Since Valorant episode 3, Riot Games introduced a new setting in Valorant called Raw Input Buffer, which, according to them, improve the "performance of input device processing."
But what does this setting do for gamers like us? Here's everything you need to know about Raw Input Buffer in Valorant.
Valorant's Raw Input Buffer explained
The Raw Input Buffer setting in Valorant allows your mouse to send inputs directly to the game rather than through your operating system. If this setting is on, Valorant will get its cues now from the mouse, technically bypassing your operating system.
The new Raw Input Buffer in Valorant adjusts which APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are used for processing the raw inputs from your mice, which makes the input delay of your mouse to the minimum. In layman's terms, the Raw Input Buffer makes your camera movements snappier in-game since the input comes directly from the mouse.
In competitive FPS games like Valorant, gaming mice that support high polling rates like 8000Hz are crucial. When the Raw Input Buffer setting is on, having an 8000 Hz polling rate means having only 0.125 ms delay time, which can result in performance improvement.
Polling Rate in Mouses
The polling rate is the speed at which your mouse communicates input to your computer. It is also the number of times your mouse sensor refreshes its position each second. For example, if you are using a usual computer mouse that has a 125 Hz polling rate, your mouse will refresh its position 125 times each second.
However, most gaming mice typically have a 1000Hz polling rate or 1000 times per second. Having higher polling rates means that your input will be more accurate and precise in terms of timing on a frame-by-frame basis.
Polling Rate | Delay |
125Hz | 8 ms |
250Hz | 4 ms |
500Hz | 2 ms |
1000Hz | 1 ms |
4000Hz | 0.25 ms |
8000Hz | 0.125 ms |
If you don't know what's the best mouse settings on Valorant, here's a guide.
Raw Input Buffer: On or Off?
The raw input buffer's effectiveness largely depends on your mouse's polling rate. Most gaming mice have a polling rate of 1000 Hz, and if you're using this mouse, you will only see a minor improvement.
However, if you're the type of player who uses a mouse with an 8000 Hz polling rate, turning the setting on would result in a more significant amount of input lag, and you would notice your mouse becoming snappier responsive.
If your PC cannot run Valorant at over 60 frames per second, you should probably turn this setting off since you may see a decrease in mouse performance, opposite what Raw Input Buffer intended to provide.
Ultimately, these types of settings can only do so much for you to improve your aim and win games. Some professional players have their Raw Input Buffer on, while others do. You have to find out which one is for you and your device.