The Best DPI For Gaming - How to Get Better At Gaming

July 18, 2022 Joshua B.

DPI, which stands for “Dots Per Inch”, has been a pretty hot topic among esports professionals, gaming mouse enthusiasts, and even everyday gamers. Naturally, it’s pretty easy to wonder what the best DPI for gaming is. While this question is quite easy, it’s not so easy to answer. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security with a new mouse, or go changing all of your settings, as neither will actually help much. Even if a guide says "the best DPI for FPS gaming", then it is entirely subjective.

Don’t worry, we’ll try our best to break it down so it’s easy to understand and even easier to apply in game.

What is the Best DPI for Gaming? A Truth…

You want the harsh truth? There is NO best DPI for FPS games, or even gaming in general. It’s simple as that, nobody can tell you what the best DPI for you is going to be as it all comes down to preference and experience. A lot of websites will recommend using what esports professionals use, but that’s not really good advice. Even pros use a multitude of different DPI settings, which is something that the catch all remark doesn’t take into account.

This type of question is truly loaded, as DPI does not equate to accuracy nor being better at gaming.

Since DPI stands for “dots per inch”, it determines how far a mouse cursor moves per inch of mouse movement. So 400 DPI would mean the mouse moves 400 pixels per each inch of movement. Higher DPI simply means the cursor will move further with the same movement (1 inch). This isn’t always a good thing though as accuracy due to the sheer speed of the cursor movement can easily become an issue.

And if you’re wondering what “CPI” means, it means “Counts Per Inch” and is exactly the same as DPI. Just a different nomenclature for the same setting.

However, the rabbit hole goes deeper than this too. Your screen resolution, your windows settings, your game settings, your types of games, and even your play style individually influence this as well.

What Influences DPI and Overall Gameplay:

Native Windows Sensitivity:

Your native windows sensitivity plays a part as well, as settings like Pointer Precision or Mouse Acceleration can throw off your DPI. It’s best to leave these unchecked. They can be found under the Windows Mouse Settings.

In-Game Sensitivity:

Not all games are created alike. Your best DPI or sensitivity settings for Apex Legends may be your worst in CS:GO. Don’t worry though, as a lot of websites offer a Sensitive or DPI Calculator for games, just like this one does for Over Watch. Your ingame sens (sensitivity) is whats used to calculate your “EDPI” (Effective DPI). If your DPI is 600, and your ingame sensitivity is 2, then your EDPI is 1200.

Screen Resolution:

This one may seem obvious, but it isn’t something that’s so readily apparent. If you’re used to gaming on a 24 inch 1080p screen, then you may need to adjust your DPI or sens as a 30 inch 1440p screen is going to give different results. Basically, it may feel that you need to move your hand even more than usual to get the same movement as you previously did. This is normal as DPI is related to pixel movement. This will become even more noticeable with larger screens, ultra-wide monitors and even curved monitors.

Your Play Style

Your play style is another key point. If you’re used to one DPI, then chances are, you’re not going to magically perform better by changing it. Some people prefer a high DPI and “wrist aiming” (flicking their wrist), while others prefer a low DPI and a giant desk mat for “arm aiming” (moving their arm more for movement).

Some Common DPI Settings for Games

These should be used as reference only, as per the facts we previously mentioned. Any place that claims these are the “BEST” DPI settings, should be taken with a grain of salt.

FPS: 400-800 DPI

MMO / RPG: 1000-1600 DPI

RTS: 1000-1200 DPI

MOBA: 400-800 DPI

If you want to get better at gaming in general, then following a guide on the best DPI settings isn't going to help much anyways. As mentioned, there a lot of factors at play. However, with our advice below, you may be headed in the right direction at least.

How to Actually Get Better At Your Games Regardless of Settings

Contrary to popular belief, or what a lot of other brands will want you to believe, a better gaming mouse isn’t going to make you a better gamer. The only way that a better mouse, mousepad, keyboard, mouse skates, will make you a better gamer is if they are your bottleneck, or in other words, what is keeping you away from being better. Just like a better guitar isn’t going to make you a better guitarist.

If you really want to improve your gameplay, then you can try these methods below.

Practice: That’s right. The age old saying is really true. Practice makes perfect.

Remove Stress: One thing that definitely impacts gaming is stress or other distractions. Gaming should be a stress-reliever, not a stress-inducer.

Focus & Proper Sleep: Focusing on your game and not letting outside distractions distract you is a great way to get an edge. For this, we recommend a proper sleep (we know this is easier said than done as we’re gamers ourselves), and a good pair of headphones.

Aim Train: If you’re playing FPS games, we strongly suggest trying Aimlab, KovaaK’s or even Aimbeast as they’re pretty tried and trusted ways to improve your reaction time, tracking, swiping and more! Do this everyday. Add it to your routine if you have to. We suggest using it as a warm-up before you jump into your favorite game.

Update/Fix Your Setup: This doesn't necessarily mean buying all new gaming peripherals to magically become a better gamer. But it does mean making your setup more comfortable with more space for your gaming mouse, and possibly even getting a new gaming mouse if yours is severely outdated, or if you play competitively and have a bottleneck.

If you're in the need of a better gaming mouse after trying out all of these steps above, we suggest checking our our XD3V2! Our Fantech Helios XD3V2 has been given the "Highly Recommended" and "Great Value" seal of approvals from TechPowerUp, and is truly a great mouse to aid you on your gaming journeys!