Troubleshooting Mouse and Keyboard Lag

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Important: This article addresses input issues exclusively. Please see the Troubleshooting Gameplay and Performance article if you are encountering poor game performance (for example, choppy video display and occasional stalling).

Common symptoms of mouse and keyboard lag include delayed response time on movement and firing controls (for example, one's player keeps moving or firing for several moments after one has released the key or mouse button to move or fire).

General Recommendations

• Windows Mouse Options
  1. Go to the Start button and select Settings then Control Panel
  2. Select the Mouse icon
  3. Switch to the Pointer Options tab
  4. Ensure that Display Pointer Trails, Smart Move, and Acceleration in Games options are disabled (some options may not be displayed, depending upon which version of Windows you are using)
  5. Exit the Mouse Properties window by clicking OK to save your changes
• Accessibility Options
  1. Go to the Start button and select Settings then Control Panel
  2. Select the Accessibility Options icon
  3. Ensure that Use StickyKeys, Use FilterKeys, and Use ToggleKeys options are disabled
  4. Click the Settings button for each option and uncheck the Use Shortcut option and click OK
  5. Exit the Accessibility Options window by clicking OK to save your changes
• HL Mouse Filter - You may set this filter in the game console by entering m_filter 1
• vgui_emulatemouse - This is a GoldSrc option that forces mouse cursor emulation (this may be useful for older graphics cards which display a flickering mouse cursor). Enter vgui_emulatemouse 1 in the console to enable this feature.

PS/2 Peripherals

• Revert to the Default Mouse Drivers - Uninstall any specialty mouse drivers and allow Windows to detect and install the default mouse drivers.

USB Peripherals

• Interference from Other Peripherals - If you have other USB peripherals plugged in (for example, a digital camera, USB disk drive, or USB sound or video capture device), please try unplugging the non-essential USB devices when playing. Avoid using USB hubs to connect your mouse and keyboard - plug directly into the back of the computer to ensure the best performance.
• USB Power Saving Mode - Please see the Troubleshooting Mouse Problems topic for instructions to disable power saving for your USB devices.
• Test USB performance against PS/2 performance - If you continue to encounter issues with USB mouse performance, please try using an adapter (many USB mice come with a PS2 adapter) to plug into the PS/2 port. (You may also try using a generic two-button PS/2 mouse to help determine if the issue is specific to USB input.)

Wireless Peripherals

• Replace Batteries - Please ensure you have fresh batteries installed in any wireless peripherals as a preliminary troubleshooting step.
• Update Drivers - Ensure that you have the latest drivers from your wireless peripheral manufacturer.
• Test Wireless performance against PS/2 performance - Try using a generic two-button PS/2 mouse to help determine if the issue is specific to wireless input.