What is keyboard polling rate?
The keyboard polling rate is a parameter that determines how often the device sends information about its state (which keys are pressed or released) to the computer. It is measured in Hertz (Hz).
How to check the polling rate?
- Prepare for the test:
- Close unnecessary tabs and applications to reduce system load.
- Exit power-saving mode.
- Use the Chrome browser — it has fewer keyboard event limitations compared to Firefox or Safari.
- Quickly press and release different keys for 5–10 seconds. Important: do not hold down a key, but actually tap it — this forces the keyboard to send reports for each keystroke.
- Get the result with an analysis of the average and maximum polling rate.
How does this test work?
keydown and keyup events are tracked.- Auto-repeat is ignored when a key is held down.
performance.now() is used to accurately measure the time between keystrokes.- UI rendering is slowed down to prevent it from affecting the keyboard polling rate.