Handheld Input Latency Test 2025: Celeste Precision Benchmarks

Why Milliseconds Matter in Your Hands

Ever missed a jump in Celeste or Hollow Knight that you swore you timed perfectly? That isn't just you... it might be your hardware. In 2025, the gap between a button press and the action on-screen—input latency—is the defining factor for portable play. We’re breaking down the Handheld Input Latency Test 2025: Celeste Precision Benchmarks to see which devices actually keep up with your reflexes ⚡.

The Celeste Standard: More Than Just a Game

Why do tech reviewers use a pixel-art platformer to test cutting-edge hardware? Because Celeste demands frame-perfect precision. It runs light, meaning any delay you feel is almost certainly the display or the controller input processing, not the GPU struggling to render frames.

When you are trying to summit the mountain, a 30-millisecond delay is the difference between landing safely and hitting a spike. We looked at how the top contenders in South Africa handle this stress test.

The Contenders: Speed vs. Fidelity

The Refresh Rate King

High refresh rates are the enemy of input lag. By updating the screen more frequently, your inputs register visually much faster. The ASUS handheld lineup, particularly the ROG Ally series, utilises 120Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) screens. In our Celeste loop tests, this translates to an incredibly snappy feel, often clocking total system latency well under 30ms. It feels nearly indistinguishable from a desktop monitor.

The Big Screen Experience

On the other side of the ring, we have the heavy hitter. The Lenovo Legion Go offers a massive 8.8-inch display running at 144Hz. While the detachable controllers introduce a tiny fraction of wireless latency when separated, playing in handheld mode keeps things wired and tight. The visual clarity on the larger panel also helps you spot hazards earlier, which compensates for any minor processing variances.

The Intel Challenger

Entering the fray with a different architecture, MSI's portable lineup leverages Intel Core Ultra processors. The MSI Claw has seen significant driver updates in 2025 that have tightened up frame pacing. In platformers like Celeste, the Hall Effect joysticks and triggers provide a smooth mechanical response curve, eliminating the "dead zone" drift that can make movement feel sluggish on cheaper devices.

The Verdict

Input latency isn't just a number on a spreadsheet; it's the "feel" of the game. If the device takes too long to process your jump, the game feels heavy or "mushy."

Fortunately, the current generation of handheld gaming consoles available in South Africa has largely solved the lag issues of the past. Whether you choose the high-refresh speed of ASUS, the immersive scale of Lenovo, or the ergonomic precision of MSI, you are getting a device capable of conquering even the hardest B-Sides in Celeste.