Long usb cable = input lag on controller?

[deuceyd]

Im using a 20ft long usb c cable from amazon (link below) and I hook it up to my PC so I can lay in bed and use controller for gaming. When I test the controller in games I get a very noticeable input lag, not too severe but enough to be annoying. Is it something to do with the cable type or the length of the cable?

I have tried using a 2.4ghz and even bluetooth devices and they just lag even worse. If this cable is the problem can someone recommend me one that works?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QMG8NX9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Thanks for any and all help

[crunchyfrog]

Yup, cables of this length can cause issues not just because the signal takes longer to travel down the cable as it;slonger, but also the strnegth of the signal reduces too.

I'm afraid there is no way to get a cable of this length if it's causing you issues. You can't magic away this issue with physics.

All you can really do is get a shorter cable and sit closer or have your PC closer.

[deuceyd]

Thanks for the quick response yea I thought it was the length. Realistically I only need like a 10ft cable, do you think that would be laggy? Also was there anything wrong with that specific cable aside from length?

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Deucey D:

Thanks for the quick response yea I thought it was the length. Realistically I only need like a 10ft cable, do you think that would be laggy? Also was there anything wrong with that specific cable aside from length?

No, likely not. When you get a certain length you can't break the laws of physics.

The longer the cable, the more power that is need by the controller to make the signal reachm as power is lost over distance.

You simply can't get round this.

[deuceyd]

Damn. Well thanks for the help. Might try putting my PC up on top the desk see if that helps with the 2.4ghz or bluetooth.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Deucey D:

Damn. Well thanks for the help. Might try putting my PC up on top the desk see if that helps with the 2.4ghz or bluetooth.

As long as you keep anything wifi related away from things with lagre electrical usage (like TVs, fridges, HVAC units and so on) you should be fine.

You can never get good results with a longer cable just because you're fighting the battle of signal loss.

[rawWwRrr]

Could just be a crap cable. Not all cables are equal in quality.

[Muppet among Puppets]

In copper cables the electric impulse flows with several dozen thousand miles per second.
As its "full". So a 20 ft cable should physically not cause lag for "information" on both ends.

But this might be dependant on the voltage + "quality of the cable". Of which the quality is a variable factor in this case.

[xarvn]

For those interested, the perceived lag is NOT due to increased travel time of the signal but instead to noise and interference. 20 ft will only add 20 nano seconds to the travel time, that is 0.00002 milliseconds. The problem is that signal integrity degrades over the length of the cable. With the degraded signal you will start to have packets that do not pass the CRC checks and have to be re-requested by the controller. This in turn will cause significant delays. In theory, very good shielding--i.e. good quality cables--will reduce the interference. You can also try what are called "active extension" cables which amplify the signal so that the effects of noise and interference are lessened.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

In copper cables the electric impulse flows with several dozen thousand miles per second.
As its "full". So a 20 ft cable should physically not cause lag for "information" on both ends.

But this might be dependant on the voltage + "quality of the cable". Of which the quality is a variable factor in this case.

Yup, the speed isn't that much difference. It's mostly the signal loss which conforms to the inverse square law (I think).

Anywho, the higher the frequency of the signal going down such a cable the more the loss.

So you could feasibly use this length of cable with the same SWG of wire as an audio input or speaker cable and not notice anything. But if you're talking about digital signal at MUCH MUICH higher frequency the loss is more pronounced.