The best settings for your plastic rodent.
Mouse DPI and sensitivity settings are crucial to improving your aim and performance in Valorant. In this guide we will explain how to get your setup just right.
Precise aim is an absolute must in an FPS like Valorant, where one bullet to the head often results in instant death. For those who aren’t used to the sheer lethality in this game’s gunplay, it can be a jarring, often bewildering experience trying to improve. Where do you start?
And this is it really, many players aren’t aware of the little things they are doing with their moust, or the setup they’re running which could hinder accuracy dramatically. So, in this guide we’ll provide a few simple methods to help you get your mouse DPI and sensitivity settings up to scratch in Valorant. We hope that once you’ve had a read of this guide, you’ll have laid the groundwork to begin improving your accuracy in Valorant.
Navigation:
We recommend reading through the whole of this article, but if you want to jump to a specific section then you can use the following links:
1. Mouse Acceleration – The importance of disabling this Windows feature
2. DPI – How to find the best DPI settings for your mouse
3. Sensitivity Settings – Which DPI setting should you choose?
Turn mouse acceleration off
So, this is one of the first things to do if you want to begin the ‘aim improvement’ journey. Why is mouse acceleration a problem? Simply put, it’s Windows’ way of attempting to help you out. It automatically tries to increase the precision of your cursor as you move your mouse. This is all well and good in day to day browsing, but when you need utmost precision, it’s a calamitous, invisible hindrance.
Switch it off and it means Windows won’t tamper with your cursor anymore, and so all mouse movements from thereon will be entirely yours, and yours alone. Although it’s barely noticeable at first, switching it off enables you to build muscle memory for mouse sweeps and wrist flicks – plus, you won’t need to worry about any extraneous nuisances. You can be confident when performing the same mouse sweep over and over again, that it’ll produce the same result.
Here’s how to switch it off:
- Type “mouse settings” into your Windows search bar.
- Select “Change your mouse settings”.
- Click “Additional mouse options”.
- Select the “Pointer Options” tab.
- Uncheck the “Enhance Pointer Precision” box.
- Click “Apply” in the bottom right corner.
- Click “Okay”.
How to find the best DPI setting for you
If you really want to get serious about your aim in Valorant (and any other FPS, for that matter), it’s worth investing in a gaming mouse. Although it involves parting with your hard earned cash, ultimately it’ll open up a world of newfound precision. The difference between a bog standard mouse and a gaming one is huge, and the first time we purchased one for CS:GO gave us the tools to climb up the ladder within days.
You don’t need to spend outrageous sums of money, either. We’d recommend going for well known brands like Logitech, Zowie, Steelseries, and Razer (among many others) who produce great mice for a reasonable price. Purchasing cheaper, unknown models will likely result in disappointment as their sensors aren’t particularly precise and they’ll likely let you down after a few months.
Video by Rocket Jump Ninja, a great place to start if you’re unsure of how to go about choosing a new mouse. And he really, really knows his stuff.
So, once you’ve settled on a gaming mouse and got it set up, you’ll then need to go about tweaking the DPI settings. This can usually be done via a physical button on the mouse itself, or through your chosen brand’s official software.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the differences between Low and High DPI settings and the advantages and disadvantages these bring to the table.
Low DPI (400-800)
Set your mouse at a low DPI and it’ll mean you’ll have to put more effort into each cursor movement. It’s less “flick of the wrist”, and more, “sweep of the arm”. At first it’ll very much feel like you’re dragging your cursor left to right, up and down. In some ways, totally unnatural and quite frustrating!
However, stick with the broad mouse strokes and sweeping arm movements and you’ll build up muscle memory. Eventually aiming will start to feel more careful, smooth, and considered at a lower DPI. Just be aware the burn in time can be quite lengthy, but keep up the practice and it will feel natural – promise.
From personal experience with CS:GO, we stuck to a DPI of around 400-450 and it really paid off for us. Our aim quality skyrocketed after plenty of time in the training area.
In Valorant, I use 800 DPI with a sensitvity of 0.245 as it’s a nice balance of sweeps and flicks, without being too exhausting.
High DPI (1000+)
Opt for a DPI over 800 and you’ll go from broad strokes to small wrist movements and very subtle mouse gestures.
One advantage of this is the ability to react faster and target enemies without it being an enormous physical exertion. However, there’s also more room for error, as a little too much mouse movement can result in wild lurches in cursor accuracy.
While some players will naturally get on with these higher DPI settings – and reach a very, very high level – we’d say they’re better suited to MOBAs or RTS games where map coverage supersedes aim in importance.
More essential Valorant guides:
- 1. Ranked Mode – Valorant: Competitive ranks explained
- 2. Best Agents – Valorant: Best Agents
- 3. Best Guns – Valorant: Best Guns
- 4. Best mouse settings – Best mouse DPI and sensitivity settings
- 5. Improve your aim – Valorant: How to improve your aim
- 6. Tips and Tricks – Valorant: Tips and Tricks
Which DPI setting should you choose?
This all comes down to personal preference. We’d recommend trying out 400, 800, then something a touch higher to see which one you’re most comfortable with. It’s likely one will immediately jump out at you, or one might resonate with you but need a little tinkering to perfect – this is a good sign. Just jump into your DPI settings and raise/lower it until you feel it’s spot on.
Once you’ve settled on a DPI setting, make sure you practice with it in as many situations as possible. Don’t be put off if you’re missing shots, as with all new things, it takes time and practice. The greatest reward will be the pay off when your aim gradually improves and becomes far, far better than it was before.
That’s it for now, but make sure you head on over to our How to Improve your Aim in Valorant page for advice, tips, and exercises to up your precision!
