What is Mouse DPI?

DPI is short for Dots Per Inch. It is the measure of a mouse's sensitivity, determining how much the cursor moves on the screen for each inch the mouse moves physically. As dots refer to pixels on the screen, in simpler words, DPI tells us the number of pixels our cursor moves for every inch of physical movement of the mouse. E.g., a mouse with 1600 DPI will travel 1600 pixels if we move it by 1 inch.

A higher DPI means the cursor moves more pixels with less physical movement, while a lower DPI means the cursor moves fewer pixels with the same physical movement.

DPI vs Distance vs Pixels

As you can see from the 2nd and 4th rows of the table, the cursor moves more pixels at 1600 DPI than at 800 DPI for the same physical distance the mouse moves.

What is the best DPI setting?

There is no universal "best" DPI setting; it all depends on your intended use. If you're a gamer, try different DPI levels to find what suits your playing style. For creative work, a higher DPI might offer better precision. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, so choose what works best for you.

How to check DPI of a Mouse?

There are various ways to find the DPI of a mouse; check out the post How to Check Mouse DPI for details.

Are DPI and EDPI the same thing?

No, EDPI is a quantity that you get after multiplying the DPI of your mouse with your in-game sensitivity. Although related, they are not the same thing and therefore possess and convey different meanings.

Learn more about EDPI in the post What is EDPI?