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Controller Latency

Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 7:42 pm
by lomdar67

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 8:00 pm
by Sigismond0
I'm really surprised by the 8bitdo's BT performance in MacOS mode. Feel a bit bad for the Retro-bit 2.4GHz stuff not even holding up against BT. I'm also a little confused how he's got the SNES conversion PCB listed as a wired device, when it doesn't even have a USB port.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:34 am
by akeley
Good ol' Dualshock...

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:49 am
by Threepwood
The values on Porkchop's spreadsheet feel kinda off, compared to other tests. The Retrobit Saturn Wireless feels much more snappy than what the measurements show, but that is speaking from my gut feeling.

But, if you compare Porkchop's values for the M30 2.4GHz (Switch and Mini) that Jorge_ did (10.8ms average lag) to another test (3.6ms average lag): https://www.retrorgb.com/krikzz-joyzz-v ... sting.html

Same for the DS4. See here: https://inputlag.science/controller/results

Porkchop's procedure seems pretty solid, thus it should be correct, but that is the case for inputlag.science and others, too. Question is: Who is right?

EDIT: The 8bitdo M30 BT is claimed to have 11ms while the Retrobit Saturn 2.4 is claimed to have 16ms. I have both and the M30 BT is definitely slower than the Retrobit. The M30 2.4 Switch and Mini is much faster than the BT, too while according to the spreadsheet it should be virtually identical to the M30 BT (11ms vs 10.8ms).

Thus, sorry, but from my experience with all these controllers using 1ms polling on MiSTer Porkchop's numbers do not appear correct at all to me.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:26 pm
by akeley
Threepwood wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 11:49 amQuestion is: Who is right?
Common problem with all these lag tests, not only input ones, which is why I always take them with a pinch of salt.

Unless everyone uses uniformly the same hardware and methodology then the possibility of severe discrepancies will always be there, since it's truly a micro zone.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:43 pm
by Threepwood
akeley wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 12:26 pm
Common problem with all these lag tests, not only input ones, which is why I always take them with a pinch of salt.

Unless everyone uses uniformly the same hardware and methodology then the possibility of severe discrepancies will always be there, since it's truly a micro zone.
For sure and I appreciate the effort people put into lag testing. It is a much more difficult to get right field than meets the eye.

Sadly Porkchop's results go against my own experience with these gamepads. While you can never make a ms estimate by gut feeling you can tell if a controller is the same or slower than another controller when they are apart far enough.

Here the 8bitdo M30 BT and 2.4GHz Switch and Mini are claimed to be the same and they are definitely not the same. This is something that other tests confirm. Enforcer's results, quoted by retrorgb, that put the M30 BT in the 21ms range and place the M30 2.4GHz at 3.6ms feel correct to me. If that is so off already, then the entire spreadsheet cannot be used as a reliable source.

But as you said, they should all be taken with a pinch of salt anyways. Not bashing on Porkchop, he took effort to make lag tests and other values on the sheet seem pretty correct, so I wonder what caused the outliers.

EDIT: A correction to what I wrote regarding Enforcer's results: They were not for the 8bitdo M30 2.4GHz that uses the USB dongle, but for the Genesis version that may be a bit different. There Porkchop's results are basically the same as Enforcer's who measured with an oscilloscope. The M30 BT was also connected to a Genesis adapter and not an USB BT dongle.

In the end the results simply feel off to me personally, because the M30 BT feels much slower than the Retrobit Saturn Wireless 2.4GHz. The M30 2.4 with USB dongle feels a fraction faster again than the Retrobit. So well, if you take Porkchop with a pinch of salt then take what I wrote here with a spoon full ;) I simply do not trust these results fully.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 2:24 pm
by Lightwave
These are wireless controllers and are subject to interference, both BT and 2.4 Ghz. Depending on your environment, your results may vary.

(Incidentally, interference comes not only from network devices, but also microwaves, lighting, phones, etc.)

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 3:49 pm
by beamrider
Anyone know if the Retro-bit Mega-drive controllers would be the same latency as their Saturn controller which got tested here?

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 5:14 pm
by Threepwood
Lightwave wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 2:24 pm These are wireless controllers and are subject to interference, both BT and 2.4 Ghz. Depending on your environment, your results may vary.

(Incidentally, interference comes not only from network devices, but also microwaves, lighting, phones, etc.)
I would think that Porkchop and the people providing results keep that in mind, but some results could indeed be explained with too short test time and too many extreme values maybe due to interference.
beamrider wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 3:49 pm Anyone know if the Retro-bit Mega-drive controllers would be the same latency as their Saturn controller which got tested here?
Technically they will be the same gamepads with only different cases, I assume. The Wireless Saturn Pad plays great and is in no way as slow or slower than the M30 BT and the Retrobit pads have working home buttons.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:51 pm
by beamrider
OK, thanks.

I ordered the Wired Saturn controller as I read the ergonomics are better.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:28 pm
by Chris23235
beamrider wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 3:49 pm Anyone know if the Retro-bit Mega-drive controllers would be the same latency as their Saturn controller which got tested here?
I can't say anything about the wired Retro-bit Saturn controller, but the wired MegaDrive controller is very good. I can only speak from a subjective perspective, but I find PC-Engine games like Darius II or NeoGeo games like Pulstar more or less unplayable on a high lag controller. On the Retrobit Genesis controller, these games play fine.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:32 am
by SSR852
beamrider wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:51 pm OK, thanks.

I ordered the Wired Saturn controller as I read the ergonomics are better.
Same here, the Retro-Bit Wired Controller seems to be a winner in both latency and ergonomics.

Is there a same list of test with Arcade Sticks? I'm wondering if I should buy a modern one (actually Saturn) or an old one with adapter.

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 11:24 am
by lomdar67
SSR852 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:32 am Is there a same list of test with Arcade Sticks? I'm wondering if I should buy a modern one (actually Saturn) or an old one with adapter.
Not a special test for the MiSTer device and not Arcade only, but maybe it helps: https://inputlag.science/controller/results.

I ended up with a Hori Real Arcade Pro N... ;-)

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 1:35 pm
by Jayde Six
Hope you guys don't mind a question. The wiki mentions upping the USB polling rate, and that it usually doesn't cause any side effects, but doesn't list what those would be. Are we talking increased wear and tear on the controller/receiver? Or something like dropped inputs?

Re: Controller Latency

Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 10:10 am
by EvilRyu
Jayde Six wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 1:35 pm Hope you guys don't mind a question. The wiki mentions upping the USB polling rate, and that it usually doesn't cause any side effects, but doesn't list what those would be. Are we talking increased wear and tear on the controller/receiver? Or something like dropped inputs?
In my case the wifi USB adapter stops working with 1ms polling