In its recent webOS Summit 2024, LG has showcased a new Bluetooth technology in collaboration with Razer and MediaTek to cut down on input lag: the new tech is dubbed Bluetooth Ultra-Low Latency, or BT ULL in short.
LG’s BT ULL Tech: Dongles No More?
In the PC gaming space, we are very accustomed to wireless gaming peripherals advertising low latency for greater responsiveness, and this is done by connecting a dedicated USB dongle to the host system. BT ULL takes the dongle out of the equation, while also capable of maintaining just 1 millisecond of input lag – equal to most gaming peripherals.
The demonstration involves a prototype Razer controller with BT ULL and a standard Razer controller with existing Bluetooth technology. In LG’s words, the prototype exhibits “superior responsiveness, reduced input lag and control precision of the BT ULL technology across various cloud-based games, including FPS, fighting and racing titles.”
To make this work, LG is working with MediaTek to integrate BT ULL into the MT7921 Wi-Fi 6 chipset, the models of which featuring this technology are scheduled to launch in 2025 under its OLED TV and QNED TV lineup. Besides that, a certification program is being planned to ensure compatibility of third-party controllers with its models – Razer will be the first to get such certification, the company says.
This does raise a question: if this technology is adopted by future PCs and consoles, will it render the 2.4GHz dongles redundant? Possibly. However, even if BT ULL is widely supported in the next few years, it’s safe to say these USB dongles will stay after that to provide compatibility for devices that don’t support this Bluetooth technology.
Pokdepinion: It’ll be interesting to see if BT ULL will eventually eliminate 2.4GHz dongles altogether.