Lab studies put the average visual reaction time of young adults at about 190 ms, and athletics treats a start less than 100 ms after the signal as a false start. Game tests read higher because the monitor, the mouse and the aiming movement add time. A good score is one near that range that stays consistent between runs.
What the research says about reaction time
Reaction time is the delay between a signal and your first response to it. Researchers measure simple reaction time with one signal and one possible response, such as pressing a button when a light turns on. The usual reference values:
| Measure | Typical value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visual signal, college-age adults (mean) | about 190 ms | Mental chronometry (Wikipedia), citing Kosinski 2008 |
| Sound signal, college-age adults (mean) | about 160 ms | Mental chronometry (Wikipedia), citing Kosinski 2008 |
| False-start limit in sprinting (sound signal) | 100 ms | World Athletics |
A study commissioned by the IAAF found individual sprinters reacting to a sound in about 80 ms, so the limit is a rule more than a physical wall. All of this is simple reaction: one signal, one response. When you have to choose between responses, the reaction gets slower, a result that goes back to Donders in the 19th century. A CS2 duel sits closer to a choice than to a button press: you have to spot a player, tell an enemy from a teammate or a shadow, and only then act.
Why your score in a game or online test is higher
A reaction test on a screen measures more than your nervous system. Four things add time on top of the 190 ms lab figure:
- The display. A new frame appears at most once per refresh: every 16.7 ms at 60 Hz and every 6.9 ms at 144 Hz. The slower panel can show the signal up to about 10 ms later.
- Input and software. Mouse, USB polling, browser or game engine each add a small delay. The size depends on your setup, so there is no single number to quote.
- Aiming. A button press has no distance. In a shooter the crosshair has to travel to the target before the click counts.
- The decision. Telling an enemy from everything else is a choice reaction, and those are slower than simple ones.
How to measure your own reaction time properly
One attempt tells you almost nothing. Reaction times are skewed to the right: a few slow attempts pull the average up, so the median is the more honest number.
- Use the same mouse, monitor and test every time.
- Run at least 20 attempts in one sitting.
- Throw out anything under 100 ms. Those are guesses made before the signal.
- Take the median and compare it with your own median from last week.
Where the Reflex drill fits
The Reflex drill on this site shows one target after a random wait of about 0.5 to 1.5 seconds. One hit removes it. The results screen reports AVG REACTION in milliseconds, measured from the moment the target appears until you hit it.
That interval includes moving the crosshair to the target, so it will be higher than the 190 ms lab figure and cannot be compared with numbers from other sites. Use it as a personal trend line: five 60-second runs at the same time of day, write down the average, and compare week to week.
What makes you react faster in a real duel
The sources above describe the raw reflex. They do not claim that practice shrinks it much. What practice does change is everything around the reflex. A crosshair already at head height on the right angle removes most of the aiming distance, which is the whole point of crosshair placement. Studies of simple reaction tasks also find the fastest responses when the timing of the signal is predictable, so expect to react faster to an enemy you were waiting for than to one who surprises you.
A short warm-up before matches helps with the other part, getting hands and eyes ready. The 10-minute CS2 warmup has a Reflex minute built in.
Frequently asked questions
Is 200 ms a good reaction time?
It is close to the 190 ms lab average for a visual signal, so for a click on a screen it is a quick result. Compare it with your own median over several sessions instead of with one other player's number.
Does a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor make my reaction time faster?
A faster monitor cannot change how quickly you react, but it can show the signal sooner. The gap between frames is 6.9 ms at 144 Hz and 16.7 ms at 60 Hz, so the difference is up to about 10 ms.
Can I train my reaction time for CS2?
You can train what surrounds the reflex: crosshair position, knowing where enemies show up, and not hesitating before the click. Nothing in the studies cited here shows that the raw reflex itself changes much. A daily Reflex run gives you a trend line to watch.
Why do two reaction tests give me different numbers?
Each test starts the clock at a different moment, ends it at a different action, and runs through your own display and input chain. Some report the mean, which slow attempts pull up, others the median or the best attempt. Compare numbers only within one test.