Industry-leading DPI! Sub-micron precision! True 1-to-1 tracking! These are just some of the marketing claims you’ll see from the best gaming mice on the market. Such buzzwords are often paired with incredibly high maximum figures which on modern mice can exceed upwards of 25,000 DPI. That sounds impressive, but DPI matters less than mouse makers would have you believe in 2024.
What Is DPI, Exactly?
DPI stands for "dots per inch” or “dots per linear inch,” and is used to measure the sensitivity of a computer mouse’s sensor. Alternative phrases such as CPI, or “counts per inch,” are used by some manufacturers.
In either case, the DPI or CPI number describes how many pixels the cursor will move across the screen per inch of physical movement by the mouse. A higher DPI means the cursor will move faster and cover more screen distance with less physical movement. A lower DPI results in slower, more precise cursor movement. Put simply, DPI impacts sensitivity and speed. It can become too much of a good thing, however, and most mice offer a maximum DPI setting that’s well beyond what’s useful in real-world gaming.
What DPI Setting Should You Use?
The ideal DPI setting varies based on the genre of game, personal preference, and even the resolution of the monitor in use. Speaking broadly, however, a DPI setting between 400 to 3600 will cover nearly all players.
Those who enjoy first-person shooters might like a higher DPI that allows quick, responsive cursor movements. A high DPI setting of up to 3600, or higher, is useful for ultra-quick, flick-and-fire moves and trick shots. This can also reduce consistency and precision at range, however. Most professional esports players use a surprisingly low DPI setting, such as 400 or 800 DPI while moving their whole arm in wide arcs for mouse movement.
A moderate DPI setting is often preferable for MOBAs and MMOs (like Elder Scrolls Online), as it provides a balance between cursor speed and precision. This helps players interact with game interface elements that are typically larger and more static than, say, a foe’s head moving between windows in a farmhouse 500 meters away in a game like PUBG. A setting of 800 to 2400 is preferable for most fans of these genres, though some may prefer up to 3600 DPI.
Civilization IV and Stellaris are popular games that can be frustrating to use at high DPI settings. They have dense, icon-packed interfaces, while the mouse also controls scrolling across the map. Players may even scroll through options using an old-fashioned scrollbar. Overshooting a button on the edge of the screen can send the camera flying across the map or cause a menu to flick quickly between options. Most fans of these games will want to stick to around 400 to 1600 DPI.
You’ve no doubt noticed that while these recommendations are vague and broad, they share one thing in common: they’re much, much lower than the maximum DPI settings advertised by most modern gaming mice. Does that mean an extremely high DPI setting is useless? Yes, it does.
Most modern gaming mice have a maximum DPI setting much higher than anything a gamer will want to use day-to-day. An extremely high setting might be fun for trick shots or oddball situations but in general, a DPI setting of up to 3200 is enough for most players. Nearly every modern gaming mouse can handle that. Even budget gaming mice like the $25 Razer Deathadder Essential, for example, offers up to 6400 DPI.
What Mouse DPI Do Professional Competitive Gamers Prefer?
Most gaming mice manufacturers make a point of advertising the maximum DPI setting they offer, and the numbers can be staggering. The Razer Deathadder V2 advertises sensitivity up to 20,000 DPI, while some Logitech mice exceed 25,000. The advertisem*nt of extremely high DPI figures suggests that a higher sensitivity will provide an edge in competitive games, but that’s not true.
A look at Prosettings.net, a site that lists the equipment and settings professional gamers use, shows that most competitive esports players use a mouse setting between 400 and 1600 DPI. There are trends in the preferred DPI from game to game: CS:GO players seem to be using a lower DPI than Overwatch 2 players, for instance. Also, competitive players who excel in first-person shooters seem to use a lower DPI setting than those who play MOBAs. So why are highly competitive players using such low DPI settings? What does this mean if you’re not a competitive player?
Professional esports players—especially those who excel in first-person shooters—use a mouse differently from everyone else. Instead of quick wrist-flicks they often make wide, sweeping movements at lower DPI settings, which offers better control and consistency. This is also the force behind the trend towards comically huge mouse pads.
Casual players don’t play this way because, well, it’s a lot of work! This leads to an odd situation where casual players may prefer higher DPI settings than professional players. However, the DPI settings most people end up using are still much lower than the maximum DPI settings modern gaming mice offer.
Esports players also customize the feel of a mouse further with their preferred game’s sensitivity setting, which alters mouse response. There’s evidence that higher DPI settings can slightly reduce latency, so some players may choose to play at a high DPI setting and a low in-game sensitivity setting to take advantage of this edge (though we’re talking about an advantage of just a few milliseconds, at most). Casual players are more likely to rely entirely on the DPI settings built-in to a mouse, since they enjoy many games and are unlikely to fine-tune the sensitivity in each.
Does Mouse Sensor Type Change DPI?
Modern gaming mice are essentially cameras. They pair a light source with an image sensor that captures images of the surface beneath the mouse. These images are processed at extremely high speeds (a gaming mouse will typically update at a minimum of 1000Hz, or 1000 times per second) and the results tell your PC where to move the cursor.
There was once a difference between the light source used—optical mice used an LED (which in the first generation of optical mice was usually red), while laser mice used a laser. However, the competition between these technologies has died down, and the two technologies have effectively merged. Most gaming mice state they have an optical sensor, but offer the benefits of older laser sensors. The DPI of modern optical sensors can hit over 25,000 DPI, which is higher than what laser sensors claimed in their prime
Conclusion: Mouse DPI Doesn’t Matter
It might sound odd, given how heavily mouse DPI is advertised, but it’s true. Mouse DPI is irrelevant for modern gaming mice. You can check it off your list of features to consider without worry.
Nearly all modern gaming mice offer a maximum DPI setting that’s high enough for any competitive or casual players. There may be a few exceptions (I can’t speak for every $5 mouse sold on Amazon), but quality entry-level gaming mice like the Razer Deathadder Essential V2, Logitech G305 Lightspeed, and Steelseries Rival 3 all exceed 6,000 DPI. They also offer multiple DPI settings so that each player can find a setting that fits their preferences.
But if DPI doesn’t matter—what does? Grip, button layout, aesthetics, and the quality of a company’s bundled software are key. IGN’s guide to the best gaming mice will point you in the right direction.
SteelSeries Rival 5
With a $60 price, lightweight, solid tracking, and extra controls, including a third thumb button and two-way, flickable button, the wired SteelSeries Rival 5 is hard to beat.
Matthew S. Smith is a hardware and tech freelance writer with more than 15 years of industry experience.
