Tool

Mouse polling rate test

Move the mouse in quick circles inside the box, and the number below shows how many position updates a second reach the browser. In browsers that pass on every report the mouse sends, such as Chrome, it comes close to the mouse's polling rate, so you can compare 125, 500 and 1000 Hz settings, two ports or two mice.

Run it

  1. Put the pointer inside the box under the number.
  2. Move the mouse in quick, wide circles for a few seconds without stopping.
  3. Read the number and the highest so far.
  4. Change the mouse's polling setting in its own app, or move it to another port, and run it again.

Read the number

  • Updates a second. Position reports that reached the page in the last second. Close to 125, 500 or 1000 means the setting with that number is the one in use.
  • Highest so far. The best second of the run, which is the fairest single number.
  • Pointer events the page received. How often the browser woke the page up, usually once per screen frame. When this matches the main number, the browser is not passing on every report.

A slow or stopping hand lowers the count. Keep the mouse moving the whole time and compare runs, not single readings.

If the number is far below the setting

Climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Move faster. A mouse sends nothing new while it is still, so slow circles undercount.
  2. Try a Chrome-based browser. Some browsers count one update per frame, whatever the mouse sends.
  3. Plug the receiver in directly. A hub or a front-panel port can slow reports down.
  4. Check the mouse's own app. The polling setting lives there, and some mice drop to a lower rate on battery saving.

What this is not

This is not a measurement taken at the USB port. The computer can combine the mouse's reports before the browser sees them, so the number can be lower than the real polling rate, never higher. That is why it is best for comparing: one mouse at two settings, or two mice in the same browser.

More from the mouse

The mouse tester checks every button, the wheel and double clicks, and the double click test looks only at a button that clicks twice. On a Mac, InputConfig, the free app I make, gives the side buttons real jobs.

Questions

How do I check my mouse polling rate?

Move the mouse in quick circles inside the box on this page and read the number. It is the rate that reaches the browser, which is the useful one for comparing settings and ports.

Why does the test show less than 1000 Hz?

The computer and the browser can combine reports before the page sees them, and a browser that does not pass on every report counts about one per screen frame. Use the number to compare, not as an exact reading.

What polling rate should a mouse use?

There is no single right number. A higher rate means smaller steps between pointer positions, and a steady rate matters as much as a high one.

Related

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreFree. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.