Wireless connectivity generally comes via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or 2.4GHz, but the three technologies serve different purposes despite often being confused. Wi-Fi is the only one of the three that provides internet access via a router, while Bluetooth is typically used to pair audio devices with phones and tablets, and 2.4GHz is commonly used to connect peripherals such as keyboards, mice and controllers to PCs and laptops.

Wi-Fi offers the greatest range (up to 50m) and by far the highest bandwidth, reaching several Gbps with Wi-Fi 7 compared with around 3 Mbps for Bluetooth and under 10 Mbps for 2.4GHz, though it also consumes considerably more power. Bluetooth and 2.4GHz both support shorter-range connections (up to 30m) without needing a router, making them better suited to battery-powered devices, but 2.4GHz offers significantly lower latency, typically 1-5ms compared with up to 30ms for Bluetooth, which is why gaming mice, headsets and controllers favour dongle-based 2.4GHz connections over Bluetooth.