Input lag from controller extensions

[Hoagtech]

Hi I am moving my game room to a larger area and I picked up a 20 console shelf from Ikea.

The problem I have is, this is going to have to be beside a 65" Sony and a 34" CRT Sony for the time being and not in front due to to the 5' x 6' shelf height for all my classic consoles.

That being said, should I be worried about input lag from my controller extension cords.

I have controller extension cords for: 3DO, PSX, NES, GC, Saturn, N64, and I am confident I can find my other consoles extensions if I need to,

But If I am going to have to deal with input lag, I will return the shelf and Pick up something beneath my TV Levels.

What are your opinions on controller extension cords and input lag? Should I worry?

[Guspaz]

A 6 foot extension cord will add approximately 0.006 billionths of a second of latency.

EDIT: This is only true for passive extension cables: signals passes through copper at close to the speed of light. If any sort of active repeater is involved, then all bets are off.

[Hoagtech]

A 6 foot extension cord will add approximately 0.006 billionths of a second of latency.

EDIT: This is only true for passive extension cables: signals passes through copper at close to the speed of light. If any sort of active repeater is involved, then all bets are off.

Awesome numbers. I'm gonna extend the crap out of my room.

[Guspaz]

While the delay is minimal (close to the speed of light), the longer the extension cable the more resistance there is, and the more the voltage drops before getting to the other end of the cable. As such, there is a limit to how many extension cords you can daisy chain.

For example, the Retro-Bit SNES extension cable says that you can use a maximum of seven 6-foot cables, although I don't think I'd trust even that many.

Also, Retro-Bit extension cables are terrible quality and should be avoided, not that I can suggest anything higher quality. Their NES extension cable is insanely tight in the NES controller plugs.

[Monstermug]

I've got 2 x 6ft extension cables hooked up to all 16 of my consoles. The only one I have problems with are original xbox controllers that seems to drop out of sync every so often. Maybe it could be a loose connection, I haven't yet been bothered to check. Then again, the xbox controller cables are probably the longest in the bunch.

[Ed Oscuro]

Actually, with copper cable your signal speed can be from 40% to maybe as high as 70% the speed of light. Still basically negligible though.

The only one I have problems with are original xbox controllers that seems to drop out of sync every so often. Maybe it could be a loose connection, I haven't yet been bothered to check.

I've had that happen with the extenders in a 360 controller. Continuity check?

[broken harbour]

I would have no worries about input lag, but I've never been able to get a controller extension that lasted longer than 6 months.

[D]

Extension cords do not work with ps and snes multitaps and not on the controllers attached to the multitap. Kinda strange. Just a FYI.