Mouse Polling Rate Test

How to use

1. Choose a 3, 5, or 10 second capture. Pointer Lock is optional and only helps reduce cursor clipping during fast movement.
2. Press Start and, after the capture begins, move a physical mouse continuously inside the focused test area. Avoid long pauses and background tab switches.
3. Stop freezes the browser-dispatched samples. A blur, hidden page, or unexpected required Pointer Lock exit interrupts the run and does not save history.
4. Review the median browser event rate, interval distribution, variation, excluded samples, and coalescing context. The result is not a USB or sensor report.
5. Reset clears the current run but preserves aggregate local history. Repeat with the same browser, device, motion pattern, display, and system load for comparison.

What the result means

• Median browser event rate is 1000 divided by the median interval between accepted, nonzero, mouse-like browser pointermove dispatches. Mean, P95, and minimum intervals show other parts of the accepted timing distribution.
• Coefficient of variation summarizes interval variation. The current live rate is throttled from the latest capture snapshot, while peak 250 ms event density is a scaled browser-event window rather than the primary rate.
• Zero movement, invalid intervals, and gaps longer than 250 ms are excluded and counted. Touch and pen samples are excluded from primary stats; empty or unknown pointer types are accepted as mouse-like and counted separately.
• Coalesced event counts are displayed separately and never mixed into the primary Hz. They indicate browser-delivery context, not hidden USB reports or a certified device class.

Limitations

• Browser pointermove timing is scheduled and may be coalesced; it does not expose raw USB polling. Touch and pen samples are excluded, while some trackpads may appear mouse-like.
• The primary stream is browser-dispatched pointermove timing, not USB, HID, firmware, sensor, or device-report telemetry. Browser scheduling and coalescing can change what is observed.
• Operating-system load, browser work, CPU scheduling, display timing, movement pattern, focus, background activity, and device behavior can all affect the sample stream.
• Pointer Lock only reduces cursor clipping; it does not change the measurement into a hardware polling report. Permission denial continues as an unlocked run.
• Touch and pen samples are excluded, but pointerType is a browser label and some trackpads may appear mouse-like. This page does not certify a physical mouse.
• Zero movement, non-positive intervals, and gaps over 250 ms are excluded from interval statistics. A short or paused run can have no usable rate.
• A high peak or a lower browser-observed rate is not proof of a good, bad, failed, or misconfigured device. Do not map results to a nearest hardware tier.
• Fast device reports such as 2,000, 4,000, or 8,000 Hz can be under-observed by a browser event stream; theoretical intervals are shown only as context.

Troubleshooting

Observed Hz is blank or low

Move continuously with nonzero motion, keep the surface focused, and allow enough time for accepted intervals. Reset and repeat with the same motion path and conditions.

A specified 1,000, 4,000, or 8,000 Hz mouse looks lower

Browser dispatch, scheduling, coalescing, display timing, and system load can reduce observed events. This page cannot certify the USB or sensor rate.

Coalesced events were returned

Treat them as separate browser-delivery context. They are not added to the primary Hz and do not reveal raw USB reports; API support varies by browser.

Pointer Lock is denied

Continue unlocked or allow Pointer Lock and retry. It is only a clipping aid, so the browser-observed measurement remains available without it.

Results vary between runs

Use the same duration, mouse, browser, system load, focus state, and movement pattern, then compare aggregate rows in Local history. Variation is expected in browser timing.

Related tools

• Mouse Test

  Test mouse buttons, side buttons, held states, wheel events, and pointer movement online. See live browser event counts, hold times, movement path, and session status.

• Mouse DPI Test

  Estimate mouse DPI/CPI from browser Pointer Lock movement over a measured horizontal distance. Run three trials and review median, range, drift, input mode, and local history.

• Scroll Wheel Test

  Test mouse or trackpad wheel input for vertical and horizontal direction, opposite-direction events, delta units, relative spikes, and browser wheel-event rate.

• Mouse Double Click Test

  Test a mouse for unintended double clicks with slow single-click screening or intentional pair timing. Choose a button, inspect browser click intervals, and compare local runs.

FAQ