Definition and Mouse Abuse

Debounce time is a mechanism implemented in both the physical switches of a mouse and its firmware/software. Its purpose is to prevent a single physical actuation of the mouse button from registering as multiple clicks (often called "double-clicking"). This is necessary because the mechanical components inside a switch can physically "bounce" momentarily upon contact, creating spurious electrical signals. The debounce time introduces a very short delay (a "blanking period") after a click is registered, during which the mouse ignores further signals from that switch.

• Typical Debounce: For most standard office or gaming mice, the default debounce time is typically around 8ms, 10ms, or sometimes higher (e.g., 16ms). This is usually sufficient to filter out unintentional bounces during normal clicking.

• Mouse Abuse: This term refers to the practice of combining mice that have adjustable or inherently very low debounce times (often configurable via software to values significantly below 10ms, sometimes even 0-4ms) with specific physical clicking techniques (most notably drag clicking and certain forms of butterfly clicking). These techniques intentionally cause the mouse switch to vibrate rapidly. A standard debounce time would filter these vibrations, but a very low debounce time allows these rapid physical vibrations to be registered by the mouse firmware as multiple distinct clicks in quick succession. This results in artificially inflated CPS rates (often 20+ CPS, sometimes much higher) that are physically impossible to achieve through standard clicking methods on mice with normal debounce settings.