What browsers can and cannot reveal about your device hardware

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A developer who built browser-based hardware diagnostics has documented the real capabilities and limitations of web platform APIs when probing device hardware. Key findings include that screen refresh rate must be inferred through requestAnimationFrame timing rather than a direct API, and that true native panel resolution is never exposed by browsers. Keyboard testing revealed that certain keys like PrintScreen and Fn never reach JavaScript at all, while mouse fault detection is possible by measuring gaps between pointer events. Gamepad inputs require polling and controllers remain invisible until a button is pressed, and camera or microphone device labels are hidden until the user grants permission. For display testing, no programmatic API exists, leaving developers to fill the screen with solid colors and rely on human visual inspection.

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