In dynamic video games, reaction speed and accuracy play an important role in a player’s success. Therefore, it is important not only to be a skilled player, but also to properly configure your gaming equipment. When it comes to computer mice, one of the key aspects of comfort and efficiency is correctly adjusted DPI.
In this material, we will tell you what DPI is and how to set it correctly to achieve maximum results in games.
Before moving on to DPI settings, let’s first understand what it is. Dots Per Inch (dots per inch), or as it is commonly written, DPI, is an indicator of a computer mouse’s sensitivity, which determines how many pixels the cursor will move on the screen when you physically move the mouse. In short, it is a parameter that is responsible for the sensitivity of the sensor.
In practice, it works as follows: suppose you set the DPI to 1000. When you physically move your mouse by 1 inch (2.54 cm), the cursor will move by 1000 pixels. If you change it to 2000, the cursor will travel twice the distance. Thus, a high DPI allows you to move the cursor faster while moving the mouse less, whereas a low DPI requires more movement but is more precise.
When choosing a computer mouse, you may also encounter the CPI indicator (counts per inch). In fact, it is the same as DPI.
Now let’s move on to how you can find out the DPI of your mouse. There are several simple methods to do this:
There is no single ideal mouse DPI for everyone. Each person performs different tasks on a PC, so sensitivity settings for a gamer and a designer will differ. Therefore, first determine which tasks you are setting the mouse DPI for, in order to understand whether you need precision or cursor mobility.
Modern mice have several DPI options that can be switched using a button. We also mentioned earlier that you can often install special software from the mouse manufacturer, which allows you to set the required sensitivity and create several DPI profiles for different tasks.
So, with proper mouse settings, you will be able to perform your tasks more efficiently. Therefore, you first need to decide what exactly you will be doing, as this will determine whether you should increase the DPI or, on the contrary, lower it.
It is better to increase the DPI when, while performing your tasks, you realize that you are applying too much effort to move the mouse, and the cursor response still feels slow. This is especially relevant when working on high-resolution monitors, playing dynamic video games (this mostly applies to titles in the MOBA and RTS genres; for shooters like CS2, this is not particularly relevant), and in other tasks where reaction speed is important.
You should set a lower DPI value when you need precision and smoothness in the device’s operation. In this case, you sacrifice fast response in favor of accuracy when performing tasks. This is relevant for photo editing work and for playing various online shooters such as CS2, Valorant, PUBG, and others.
Of course, it should be noted that you need to test different DPI settings. This will allow you to adjust the mouse sensitivity so that it best suits your tasks and is comfortable for you to use.
If we highlight popular DPI values, the following can be noted:
You can also adjust mouse sensitivity through Windows settings. To do this, open Settings and type “mouse settings” in the search. After you open this window, use the Mouse pointer speed slider, which also determines how far the cursor moves in response to physical mouse movement. In total, there are 20 speed levels, allowing you to choose the most comfortable one for you.
In this same window, you should also disable Enhance pointer precision if it is enabled. This option can cause the cursor to move a different distance when you physically move the mouse by one inch, which can interfere with accuracy.
Now let’s move on to adjusting the DPI itself. Here we will consider several options.
Let’s start with a budget mouse. These usually do not have the ability to precisely adjust DPI, and the user can only change the cursor movement speed through Windows settings: Control Panel – Mouse – Pointer Options – Motion section.
Of course, nowadays even budget mouse models often have a DPI switch button. While you won’t be able to set an exact value, pressing this button allows you to switch between several predefined DPI options set by the manufacturer. Typically, such mice offer three sensitivity levels, for example 600/900/1300.
Finally, there are mice that come with their own software. More and more mice are being released with dedicated software, which gives the user access to more tools for customizing the device. With this application, you can not only set a specific DPI value (for example, 1111), but also create multiple profiles with different settings for different tasks.
The software needs to be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. This can be done by entering the mouse model on the site, or by scanning a QR code that is often found on the box and leads to the required page. Such programs are usually quite simple, and everything in them is intuitive and easy to understand.
In video games, when adjusting mouse settings, you may also encounter the parameter called “sensitivity,” or simply “sens.” This setting determines how far the crosshair or camera moves in response to the physical movement of the mouse. This parameter needs to be adjusted because the same mouse movement can feel different in different games. As with choosing DPI, it is necessary to test various options to select the best one.
If you have a high sensitivity, then with a small mouse movement the crosshair will move quite quickly, and vice versa. However, in shooters, professional players often use low or medium sensitivity, which allows them to aim better at enemies and be more accurate. For them, the optimal value is a sensitivity of 1-3 at a screen resolution of 1920×1080.
You may also come across the concept of eDPI (Effective DPI). This indicator is used to compare mouse settings between different players. It is calculated using the formula eDPI = DPI × sensitivity. For example, one player plays with a DPI of 800 and a sensitivity of 0.4, while another uses 400 and 0.8. At first glance, the gamers have completely different settings, but if you look at eDPI, both of them have a value of 320.
Optimal mouse setting for gaming (DPI, sensitivity and eDPI) for popular video games based on the choices of professional players.
| Game | DPI | Sensitivity | eDPI |
| CS2 | 400 | 1 | 400 |
| Valorant | 800 | 0.45 | 360 |
| Call of Duty | 800 | 2.4 | 1920 |
| PUBG | 1600 | 20 | 320 |
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In addition to adjusting DPI and sensitivity, you should pay attention to the additional buttons located on the mouse itself; there can be from 5 to 12 of them. These buttons can help you switch between DPI profiles or be responsible for small programmed actions.
This can be useful when you want to bind a jump or a grenade to them. What these additional buttons are responsible for can be configured directly in the game by opening the control settings and replacing the corresponding actions.
There is no perfect mouse DPI for everyone. Each PC user performs different tasks, so settings must be selected individually. The same applies to video games: much depends on the genre you play–sometimes mobility is needed, while in other cases precision is required. However, keep in mind that you also need time to get used to new mouse settings.
Therefore, choosing the ideal DPI and sensitivity is only possible through experimentation. If these are online games, it is better to do this on training maps, and in single-player games at the beginning of the game, testing different settings.
