InputTestHub

Pointer Latency Test

Draws a trail of your last twelve reported pointer positions, making display and browser latency visible as a visible gap.

Screen Tests Nothing uploaded No sign-up Free, unlimited
Screen Tests tool
The test starts automatically — follow the prompts above.
In short Drawing a trail of your last reported pointer positions makes latency visible as a physical gap: the further the dots lag behind the system cursor, the longer the path from your hand to the screen. The system cursor is always ahead, and that is not a fault — the operating system draws it in hardware, outside the page, so nothing a website renders can ever catch up with it. The gap you see is exactly the cost of going through the browser: input handling, JavaScript, layout, compositing and the display's own refresh. That makes this a measure of the browser and the display, not of the mouse. A high-polling-rate mouse changes how often positions are reported and does very little to this gap. For the mouse itself, the polling rate test is the right tool. What does change the result here is display refresh rate, which sets the floor — at 60 Hz a frame is 16.7 ms and nothing can be shown sooner than that — plus browser load and any page doing heavy work on each frame.

How to use the Pointer Latency Test

  1. The test starts on its own — no button to press and nothing to install.
  2. Follow the prompt in the test panel and watch the readings update live.
  3. Press Reset to start over with a clean slate.

About the Pointer Latency Test

The Pointer Latency Test draws a trail of your last twelve reported pointer positions, making display and browser latency visible as a visible gap. It runs as plain JavaScript inside the page, which means there is no upload step, no queue and no size limit imposed by a server — the only limit is your own device.

What people use it for

  • Seeing how much lag a display adds.
  • Comparing latency between two monitors or two browsers.
  • Checking whether a remote desktop session is adding delay.

Explained in our guides

All guides

Frequently asked questions

Why is the system cursor always ahead of the dots?
Because the operating system draws it in hardware, outside the page. Nothing a website renders can ever catch up with it — the gap you see is exactly the latency a web application has to work with.
Does this measure my mouse?
No. It measures the browser and display. For the mouse itself, use the polling rate test.
Is there a limit on how often I can use the Pointer Latency Test?
It is free, with no account, no trial and no daily cap. Every screen tests tool on inputtesthub.com works the same way: open the page and use it.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The Pointer Latency Test runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is transmitted, logged or stored, which you can verify yourself in the Network tab of your browser's developer tools.
Who is the Pointer Latency Test for?
The most common reasons people reach for it: seeing how much lag a display adds. Comparing latency between two monitors or two browsers. Checking whether a remote desktop session is adding delay. It is built for exactly those cases rather than being a general-purpose tool with this bolted on.
Do I need to install anything to run this test?
No installation, no extension and no driver. The Pointer Latency Test uses the browser's own device APIs and begins as soon as the page loads, so there is nothing to press first. Press Reset at any point to start over with a clean slate.

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