Mouse sensitivity guide: DPI, eDPI and how to keep your aim across games

Sensitivity is personal, but the way it is measured is not. Once you understand DPI, in-game sensitivity and eDPI, you can compare your settings with anyone and move between games without starting from zero.

DPI and in-game sensitivity

Two numbers decide how far your cursor moves when you move the mouse:

DPI (dots per inch) is set on the mouse. It says how many counts the sensor reports per inch of movement.
In-game sensitivity is a multiplier inside each game.

Multiply them and you get eDPI, the effective DPI. A mouse at 800 DPI with sensitivity 0.5 has an eDPI of 400. Two players with the same eDPI in the same game turn the same amount for the same hand movement.

Which DPI to use

Most modern sensors work well at 400, 800 or 1600 DPI. Pick one and keep it. Very high DPI values do not make you faster, and some older sensors become less accurate at extremes. A common approach is 800 DPI and adjusting sensitivity in the game, because many games offer finer steps that way.

How to find a comfortable sensitivity

Choose a starting point. Many players in tactical shooters sit between 200 and 1000 eDPI depending on the game. Treat that as a loose range, not a rule.
Place your mouse in the middle of your mousepad and try a full 360 degree turn. Lower sensitivity usually means your arm moves more, higher means your wrist does.
Play a few matches or an aim trainer. Note if you often overshoot or fall short of targets.
Change the value by a small amount, around 10 percent, and test again.
Stop when your aim feels natural and then keep the setting for several weeks. Constant changes stop you from building muscle memory.

The 360 distance

A better way to compare settings across games is the distance your mouse must travel for a full 360 degree turn, often called cm per 360. It does not depend on DPI or on the game. Lower numbers mean faster turning. Many players land somewhere between 20 and 50 cm per 360, but arm and wrist users differ.

Converting between games

Each game turns a different angle per count, called its yaw value. Because of that, the same sensitivity number feels different in different games. To keep your aim, you need a conversion. Our mouse sensitivity converter does the work: choose your source game, enter your DPI and sensitivity, then pick the target game.

A few things to remember:

The converter matches the 360 distance. It keeps turning speed the same, but it does not account for different field of view settings.
Games with very different zoom or scope behavior may need extra tuning for scopes.
Use the same DPI in the converter that your mouse uses now.

Field of view changes the feel

A wider field of view makes targets look smaller and movement feel slower. If you change your field of view, your aim may feel different even with the same sensitivity. Adjust both together, and give yourself time.

Mouse accel and pointer settings

Turn off mouse acceleration, called Enhance pointer precision in Windows, so that the same hand movement always gives the same result. Many games have raw input options. Enable raw input so the game reads the mouse directly and ignores Windows pointer settings.

Mousepad and grip

Aim feels consistent when your mousepad is large enough for the movement you use and the surface is clean. A larger pad is handy for low sensitivities. A grip that is comfortable for long sessions matters more than any single number.

Common mistakes

Changing sensitivity every day.
Copying a pro player's number without checking if it fits your hand movement.
Setting a very high DPI together with a very low in-game value, which can waste precision in some games.
Leaving acceleration on.

The short version

Pick a DPI, find a sensitivity that feels natural, record your eDPI and your 360 distance, and use a converter when you change games. Then stay with it long enough for your hands to learn it. If aim feels off because of delay instead of settings, read our guide on reducing input lag and ping.