What is Keyboard Latency, and how your keyboard latency results can unlock smoother, faster, and more intuitive digital experiences.
1000Hz Polling Rate: What It Really Means for Keyboard Latency
A 1000Hz polling rate means your keyboard reports its status to your PC 1,000 times per second. In theory, this sets the communication delay between your keyboard and PC at just 1 millisecond (ms). This high report rate is a fantastic foundation for a responsive, low-latency experience. The 1ms figure only covers the data transfer interval. Your actual input lag is a sum of several factors, including the keyboard's internal scan time (to detect the press), a microscopic debounce delay (to prevent accidental double inputs), and your PC’s own processing time. Therefore, while a 1000Hz keyboard is highly desirable for minimizing a key part of the delay, its total latency will always be slightly higher than 1ms. It's a critical specification for high performance, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle.















