Niche peripheral maker Finalmouse has asserted that its upcoming Starlight X gaming mouse boasts the fastest click latency among all gaming mice tested. The company's new TMR DS analogue click architecture is designed to significantly reduce the time between a user initiating a click and that input being registered by the system. According to Finalmouse, this technology results in the "fastest button input we’ve ever measured in a consumer electronic device."
To substantiate its claims, Finalmouse detailed its testing methodology, which accounts for both the physical press of the button and the electrical actuation of the switch. This comprehensive approach measures end-to-end latency, from the start of a button press to the USB packet's arrival at the host system. The company developed a machine to simulate human clicks, utilizing copper tape on the mouse clicker in conjunction with its XLat tester.
Finalmouse's measurements place the Starlight X at an average of 2.0 ms for end-to-end click latency. For comparison, the company tested pre-production samples of competing mice. The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike reportedly registered 3.0 ms, the Razer Viper V4 Pro at 7.5 ms, and the Endgame Gear OP1 8K V2 at 5.7 ms. Finalmouse suggests that mice with analogue switches, like the Starlight X and Superstrike, demonstrate a notable reduction in latency compared to traditional mechanical switches.
While Finalmouse highlights the Starlight X's speed advantage over the Superstrike, some analysis suggests that the practical benefits of such minuscule differences may be marginal for the average user. The Superstrike, for instance, offers adjustable actuation levels, and many users opt for higher settings than the lowest possible, which might negate some of the theoretical latency gains. The reported 2.0 ms for the Starlight X could represent a best-case scenario achievable with its analogue technology, potentially surpassing even the lowest actuation settings on other mice. The difference between analogue and mechanical switches, under these testing conditions, appears to shave off approximately 3-5 ms. However, given that typical human reaction times are significantly higher—around 165 ms as measured by benchmarks—these millisecond improvements may not translate to a perceivable advantage for many players. Even professional gamers rarely have reaction times below 100 ms.
Beyond the latency figures, discussions on social media indicate that potential buyers might face considerable waiting times for the Starlight X, with shipping estimates reportedly measured in months rather than milliseconds.