The input lag of something is the time it takes between when an input is made and the response of that input. Mechanically speaking, it’s oftentimes a result of your GPU being slow in sending information to your monitor, causing it to take longer for you to see the effect on your screen.
So, what can cause this delay in keyboards? I’m here to list the 12 most common reasons complete with solutions for input lag on keyboards. Hopefully, after reading this article you can put this annoyance behind you and continue using your keyboard as normal.
The causes for input lag on keyboards are generally things such as outdated drivers, USB issues, or a problem with a specific setting on your computer. There are no universal fixes for a lagging keyboard, however. The fixes may vary depending on your keyboard and computer. It’s recommended to try different things until you find your specific problem.
Now that you know the most common reasons why keyboards might have input lag, let’s go over it in detail below. Most of these solutions work for both Windows 10 and 11, and specific solutions for Windows 10 or 11 are listed as such.
12 Ways To Fix Keyboard Input Lag on Windows 10 and 11
1. Keyboard Options (Windows 10)
Your input lag may be caused by a setting in your keyboard properties. If this is the cause of your problem, you’re in luck! The fix is very easy. Just follow the steps below to adjust your keyboard property options.
- Press the Windows Key + R
- Type “control keyboard” in the window that pops up
- Adjust the sliders in the keyboard properties menu to your liking
If your keyboard has input lag, the repeat rate slider should be adjusted to the right and the repeat delay slider should also be adjusted toward the right.
If the repeat delay slider is three-quarters to the right, and the repeat rate slider is on the far right, then the settings are as they should be, and your problems probably lie elsewhere.
2. Outdated drivers
Every component on your computer runs with the help of drivers. Drivers are files on your computer that mediates the communication between your hardware and your operating system. In other words, they are very important for things to work well.
This makes it important to have your drivers up to date, and if you don’t, you can experience things such as input lag on your keyboard. To check for updates on your keyboard, simply follow the steps below.
- Type “device manager” in your Windows search bar
- In the device manager list, find the “Keyboards” option and double-click it.
- Right-click your keyboard dice, and select “Update driver”
- Search automatically for drivers
- If there are any available, Windows will download and install them for you
3. Your Computer Is Using The “Filter Keys” Option
Filter keys are meant to be a helpful function, to prevent unwilling keystrokes. Most of the time, however, it only serves as an annoyance. It activates automatically when you press and hold shift for eight seconds, which is very easy to do without noticing.
To disable Filter Keys on Windows 10, go to your “Settings” menu, then select “Ease of Access”. After this, select the “Keyboard” option at the bottom of the left-side menu. Finally, uncheck the “Use Filter Keys” option.
To disable Filter Keys on Windows 11, press your Windows key + I to go into the “Settings” menu. After this, select “Accessibility”. After this, select “Keyboard” and toggle your “Filter Keys” option off.
You’re going to notice very quickly if this is your problem since the option is checked or unchecked. If it isn’t in the first place or unchecking it didn’t help, keep reading!
4. Your Wireless Keyboard Is Low On Battery
If you have a wireless keyboard, there is a chance that it isn’t responding as usual because of low battery life. Some keyboards have a function to alert you of low battery life and some don’t.
Either way, you should use your keyboard charger or switch the batteries if you’re using those. The compartment for your keyboard batteries depends on what keyboard you’re using, but if you’re using Mac, the compartment is at the top left corner of your keyboard, above the “esc” key.
Simply use a coin to open the battery slot and remove the batteries, then insert your new R6 batteries in the empty compartment.
5. Missing Or Corrupt Files
Corrupt files and other configuration errors can lead to all sorts of troubles in Windows, including messing with your keyboard’s input response. To fix these potential problems, you should run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management).
Follow the steps in the instructions below to run the DISM successfully!
- Type “cmd” in your Windows search bar
- Right-click the cmd icon and select “Run as administrator”
- Run the following commands and hit “Enter” after each one:
- “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth” (press enter)
- “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth” (press enter)
- “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” (press enter)
If your keyboard’s input lag was caused by an issue pertaining to this fix, then the changes should take effect very quickly.
6. Lower Your Input Lag In The Registry Editor
Another sneaky setting that Windows has is the Keyboard settings within your registry editor. This editor isn’t something that the average Windows user would ever open up, so, understandably, you haven’t found a fix if the input lag issues lie here.
To check the settings in the registry editor, simply follow the steps below.
- Press your Windows key + R
- Type “regedit” in the search box
- Double-click “HKEY_CURRENT_USER”
- Find and click on “Keyboard” in the drop-down menu
- Double click “KeyboardDelay”
- Set your value to “1”
If the value is set to “1” already, then you can safely conclude that the input lag issues are not caused by this setting and move on to the next item on the list.
7. Switch USB Ports
One option you can try is switching USB ports. That goes for the receiver for your wireless keyboard or the USB cable to your wired keyboard. It’s not uncommon for USB ports to behave in strange ways, and sometimes problems with USB-connected devices sort themselves out if you simply switch USB ports.
I can also strongly recommend downloading the utility software USBDeview to check the health and status of your USB devices. This can help you find any abnormalities in your USB devices and ports.
8. Insufficient Power For USB Devices
Too many connected USB devices can cause problems because of power issues. Your computer may not be able to provide power to all of your devices, which can lead to input lag on your keyboard as a result.
Make sure you have all your unused USB devices disconnected and try using your keyboard. If your keyboard works fine after this, have this in mind in the future.
9. Your USB Receiver Is Too Far From Your Keyboard (Wireless)
This problem can be two-fold. One, the USB receiver you’re using for your wireless keyboard is too far away to bring a consistent connection to your keyboard, causing drops in connection and delays in your inputs.
The other problem is the devices between your keyboard and your receiver. If the keyboard and receiver are too far away from each other, chances are that there are other devices such as external hard drives between your receiver and keyboard, causing interference. Move stuff around and see if you can resolve your problem this way.
10. Power Management Settings
Some power management settings are known to cause problems with peripheral devices such as keyboards. Therefore, you should make sure that your power management settings are optimized for performance. Do this by following the listed steps below!
- Type “power options” in your Windows search bar
- Select “Power Options”
- Select “High performance”
11. Turn Off Overlays When Gaming
Turn off overlays if you’re gaming. They’re known to cause massive issues including lag, input delay, and more. Both Steam and Discord use overlays which are automatically set to be on when you’re gaming.
Windows has a few settings that aren’t very good for, well, anything really. I’ll go over how you turn them off below. These settings are also enabled by default.
- Go to the “Settings” menu (Windows key + I)
- Select “Gaming”
- Uncheck the “Xbox Game Bar” option
- Click on “Game Mode” in the list on the left side
- Uncheck the “Game Mode” option
12. Your Wireless Keyboard Is Too Close To Your Router
If you’re using a wireless keyboard, there’s a chance that your router and your wireless keyboard are using the same frequency to communicate. This means that they can interfere with each other, causing issues such as drop-outs in connection and input delay.
Make sure that your keyboard and router aren’t directly next to each other. Move the router to an area further away, and then check if your issue is solved. If this is an inconvenience, try connecting your keyboard to a different device and see if it works.
If you have a laptop readily available, I would suggest moving it some distance from your router, connecting your keyboard to it, then checking if it has input lag.