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Finding a perfect mouse for gaming is a daunting task. Things like button placement, ergonomics, and even RGB aesthetics are considered important in reaching the perfect one.
Many of you, especially casual gamers, might be shocked to know that the mouse DPI is a crucial consideration too.
For FPS gaming, getting a mouse with the most suitable DPI can make or break your entire shooting experience. So, what mouse DPI is best for FPS gaming? As a gamer, this is one of the most common debates you’ll ever come across.
Meanwhile, many are convinced to believe that a higher number is better by default, others urge to select DPI’s as per personal preference.
Despite the mix in opinion, this post has got you fully covered. Let’s dive in and discuss a few “definitive” answers so you can quickly find the most stable DPI for your first-person shooter game.
However, first things first, what is really DPI?
What is DPI?
DPI, short for dots per linear inch, refers to how sensitive the mouse CMOS sensor is. Here “sensitive” by no way means “accurate” as both are two very different properties of a mouse. A sensitive CMOS sensor is high in terms of DPI but is not necessarily supreme in being accurate.
Coming back to dots-per-inch, each dot here corresponds to a specific pixel on a digital screen.
For instance, you utilize a 1000 DPI mouse while gaming on a 1080p screen, a single-inch movement will propel the cursor by 1000 pixels at once, which is almost the entire length of the display.
And if you replace the 1000 DPI mouse with a 2000 DPI one while working with the same display, you can assume how even a half-inch movement will cause the cursor to go crazy.
Despite the severeness of too much fluidity, all top-tier gaming mouses mostly equip a high DPI, for instance, all best Corsair mouses.
So, what’s the point of equipping too high DPIs? This is because higher DPI allows you to exert granular control even with the widest displays.
Moreover, mice with higher DPIs offer great adjustability controls via side buttons where users can switch between different sensitivity settings on the fly.
You’ll be shocked to know there’s even a gaming mouse with a DPI score worth 16000 bringing us to the main dilemma: how high is high enough for a Front Person shooter game?
What’s the Optimum DPI For FPS Gaming?
A First-person shooter game is one of the most common games users can play but is very different from other kinds.
FPS gaming actions are player-centered games which means a user is supposed to act while looking through the eyes of an in-game player.
Playing via the perspective of an on-screen player is tough, your view is narrower than what you are used to in real life and you are barely able to see anything of yourself other than the weapon. Though this way is thrilling, the experience can quickly change into a disaster if the utilized mouse is over-sensitive or very dull (barely sensitive).
This is exactly why a perfectly suited DPI holds great significance. For movement, a higher DPI is almost always recommended. However, do remember that in an FPS situation, too much fluidity in movement can prove to be overkill.
Thus, go with a mouse that has a higher DPI than a casual mouse but not as high as top-tier DPI mice. The best DPI for FPS games lies between 400 and 800 in most. This range will turn out to be highly fruitful while aiming. The gun’s crosshairs will be able to move more incrementally, and therefore you can be more precise.
However, if you any time decide to play some other kind of game that requires more physicality, we recommend you go with the best side button mice that house nifty DPI switching buttons (also called fly-DPI) to help you shift between your favorite games.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – the quest of finding the best DPI for a first-person shooter game has come to an end. There isn’t really a definitive answer to what precisely is the best DPI for FPS games but you now surely know the most suitable range.
The crux of the matter is that the best mouse sensitivity for most FPS gamers is a lower DPI. You need to think of it this way: when you need to aim at one particular thing, you want to be able to make specific, small charges. A less sensitive mouse will help you do just that.