It’s not that you’re bad at playing, you may not win because of your mouse
The use of the mouse as an input device for games is due to the use made of it by many genres. However, it is in real-time strategy and first-person shooter games where mouse latency or lag plays a big role. So much so that they can make us lose a game and that in E-Sports environments is fatal. We tell you what you can do to solve this problem.
If you tell a person that the latency of the mouse they are using affects the frame rate of a game, they will not believe it. The first thing he will do is look at you as if you have a fever or simply do not know what you are talking about. However, at the beginning of each frame, the CPU of our computer needs to collect information from all the input devices in a limited time, if there is a delay in this then we will see the result of our action delayed one or several frames. That is, when your character can already shoot or your unit march, they will already be dead in the middle of the game.
How to reduce mouse latency?
For us, the solution is simple, the best gaming mice are those that not only have ergonomics, the number of buttons, and their proper position. They are also those that use a USB connection and, therefore, are not wireless. And yes, we know that there are high-quality wireless mice designed for gaming, but they have to overcome a series of important obstacles to give good performance. Those who get it do it with a vengeance, but a change in specifications and a price above the average.
The reasons for it? Well, they are the following:
- In a wireless mouse, the further away it is from the repeater, the longer it takes to send the signal. Although it is not a very common problem either, since most users play a few meters from the PC where said mouse latency does not occur. A similar problem is experienced by long cable mice, which tend to wrap around themselves, causing the signal to have a certain level of delay. This problem is negligible, but it is always recommended to have a short-wired mouse.
- The condition of the batteries or the battery of a wireless mouse can affect its performance, especially when the charge is low. It does not happen with all models, but with more than we would like.
- Many mice give additional options over standard one-use macros and additional buttons that are controlled by a driver. Although programming quick commands improve our gaming experience, if our PC is overloaded with work, then it will run the controller much worse. Which will create latency in the mouse.
Regarding the last point, it is important to have the mouse drivers up to date, as well as the Windows updates. One piece of advice, never connects it through an external USB Hub, as this also adds a level of latency.
Might be you are also Interested to Read: Are you in doubt whether to buy a mouse with a trackball?
Is it that important?
If you play casually, no, but if you do it competitively and with a team that can reproduce a large number of frames per second, yes. The reason? The more FPS the less time per frame and any additional lag can be fatal. That is why if you are one of those who play E-Sports at more than 120 FPS, the latency of the mouse will affect you more.
