What is Bluetooth audio lag? (And why it’s no good for mobile gaming) As smartphone technology and the internet have made quantum leaps in the past few years, it’s no surprise that mobile gaming has also grown in popularity. With faster processors, better graphic cards and better screen displays on smartphones, video games which could only be played previously on dedicated consoles, can now be played on any smartphone or tablet. In the past couple of years, mobile games such as Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG have become some of the most popular games in the world. In order to enjoy the most immersive experience, many players use their Airpods or other Bluetooth earphones to hear the action – every gunshot, explosion or call-out. However, there is one MAJOR issue when using regular Bluetooth earphones when playing mobile games and it is LAG….This is when the audio from the game is not in sync with the video which results in a terrible gaming experience not to mention poor gaming performance.
Because Bluetooth audio involves the encoding and transferal of data,its conversion into audio/sound at the receiver’s end, the entire process takes time and results in audio latency. The vast majority of Bluetooth earphones on the market have an audio latency of around 150-200ms. However, our ears/brains perceive lag when audio latency is great than 70ms… Therefore, if the latency is double or triple the time our brains take to detect it then the lag is going to be really noticeable and off-putting during gaming…