LG has collaborated with Razer and MediaTek on the world’s first ultra-low-latency Bluetooth controller. Showcased using an LG TV and a Razer Bluetooth gaming controller, the input lag was as low as dedicated 2.4GHz connections.
During its webOS summit, LG, Razer, and MediaTek presented a new Bluetooth technology dubbed BT ULL, which stands for Bluetooth Ultra-Low Latency. LG claims that this technology achieves a fast 1ms input lag, equivalent to proprietary 2.4GHz connections. Such input lag will allow the quick responsiveness necessary for fast-paced games such as racing and FPS.
Aside from local gaming on PC or consoles, reducing input lag could be a game-changer for the Cloud. As a reminder, an Xbox controller hooked up via regular Bluetooth can hit upwards of 15ms. Add to that your Internet’s 30 to 60ms ping, media decoding, plus the TV’s response time – which can reach above 16ms even in game mode – and you see the problem. So, shaving up to 14ms out of that is nothing to scoff at.
On one side, this could eventually bring an end to proprietary 2.4GHz connections/dongles, meaning wider compatibility for low-latency equipment. But, on the other, due to Bluetooth’s backwards compatibility requirements, some products may continue using slower standards, nullifying the improvements. After all, a chain is only as good as its weakest link.
This could be somewhat countered by making this technology mandatory in the following standard revision – Bluetooth 6, for example. This way, as long as the device and its host machine feature said Bluetooth version, you can be sure to have low latency.
I can’t speak for you, but I’e had enough of all these dongles taking up valuable I/O space. If you hate cables, then four of your USB ports may be populated with 2.4GHz dongles for the keyboard, mouse, Xbox controller, and headset. Delegating all of that to a single Bluetooth host would be great, especially since most mid-range motherboards come with the feature baked in nowadays.
LG plans to introduce a certification program for third-party controllers shortly to ensure BT ULL-supported devices work seamlessly with its smart TVs. Meanwhile, MediaTek is integrating this technology into its MT7921 Wi-Fi chipset. Lastly, the first TVs supporting BT ULL should launch in 2025.
