How Refresh Rates (60Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz vs 360Hz) Impact Gaming Latency
How much latency 60Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz monitors add, where the real gains are, and how to measure your own setup.
Visual vs. Auditory vs. Tactile Reaction Times: The Scientific Differences
Why sound is processed faster than light, how touch compares, and why choosing between options slows you down.
5 Proven Methods to Improve In-Game Reflexes for FPS Players
Five practical, evidence-based methods to sharpen reflexes in shooters, with a four-week training plan and tips for tracking real progress.
How Sleep Deprivation, Caffeine, and Hydration Alter Processing Speed
How lack of sleep, caffeine and hydration change reaction time and attention, with a simple way to test the effects on yourself.
Measuring Display Input Lag vs. Human Reaction Time
Where the milliseconds go between a signal and your click, how input lag is measured, and how much of your score is hardware.
The Science of Human Reaction Speed: Biological Limits and Training
How the nervous system produces a reaction, where the biological speed limits are, and what training can realistically change.
How Age and Fatigue Affect Cognitive Processing & Motor Speed
What happens to reaction time as we age or tire, and which habits help preserve speed.
A Complete Guide to Audio Response Times and Spatial Hearing Latency
How we react to sound, how the brain locates it in space, and how headphones and software add delay.
Human Reaction Time Benchmarks
These ranges summarize published reaction-time research and large online datasets. Browser tests add 20–60 ms of hardware and display latency, so use the figures as reference ranges rather than clinical measurements.
Visual reaction time by age group
| Age group | Average | Fast | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–25 | 240–270 ms | < 220 ms | < 190 ms |
| 26–40 | 255–285 ms | < 235 ms | < 205 ms |
| 41–60 | 275–320 ms | < 260 ms | < 230 ms |
| 60+ | 300–370 ms | < 290 ms | < 255 ms |
Visual vs. audio vs. choice reaction time
| Type | Typical average | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Visual (simple) | ~250 ms | One light, one response |
| Audio (simple) | ~170 ms | Faster pathway from ear to brain |
| Choice (2–4 options) | 350–500 ms | Decision-making plus response |
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this reaction time test?
It uses performance.now(), which has high-resolution resolution, and listens for pointer-down events so the release of the button does not add delay. Accuracy is still limited by your screen, mouse and browser, so expect results 20–60 ms slower than laboratory equipment.
How much does monitor or mouse lag affect my score?
Quite a lot. Moving from a 60 Hz screen to a 144 Hz or 240 Hz screen and from a slow Bluetooth mouse to a wired or low-latency wireless mouse can lower your measured time by 10–25 ms without any change in your actual reflexes.
What is the average human reaction time?
About 250 ms for a simple visual stimulus, around 170 ms for a sound, and 350–500 ms when you must choose between several responses.
What counts as a good score?
For adults aged 18–25, under 250 ms is good, under 220 ms is excellent and under 200 ms is exceptional on a standard setup. Scores should be judged against your own age group and equipment.
Why does the test punish early clicks?
The wait is randomized between 2 and 5 seconds so you cannot predict the signal. A click before the signal is a guess rather than a reaction, so that round is voided and restarted.
Is my data stored or shared?
Scores are saved only in your browser's local storage on your device. They are never uploaded to our servers, and you can erase them at any time with the reset button on the home page.