Mouse DPI: What you need to know for the best gaming setting

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Imagine you are in the middle of your game, you need to run to shoot down the enemies, but then you get hit because you tried to move quickly, but your mouse didn’t support you.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Things a lower mouse DPI does to you! It is unarguable that if you want a seamless gaming experience, you need higher DPI so that the mouse cursor moves faster. By definition, DPI is how fast the mouse cursor moves using the mouse.

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By definition, DPI is how fast the mouse cursor moves using the mouse. Let’s understand its fundamentals in detail and how you can set the best and have the best set up for your game.

Dots per inch (DPI) measures how many pixels the cursor will move when you move the mouse by 1 inch(2.54cm). That means if you move your mouse with 400 DPI by an inch, the cursor moves by 400 pixels.

Difference Between DPI and Sensitivity

It is essential to know that you can change the DPI by mouse settings. That particular setting is called sensitivity. By increasing or decreasing the sensitivity, you can decide how the cursor moves inside the game. However, this does not mean that you change the DPI. It remains the same. The only change you make is that you affect the cursor speed while playing the game.

Here’s How to Change the DPI

Irrespective of the Windows version, you can quickly check and change your DPI from your mouse software. For example, if you use a Logitech G Pro Wireless, you can change it with Logitech G Hub’s help. However, some companies like Zowie do not offer software. Their products come with a predefined set of DPIs that you can not customize.

Some mice might have a light that indicates what the current DPI is. If not, you can cycle through them to figure out the options you use. If nothing works, you can refer to the manual to figure out which one of the options you are using.

Steps ToTest Mouse DPI

To check the DPI, start with a DPI Analyzer with a ruler. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Enter the number of inches required to move your mouse in the target.
  2. Enter DPI number to test in configured DPI.
  3. Ensure the other settings are set in a right manner
    1. Units: What are the number of units you want to use for Target distance.
    1. Axis: Determine whether you want to move your mouse to the right(X+) or to the left(X-).
    1. WPS: This refers to the Windows’ mouse pointer speed, to find in Windows Mouse Properties.
  4. Click and hold the red crosshair and adjust the ruler to make sure you start exactly on the right spot.
  5. By holding the mouse button, try to move the mouse by the target distance.
  6. Free the mouse button and check what the tester says after it;s moved by the target distance.

While this is the way to change the DPI setting, it is also important to know how much of the DPI is good. During the 2000s, cheap gaming mice could go up to about 800 DPI. Also, the maximum DPI value was important because 800 was too slow for some people.

After a decade, the DPI for gaming started increasing to 1200 and 1600. Also, most of the new models have at least 8000 DPI.

However, it is also a fact to consider that higher values are of no point after a certain point because most of the games don’t use high DPI settings. So, if you need a mouse with the fastest cursor, higher DPI would not benefit. Just make sure that your mouse supports the DPI values you set.

While you have the mouse with a higher DPI, it also needs to read smaller movements. Hence, “high precision” means the mouse has a high DPI, but it doesn’t have a more accurate sensor.

The six button side plate on the Razer Naga Pro wireless gaming mouse
The six-button side plate on the Razer Naga Pro wireless gaming mouse.

DPI and Gaming

Specifically for gaming, your DPI needs to be high. At some points, you can move the mouse freely without worrying about the mouse going off of the mousepad. That means you can reduce the DPI and in-game sensitivity settings for a more accurate and precise aim. AS per one report, 66% of the CSGO pro use 400 DPI, the lowest DPI in so many gaming mice. With other FPS games, DPI settings can be different based on the style of the game.

In hyper FPS games such as Overwatch, only 12% of the pros use 400 DPI. 800 DPI, which is 57%, is among the most popular ones. So to summarize, most of the pros use DPI between 400 to 800 range.

How To Reduce DPI and Sensitivity

The higher the DPI, the faster the crosshair moves. Now the question comes to how fast the crosshair should move?

Well, that depends on the type of game. If you want to play with a low DPI like Zywoo, change your settings and play around a bit.

There is another term called eDPI that is your in-game sensitivity multiplied by DPI. For example, if you play CSGO with 400 DPI with 2.0 sensitivity, your eDPI would be 400*2.0 or 800.

If you change your DPI to 800, you can change your in-game sensitivity to 1.0, as 800*1.0 makes your eDPI. It is a good way to look at others’ settings and feel how fast or slow it can be. You can also convert your eDPI to cm/360° by using online calculators.

Conclusion

Overall, it all depends on trying different settings and finding out what works for you as per your gaming settings. There are so many variables for perfect gear and settings. It depends on the shape and weight of your mouse, grip style, DPI settings, in-game sensitivity, screen resolution of your game, and the way you play a major factor in your aim.

There is no universal way, but whatever feels the best and comfortable for you is your way to go.

What settings do you use on your gaming mouse? Please share your thoughts on any of the social media pages listed below. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.

Last Updated on August 20, 2021.

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