesterday and is 60 Hz today, check three things. First, USB port. Switch to a different USB 3.0 or higher port directly on the motherboard, not a hub. Second, cable. Cheap charging cables cap at USB 2.0 speeds and can throttle reports. Third, background software. Steam Input, DS4Windows, and reWASD add a translation layer that can drop polling. Disable them one at a time and re-run this test to isolate the cause.

Related tests you should run together

Polling rate and latency are cousins. A high polling rate reduces variance in input latency but does not shorten the base latency itself. Run our Latency Test after this one to see your reaction-plus-system total, and compare wired against wireless to see which transport actually feels faster on your setup.

Fix it

Common problems and quick fixes

Polling reads only 60 Hz

Your monitor refresh caps browser polling. Enable 120 Hz or higher in display settings, or trust that the pad is fine and use a native tool for exact measurement.

Wireless polling is half of wired

Normal. Bluetooth adds overhead. Use the wireless number as your real-world figure since that is how you actually play.

Polling drops when Steam is open

Steam Input is polling first. Turn off Steam Input for your controller in Steam settings and re-test.

FAQ

Common questions

Why is my 1000 Hz pad showing 240?+

Browsers poll the Gamepad API on requestAnimationFrame, which is capped at your monitor refresh rate. A native game or a dedicated USB analyzer can see the full 1000 Hz.

Does higher polling help online?+

Only marginally. Online lag is dominated by network round-trip, not controller polling. Local input feel benefits more.

What is a good polling rate?+

125 Hz is fine for casual play. 250 Hz is the practical Bluetooth ceiling. 500 to 1000 Hz wired is competitive-grade.

Start moving your stick now to see live Hz. If you play competitively, run wired versus wireless and pick the transport that reports faster.

Every diagnostic here runs locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

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Pair this test with any of the below for a full controller health check.

Timing