How to Change Mouse DPI for Improved Pointer Movement

The computer mice have a standard to the mouse sensitivity which is expressed as the number of DPI (Dots Per Inch). DPI is the measurement of how sensitive a computer mouse is, while mouse sensitivity is how fast a mouse pointer moves on the screen. In other words, the speed of a mouse pointer.

So, you got a brand-new mouse to use for working as well as gaming? The only problem with it is that when you move it a little, the mouse pointer moves to the other end of the screen because there is a good chance that the mouse’s DPI or sensitivity is set to too high. The other scenario could be when you’re working or gaming, the mouse pointer speed simply doesn’t feel right. Trust me, we’ve all been there.

You can fix this by adjusting the DPI of the mouse that you are comfortable with. Some people often face the problem that they don’t know exactly how to change the mouse DPI settings. Here in this guide. We will be explaining a few methods about how to change the mouse DPI so you can get the most of the gaming experience and performance. We hope that you will follow us through.

Using the change DPI button on the mouse

Change Mouse DPI thorugh mouse dpi button

As you know and you may have also seen that in most of the gaming mice, there is a dedicated button for changing the mouse’s DPI on-the-fly. It doesn’t matter which application you’re using; you can adjust the DPI from a few different presets, which may or may not be customizable depending on the mouse you have.

Step 1: Locate the change DPI button on the mouse. It is usually located just below the scrolling wheel. The change DPI button is relatively small compared to the other buttons on the mouse. Sometimes, it even has the word “DPI” written on it.
Step 2: When you have located the change DPI button on the mouse, simply press the button once. You can easily cycle through the preset DPI settings which gradually get higher and higher. Some mice have two buttons to increase or decrease the DPI instead of just one. If you are uncertain of which button is for changing DPI, then try looking at the box as it may have a visual label for each button on the mouse. If that doesn’t help, you can go online on the manufacturer’s website to look up it.
Step 3: Once you have found the DPI preset that suits you, then leave it as it is. Now it is set and you can easily use the mouse.

How to Change Your Mouse DPI in Windows 10

It is a fairly simple method, especially for the mouse that has no dedicated change DPI button on it. In case you were wondering how to change mouse DPI Windows in 10, you can easily adjust the mouse sensitivity from the settings app.

Step 1: Simply click on the ‘Windows’ icon on the bottom-left of the screen. Once the start menu pops up. Then click on ‘Control Panel’.
Step 2: Now, if it is set to ‘View by Small icons’ then just click on the ‘Mouse’ option to open mouse properties. If it is set to ‘View by Large icons’ then click on ‘View devices and printers’ then right-click on your mouse device that is showing up there and click on ‘Mouse settings’.
Step 3: Now, simply click on the ‘Pointer Options’ tab.
Step 4: You will be able to see a ‘Motion’ section there. You can easily adjust the slider to change the pointer speed of your mouse. Set it to the speed that you want.
Step 5: You should test the mouse pointer movement after selecting a pointer speed to check whether it works for you or not.
Step 6: You should uncheck the box that is next to ‘Enhance pointer precision’. However, it is optional. This ‘Enhance pointer precision’ causes the mouse pointer to move different lengths depending on how fast you move your mouse, which will be a big problem for the gamers. That is why we recommend that you disable it for a better experience.
Step 7: Once you have selected a proper pointer speed that you’re comfortable with.
Step 8: Now just click on Apply and OK to save the settings. You have successfully changed the mouse DPI.

Adjust the mouse sensitivity from the video game

Most video games allow you to adjust the mouse sensitivity in-game. How this helps you is that you can use one general DPI settings for the OS normally and set different sensitivity settings for the different games.

Since the settings are located in different menus for different games, but you can generally follow these steps to find where you can change the in-game sensitivity.

Step 1: Firstly launch the game that you want to change the sensitivity in.
Step 2: Now find the menu option that says ‘Settings’ or ‘Options’. This option is normally available from the title screen.
Step 3: Locate the menu option that says ‘Controls’. You will most probably not be able to adjust the mouse sensitivity in the game that you have opened if this menu option is not available
Step 4: Lastly, find the ‘mouse sensitivity slider’ and adjust it to the point that you want.
Step 5: Once you have adjusted it, save the settings. You have changed the sensitivity successfully for the game.

FAQs

As mentioned earlier too that DPI stands for ‘Dots Per Inch’. It is used to measure the mouse sensitivity and adjust the pointer speed.

To give you a very basic idea about it, the higher the mouse DPI is, the faster the mouse pointer speed is. If you want your mouse to respond more accurately and detect the small movements in your mouse, higher DPI does help. However, keep in mind that higher DPI isn’t always good for us because you certainly don’t want the mouse cursor to scroll across the entire screen if you accidentally move your mouse.

That is why a properly adjusted mouse DPI that you’re comfortable with will most certainly help you.

That is a bit complicated. There is no dedicated Windows 10 application to check your mouse DPI that comes with the system. So many people would love to get a simple and clear understanding of their mouse DPI, but unfortunately, Windows 10 doesn’t come with such an application.

There are other ways to find out your mouse’s DPI. For a complete set of specifications, you can visit the company’s website that manufactured your mouse to find out its DPI. But this doesn’t tell the exact DPI the mouse is currently operating at. It just tells the DPI that the mouse is capable of operating at.

However, if you have a branded computer mouse that comes with a manufacturer’s driver software, then you might be able to check the DPI. It even lets you customize how the hardware behaves.

If you install the right mouse driver, you just might be able to check your mouse’s DPI. Simply go to the manufacturer’s website and look for the section to download the driver software. Choose your operating system and download it. When it is downloaded, install the driver and launch the software. Here in this software, you would most probably be able to find the section that is dedicated to the DPI settings where you can also see the DPI of your mouse.

But keep in mind that not every manufacturer and mouse allow that.

You would want to change your mouse’s DPI if you need the mouse pointer to move slower or faster also if the mouse pointer seems slower or faster than what you like.

There are many architects, graphics designers, and other people who work on computers who can be benefitted by adjusting the mouse DPI and not just gamers.

That completely depends on you and your preference. But there are some basics that we will mention here that you could follow for a better experience.

6000 DPI should be enough for most of the consumers, but if you are a gamer then you would want to have a mouse with a higher DPI. Again, it completely depends on your preference and choice.

The manufacturers do provide the option of expensive gaming mice that have over 10,000 DPI. However, most professional gamers use DPI settings of 500 to 1000 DPI. Mouse continuously tracks its position somewhere around 500 to 1000 times per second, but this doesn’t necessarily mean more accurate tracking. The DPI setting simply allows you to fine-tune how many of those tracked positions factor into your mouse control.

Not exactly, but it sure is better. Even if you get a gaming mouse that has over 10,000 DPI, you will probably be using it at around 1000 DPI. You would want quite a high amount of DPI so that the movement of the mouse pointer on the screen is smoother which will help in gaming and in working too. You would want to get a mouse that can provide you with a smooth experience somewhere around the 1000 DPI mark.

On the other hand, the graphics designers, architects, etc. may prefer to have a higher than 1000 DPI. Because it would provide them with more accurate mouse pointer tracking to help them in their work.

But at the end of the day, it all comes down to your personal preference.

Zakriya Aamir

How to Change Mouse sensitivity (DPI)

Zakriya Aamir

Using the change DPI button on the mouse

How to Change Your Mouse DPI in Windows 10

Adjust the mouse sensitivity from the video game

FAQs

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