Professional gamer reaction time
Professional gamer reaction time
150 ms–220 ms
Reaction — a decision, via the brain
Professionals measure faster than the general population, but the gap is smaller than the numbers suggest because a meaningful part of it is equipment: a 240 Hz monitor and a high-polling-rate mouse remove 30 to 50 milliseconds that a typical setup adds. What genuinely separates them is not raw speed but prediction and the ability to sustain performance over hours, both of which degrade with fatigue long before reaction speed does.
The numbers
- Typical
- 190 ms
- Range
- 150 ms to 220 ms
- What it is
- Reaction — a decision, via the brain
- What is measured
- Simple visual reaction in a game context, on low-latency hardware.
Why this is a reaction
A reaction is a decision: signal in, processing, movement out. The floor for a human is around 150 milliseconds, and anything measured below about 100 ms is anticipation rather than response.
Where it sits against everything else
Reflexes at the top, reactions in the middle, design values off the end of the scale.
Vestibulo-ocular reflex — Reflex 10 ms
Knee-jerk (patellar) reflex — Reflex 22 ms
Latency added by your screen and mouse — Physical limit 35 ms
Blink reflex — Reflex 40 ms
Withdrawal reflex — Reflex 90 ms
Time a jab takes to land — Physical limit 110 ms
Sprint start reaction — Reaction 140 ms
Simple tactile reaction time — Reaction 155 ms
Simple auditory reaction time — Reaction 170 ms
Professional gamer reaction time — Reaction 190 ms
Formula One start reaction — Reaction 200 ms
Simple visual reaction time — Reaction 250 ms
How reaction time changes with age — Reaction 250 ms
What sleep loss does to reaction time — Reaction 300 ms
What alcohol does to reaction time — Reaction 320 ms
Recognition reaction time — Reaction 340 ms
Choice reaction time — Reaction 380 ms
Time to hit a 95 mph fastball — Physical limit 400 ms
Time a goalkeeper has on a penalty — Physical limit 450 ms
Time to play a 90 mph delivery — Physical limit 500 ms
Driver reaction to an expected event — Reaction 850 ms
Screens and input
| What | Typical | Range | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latency added by your screen and mouse | 35 ms | 20 ms–80 ms | Physical limit |
Common questions
- How long is professional gamer reaction time?
- Typically 190 ms, with a real range of 150 ms to 220 ms. Simple visual reaction in a game context, on low-latency hardware.
- Is that a reflex or a reaction?
- Reaction — a decision, via the brain. A reaction is a decision: signal in, processing, movement out. The floor for a human is around 150 milliseconds, and anything measured below about 100 ms is anticipation rather than response.
Related pages
- Latency added by your screen and mouse 35 ms
- A reflex is not a reaction Why one is 20 ms and the other 250
- Stopping distance at every speed Reaction distance plus braking distance, computed
- Measure your own reaction time Five attempts, median reported
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place