DPI vs Sensitivity vs eDPI: What Actually Changes Your Aim?

DPI is your mouse’s movement setting. Sensitivity is your game’s movement multiplier. eDPI is both of them multiplied together. If your aim feels too fast or too slow, eDPI usually explains the change better than DPI alone.

For the wider setup order, start with best mouse settings for gaming. This guide stays focused on the three numbers players mix up most often.

Key Takeaways

• DPI changes how much input your mouse sends for physical movement.
• In-game sensitivity changes how much your camera moves from that input.
• eDPI equals DPI x sensitivity, which makes same-game comparisons easier.
• Valorant eDPI and CS2 eDPI are not the same scale.
• Change one setting at a time if you want useful test results.

What Is the Difference Between DPI, Sensitivity, and eDPI?

DPI, sensitivity, and eDPI describe different parts of the same chain. In 2026, ProSettings’ Valorant list displays separate columns for Hz, DPI, sensitivity, and eDPI, which is exactly how you should think about them: related, but not interchangeable.

Here is the clean version:

If you only look at DPI, you can misread a setup badly. A player on 1600 DPI with 0.175 sensitivity can have the same broad turn speed as a player on 800 DPI with 0.35 sensitivity.

That is why eDPI matters. It gives you one number for comparison inside the same game.

What Does DPI Actually Change?

DPI changes how many counts your mouse reports as you move it. In 2026, gaming mice commonly expose multiple DPI stages through software, but public pro settings lists still show players using simple values like 400, 800, and 1600 rather than constantly switching.

Think of DPI as the mouse-side part of the equation. If you double DPI and leave every other setting alone, your cursor or camera usually moves much faster.

Example:

That is why changing DPI without changing sensitivity can make your aim feel broken. You didn’t just make the sensor “better.” You changed your final speed.

If you need a starting DPI before doing the math, use what DPI should I use for FPS games. Most players should test 400 or 800 first.

What Does In-Game Sensitivity Change?

In-game sensitivity changes how much your camera turns from the mouse input it receives. In 2022, the arXiv paper “Mouse Sensitivity Effects in First-Person Targeting Tasks” found a speed-precision trade-off in FPS aiming tasks, which matches what players feel in practice.

Raise sensitivity and turns become easier. Lower sensitivity and small corrections usually become easier. Neither direction is free.

This is why the same DPI can feel completely different across two players:

All three use 800 DPI. They do not have the same aim feel.

If you keep missing by overshooting, sensitivity may be too high. If you cannot clear angles without lifting your mouse constantly, it may be too low. The right range is where both problems are manageable.

What Is eDPI and Why Do Players Use It?

eDPI is DPI x in-game sensitivity. In 2026, ProSettings’ Valorant and CS2 tables both publish eDPI-style comparisons because DPI alone cannot explain how fast a player’s aim feels.

The formula is simple:

eDPI = mouse DPI x in-game sensitivity

Example:

Those three setups share the same eDPI. They are not guaranteed to feel identical in every game, but they are close enough for comparison.

This is useful when a friend says, “I play 1600 DPI.” That tells you almost nothing without sensitivity. If they say, “I play 1600 DPI and 0.175 Valorant sens,” now you can compare.

For quick math, use the site’s eDPI calculator when testing a new setup.

Why eDPI Does Not Convert Perfectly Between Games

eDPI works best inside a single game. In 2026, CS2 and Valorant still use different sensitivity scales, so a Valorant eDPI number should not be pasted into CS2 as if both engines measure camera movement the same way.

This is the mistake:

Valorant: 800 DPI x 0.35 = 280 eDPI
CS2: 800 DPI x 0.35 = 280 eDPI

The eDPI number matches, but the real turn distance does not. Different games use different yaw values and sensitivity math. That means “280 eDPI” is only a fair comparison among Valorant players, not between Valorant and CS2.

For cross-game conversion, use cm/360 or a trusted sensitivity converter. Better yet, do a manual check: measure how far your mouse moves for one full 360-degree turn, then match that distance in the other game.

If you want a practical test for both tactical shooters, use how to find your perfect mouse sensitivity for Valorant and CS2.

Which Number Should You Change First?

Change DPI first only if desktop or software comfort is the problem. In 2026, Windows Central’s Windows 11 mouse guide shows that pointer speed can also be adjusted in Windows, so game feel and desktop feel do not have to be solved with DPI alone.

Use this order:

1. Pick one DPI: 400, 800, or 1600.
2. Keep Windows pointer speed normal.
3. Turn off surprise acceleration for consistent tests.
4. Adjust in-game sensitivity.
5. Calculate eDPI after each change.
6. Save the setting only after playing real scenarios.

If your game aim is too fast, lower in-game sensitivity first. If your desktop cursor is annoying, adjust DPI or Windows pointer speed separately.

Windows pointer speed for gaming is the better next read if Windows settings are muddying the test.

Common Mistakes With DPI and eDPI

The biggest mistake is comparing incomplete settings. In 2026, public settings tables list multiple values because a single number cannot explain a full mouse setup.

Avoid these:

• Saying “800 DPI is low sens” without game sensitivity.
• Copying a Valorant eDPI into CS2.
• Raising DPI and forgetting to lower sensitivity.
• Using Windows pointer speed to fix bad in-game sensitivity.
• Changing DPI, polling rate, and sensitivity in one session.
• Treating pro settings as proof that one number is correct.

One clean test beats five random changes. Write down your DPI, sensitivity, eDPI, and what felt wrong. Then change one thing.

That is boring, but it works.

How Should You Record Your Settings?

Record DPI, sensitivity, eDPI, polling rate, and the game name together. In 2026, public settings databases separate these fields because each one answers a different question, and mixing them makes comparisons less useful.

A simple notes format works:

Game: Valorant
DPI: 800
Sensitivity: 0.35
eDPI: 280
Polling rate: 1000Hz
Mousepad space: medium
Notes: Good tracking, slight overshoot on close flicks

Do this before and after each change. If you only write “new sens feels bad,” you won’t know what actually changed. If you write the full setup, patterns show up faster.

This also helps when you ask for advice. “I use 800 DPI and 0.35 Valorant sens” is useful. “I use 800 DPI” is not enough.

If you switch mice later, keep the same note format. It makes hardware changes easier to separate from sensitivity changes clearly.

Practical Examples

The easiest way to understand DPI vs eDPI is to compare two setups. In 2026, ProSettings’ Valorant list includes players using 800 DPI with different sensitivity values, which leads to very different eDPI values.

Example one:

800 DPI x 0.30 Valorant sens = 240 eDPI

Example two:

800 DPI x 0.45 Valorant sens = 360 eDPI

Both players use 800 DPI. Player two turns 50 percent faster because their in-game sensitivity is higher.

Now compare this:

1600 DPI x 0.15 Valorant sens = 240 eDPI

That setup matches the first player’s eDPI even though the DPI is doubled. This is why eDPI is usually the better comparison.

Use eDPI to understand settings. Use in-game testing to decide whether they work for your hand.

One more check helps: record the physical swipe distance that produces a comfortable turn. If two settings have the same eDPI but one feels slightly different, the difference may come from the game engine, raw input behavior, mouse smoothing, or how the mouse handles very small movement. Keep the setting that gives you repeatable stops, not the one that looks neater in a table.

Sources

• ProSettings, VALORANT Pro Settings and Gear List, retrieved 2026-07-06, https://prosettings.net/lists/valorant/
• ProSettings, CS2 Pro Settings and Gear List, retrieved 2026-07-06, https://prosettings.net/lists/cs2/
• Ben Boudaoud, Josef Spjut, Joohwan Kim, Mouse Sensitivity Effects in First-Person Targeting Tasks, retrieved 2026-07-06, https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.12050
• Windows Central, How to customize mouse settings on Windows 11, retrieved 2026-07-06, https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-customize-mouse-settings-on-windows-11