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Gaming Mouse DPI [The Ultimate Guide]

Last Updated on December 5, 2022

Did you know that one of the advantages of gaming mice is that they provide very flexible DPI settings. You can set the Gaming Mouse DPI using the built-in gaming mouse software to get the best experience when moving your mouse.

In this article, we want to provide some complete guides on how to set and find the best DPI on Gaming Mouse for you to use. So, let’s get started!

What Is DPI?

Gaming Mouse DPI

DPI, also known as counts per inch (CPI) and mickeys per second, calculates how many pixels move with each inch that the mouse moves. It is simply a reference to mouse sensitivity. Nevertheless, sensitivity and accuracy are two distinct concepts.

On the screen, each dot corresponds to one pixel. Therefore, if your mouse moves 1000 pixels vertically and your game has a 1080p resolution, it signifies that your mouse almost reached the top of the screen. With a 2000 DPI mouse, however, you can move it from the bottom to the top in just half an inch.

Although you might be tempted to choose a larger number, there are mice with DPIs as high as 16000. It will take some time because of how delicate they are, as you might guess. The most crucial factor is understanding how high a DPI is, how high is too high, and how low is.

How far you must move your hand to move your cursor from one area of the screen to another is described by the DPI. A greater value allows you to move the mouse from left to right by only requiring a small amount of movement.

To move the mouse the same distance with a lower DPI, you will have to use more force. In FPS games, this also means that your character will move more slowly with a low DPI level than a high one.

A 16000 DPI may be extremely sensitive and quick, whereas a 100 DPI is rather low. A higher DPI is advantageous in some games, such as those where you use the mouse to control the character’s movement. But if you’re playing a game that requires precision aim, it’s not a good idea to utilize an extremely sensitive and fast mouse. If you don’t, you’ll end up missing the mark.

Example: The mouse pointer moves 400 pixels per inch at 400 DPI.

Your mouse will be less sensitive the lower the DPI.

Why Gaming Mouse Have High DPI?

Gaming mice are equipped with better sensors and provide a wide selection of DPI settings ranging from low DPI to high DPI. This can make it easier for you to find your DPI settings for the various games you will play.

A higher DPI is preferable for gaming over a low DPI for a number of reasons, notwithstanding the fact that this is a matter of personal opinion. A higher DPI speeds up and improves the precision of your mouse input.

After all, even if the advantages are minor, every millimeter counts in competitive games.

How High a DPI Do You Need?

Do not be seduced by the tempting pricing of mouse with 8000 DPI or higher just because you presume it to be better. What is the sweet spot in the middle when your DPI is high enough to enhance your gaming performance? is the most crucial question.

The resolution of your display should be one of your initial considerations. Since the majority of gaming monitors have a resolution of 1080p or 1440p, an 8000 DPI mouse is still too quick and sensitive, especially when accuracy is crucial to winning the game.

Fortunately, a lot of these DPI mice have a significant edge. Despite having absurdly high DPI specifications, they can be changed to suit your needs. By pushing a button that is often located above the scroll wheel, you can not only quickly and conveniently switch between different sensitivity settings, but also between them.

Depending on your demands, you may use this useful option to select between a low-sensitivity and a high-sensitivity level. In some circumstances, such as when you are playing shooting games, it might be really useful. As a result, you can maintain a high DPI as your default and quickly change to a lower DPI setting for precise and steady aim.

Best DPI Setting

Super high DPI mice are not necessarily superior.

Since there is no one optimal DPI level, choose the one you are most accustomed to. Generally speaking, wherever you are playing right now will be your greatest setting since, whether you realize it or not, you have developed muscle memory at this location.

Playing at a DPI higher than 12000 is probably overkill, but it’s also important to note that some sensors at this DPI accelerate and simulate the dots per inch, which results in inconsistent performance and isn’t a genuine raw DPI.

Lower sensitivity give you more precise control over your mouse and enable you to fine-tune your aiming, as long as you have room on your desk to move your mouse about. If you’re trying to get better, taking incremental steps down in DPI is a useful practice.

Sensitivity

There are sensitivity settings in addition to DPI that increase the DPI of your mouse. The first is the default setting for mouse sensitivity in Windows, which should always be set to the sixth notch.

Any higher than 6/11, and your mouse motions run the risk of skipping pixels. However, you might as well set this to be safe as many games include a raw input mode that ignores the Windows sensitivity level.

Additionally, ensure sure Windows’ prediction and acceleration are disabled by turning off Enhance pointer precision.

Additionally, each game has a different sensitivity setting, and the scales are frequently significantly varied. To transfer settings from one game you’re acquainted with to another, use a mouse sensitivity calculator.

EDPI or Effective DPI (DPI x sensitivity)

Your actual sensitivity can be shown in this. This blends the mouse sensitivity in-game with your DPI setting. eDPI can be summarized as the product of these two numbers multiplied. For an average eDPI, you can mix a really low DPI with a really high in-game sensitivity.

Examples:

  • 600 DPI x 2 in-game sensitivity = 1200 eDPI
  • 800 DPI x 1 in-game sensitivity = 800 eDPI

Due to the nature of sensitivity, eDPI is a per-game comparable statistic; nonetheless, the standard comparison metric is the length of time it takes to complete a 360-degree turn in a first-person shooter, measured in centimeters or inches.

The pros and streamers sensitivity and DPI settings

You’ll see that all gaming mice will track flawlessly at a DPI of 400 to 800 for the most of professionals.

The Pros and StreamerDPISensitivityeDPI
Tfue400 DPI30% Sensitivity (Fortnite)1,236 eDPI
Shroud450 DPI2.4 Sensitivity (CS:GO)1,080 eDPI
Ninja800 DPI0.077 X Sensitivity (Fortnite)
0.079 Y Sensitivity (Fortnite)
62.4 eDPI
Cloak400 DPI0.11 X Sensitivity (Fortnite)
0.11 Y Sensitivity (Fortnite)
44 eDPI
Taimou800 DPI5 Sensitivity (Overwatch)4,000 eDPI
Bugha400 DPI0.13 X Sensitivity (Fortnite)
0.13 Y Sensitivity (Fortnite)
52 eDPI
s1mple400 DPI3.09 Sensitivity (CS:GO)1,236 eDPI
ZywOo400 DPI2.0 Sensitivity (CS:GO)800 eDPI
The pros and streamers sensitivity and DPI settings

How to Change Gaming Mouse DPI

There are two standard techniques to adjust the DPI on gaming mice. Either through a specific DPI button with pre-programmed stages or through software like Logitech G Hub or Synapse.

What are polling rates?

Polling rates in gaming mice describe how frequently a mouse updates the computer on its location. As an illustration, 1000 Hz denotes a mouse reporting 1000 times per second.

With one exception, you should set this to the mouse’s greatest polling rate possible if you wish to conserve battery life. A lower polling rate will do this.

How to aim better in FPS Game

Now that everyone is aware that there is no “optimal” DPI, let’s discuss how to improve your aim at a high level.

  • Make sure you have a comfortable mouse and a reliable sensor. If you need a new mouse, check out our post on the best mice; otherwise, your current mouse is best.
  • Note your current sensitivity and DPI settings because this is where your muscle memory is developed.
  • Choose whether you want to be a low- or high-sensitivity gamer. While either approach can succeed, most people tend to aim better with lower sensitivities.
  • Making enormous leaps in eDPI will discourage you and leave you much worse off than you were before. Depending on where you are starting from, you must take gradual steps down to your final DPI goal.
  • Have fun and good luck!

Gaming Mouse With The Higher DPI is Better to Buy!

There isn’t a single, ideal solution that works for everyone, as there rarely is. What specifically do you require, you must ask yourself? This depends on the games you enjoy playing and the horizontal resolution of your monitor. You can then evaluate if you actually require that ultra-high DPI mouse.

A mouse with a DPI of 2400 to 3200 will still be what you get if you want something affordable. This is quite good in comparison to regular mice. You can anticipate jerky cursor movements if you ever try to utilize a low DPI mouse for gaming. However, you are pretty far from that maximum of 16000 DPI with a 2400 or 3200 DPI, so if your games require the higher sensitivity, you might be better off spending the extra money on a better one.

A very high DPI is not a problem because your mouse’s settings can be changed. Although it is a useful feature, you should not solely take it into account when purchasing a mouse. Since a sensitive mouse does not necessarily equate to the highest accuracy,

Conclusion

What DPI setting is best for gamers? You can also use these suggested settings for the most popular kinds of video games.

  • For MMOs and RPG games, you need between 1000 and 1600 DPI.
  • The ideal DPI range for FPS and other shooter games is 400 to 1000.
  • For MOBA games, 400 to 800 DPI will do.
  • For Real-Time strategy games, the ideal setting is between 1000 and 1200 DPI.

You can see from these recommendations that a 16000 DPI mouse can already be excessive for the majority of games. However, because they can change settings with the simple push of a button, they can be rather effective when playing different games. This allows you to swiftly choose precision over sensitivity as necessary. But if you frequently utilize a lower DPI setting, you should pick a bigger mouse pad!

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