Is the mouse cursor moving very quickly from one side of the screen to another, even though you’re physically moving your mouse just a few centimeters? This happens because of the mouse acceleration feature. Here’s how you can disable it to gain better control over your mouse movement.
Is It Good to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration?
First off, there isn’t any option labeled “Mouse Acceleration” in Windows. Instead, there’s a setting called “Enhance Pointer Precision,” which Microsoft refers to as its version of mouse acceleration.
When this feature is enabled, your mouse’s DPI (dots per inch) setting comes into play. It controls how far the cursor moves on the screen in response to the speed at which you physically move your mouse.
For example, if you slowly move your mouse from point A to point B, Windows will detect the slower movement speed, lower the effective DPI, and the cursor will move a shorter distance on the screen. But if you move the mouse from the same point A to B at a faster pace, Windows will detect the increased speed, raise the effective DPI, and the cursor will travel a much longer distance on the screen.
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to predict the level of acceleration you’ll get with this feature. Sometimes, even a slight change in how quickly you physically move your mouse can affect how far the cursor travels on the screen. As a gamer, this kind of inconsistency is the last thing you want, since it can make it much harder to aim at enemies, which can ultimately cost you the game.
I love playing PUBG on my PC, and I’ve tried sniping in the game with mouse acceleration both enabled and disabled. As expected, the results were better with the feature turned off. I find it almost impossible to aim for headshots with mouse acceleration enabled. That’s why you’ll find professional gamers recommending disabling mouse acceleration if you want better accuracy in games.
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But you might wonder that if this feature makes it so difficult to predict mouse movement, why doesn’t Microsoft just remove it from Windows? As it turns out, this feature can actually be useful if you’re using a cheap mouse with a poor sensor. Using a mouse like that can be quite a cumbersome task, as you’ll need to physically move it a lot just to shift the cursor a short distance. In such cases, enabling mouse acceleration can help.
Additionally, I recommend keeping this feature enabled if you’re using your laptop’s trackpad instead of a physical mouse. Trackpads sensors are generally less sensative than traditional mice, so you might find yourself swiping repeatedly just to move the cursor from one point to another. Mouse acceleration can again come in handy in such situations.
How to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration on Windows11
If you’ve realized that mouse acceleration isn’t the right feature for you because it’s making it harder to control the cursor movement, then you can disable it. To do it on Windows 11, open the Settings app, select “Bluetooth & Devices” from the left sidebar, and choose “Mouse” on the right. Then, disable the “Enable Pointer Precision” toggle on the right.
As a heads-up, there’s one more way to disable mouse acceleration on Windows 11. For that, you need to access the Control Panel and navigate to Hardware and Sound > Mouse.
Switch to the “Pointer Options” tab and uncheck the “Enhance Pointer Precision” box. Then, click “Apply” and “OK.”
Adjust Mouse Settings For Better Response
What if you’re not a fan of the sudden acceleration you get by the enhanced pointer precision feature, but you also don’t like your mouse’s default cursor speed? Fortunately, Microsoft has a solution for this situation. There’s a dedicated setting that lets you manually adjust your mouse cursor speed to your preference.
To change the setting, open the Settings app and go to Bluetooth & Devices > Mouse. Then, use the “Mouse Pointer Speed” slider to manually increase or decrease the cursor speed.
If you have a gaming mouse, it most likely comes with dedicated software that lets you control all of its features. For example, if you own a Logitech gaming mouse like the Logitech G502, you can manage its settings using the Logitech G Hub app. The app will also allow you to adjust your mouse DPI settings.
Interestingly, many gaming mice let you configure multiple DPI levels. For instance, the Logitech G502 Hero allows you to set up to five different DPI settings.
That said, to adjust DPI settings in the Logitech G Hub app, select the “Sensitivity (DPI)” option from the left sidebar. You’ll see all the default DPI settings configured for your mouse. Use the slider on the right to change the DPI levels.
The higher the DPI number, the more sensitive your mouse cursor will be.
I won’t ask you to set it to a specific number, since DPI preferences vary from person to person depending on how responsive they want their mouse to be. Therefore, it’s best to experiment with the slider and find the DPI level that feels right for you.
In the left sidebar, Logitech highlights the DPI level currently active on your mouse. If you’ve set up multiple DPI settings, you can press the DPI shift button on the mouse to quickly switch between them during gameplay.
I’d recommend you use a lower DPI when aiming at an enemy for better precision, and switch to a higher DPI speed when you need to sprint or perform faster actions in the game.
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This was all about the mouse acceleration feature and why and how you can disable it on Windows 11. As mentioned earlier, this feature comes down to personal preference, much like choosing between the light and dark themes in Windows. Some people prefer the light theme, while others go for the dark one. Similarly, if you’ve been using mouse acceleration for a while, you might eventually get used to it and even start to like it. However, in most cases, it’s ideal to keep it turned off.
