You bump your sensitivity from 0.8 to 1.0 in one game and from 400 to 800 DPI on your mouse. Did you speed up, slow down or end up exactly where you started?
That’s the kind of question eDPI answers. It rolls your mouse DPI and your in-game sensitivity into one number, so you can compare setups without doing sums in your head. This eDPI calculator also converts that number into the distance your mouse travels for a full turn, which is the figure that really matters for aim.
How to use the eDPI Calculator#
- Enter your mouse DPI. Find it in your mouse software or on the sensor settings. 800 and 1,600 are common.
- Enter your in-game sensitivity. Use the number from the game settings, exactly as shown.
- Pick your game. Each game turns mouse movement into rotation at its own rate.
- Read your eDPI and your 360° distance. The distance shows how far you move the mouse to spin all the way round.
What eDPI means#
DPI says how many counts the mouse reports for each inch you move it. Sensitivity says how far the crosshair turns for each of those counts. Multiply the two and you get the effective DPI.
A player on 800 DPI with a sensitivity of 0.35 has an eDPI of 280. A player on 400 DPI with a sensitivity of 0.7 also has 280. They will feel the same in the same game, even though their numbers look nothing alike.
Same eDPI, same feel#
This is the part people find useful. Different pairs of DPI and sensitivity that multiply to the same number give the same mouse distance within a single game. In Counter-Strike 2, each of these setups needs about 52 cm of mouse travel for a full turn:
| Mouse DPI | Sensitivity | eDPI | CS2 distance per 360° |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | 2.0 | 800 | 52.0 cm |
| 800 | 1.0 | 800 | 52.0 cm |
| 1,600 | 0.5 | 800 | 52.0 cm |
Many people prefer a middle DPI like 800 because very low settings can feel steppy and very high ones make the sensitivity numbers tiny and fiddly. That’s a matter of taste, not maths.
Why you can’t compare eDPI across games#
Every game decides for itself how many degrees one mouse count turns the view. That number is called yaw. Counter-Strike 2 and Apex Legends use 0.022, Valorant uses 0.07, and Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty use 0.0066. So an eDPI of 800 is a very different feel from game to game:
| Game | eDPI | Distance per 360° |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 800 | 52.0 cm |
| Valorant | 800 | 16.3 cm |
| Overwatch 2 | 800 | 173.2 cm |
The calculator uses the formula below, with 2.54 centimetres to an inch:
Moving your sensitivity to another game#
If you already like your aim in one game, keep the physical distance and change the number. The conversion is the ratio of the two yaw values:
A Counter-Strike 2 sensitivity of 1.0 becomes 0.314 in Valorant and 3.33 in Overwatch 2, at the same DPI. Use the calculator to confirm that both games give you the same centimetres per turn.
Finding a sensitivity that suits you#
Copying a pro’s settings is tempting, and it usually backfires. Their grip, desk, arm movement and years of practice aren’t yours. A better plan is to pick a distance per turn that feels comfortable, stick with it for a few weeks and only then adjust. Many players in tactical shooters end up somewhere between roughly 25 and 60 cm per 360°, but plenty of good players sit outside that range, so take it as a starting point, not a rule.
- Lower sensitivity (more distance) tends to help with fine, precise adjustments, and it favours arm movement.
- Higher sensitivity (less distance) turns faster and favours the wrist, but small errors get bigger.
- Turn off pointer acceleration in your operating system and use raw input in the game so the numbers mean what they say.
A worked example#
A player uses a mouse set to 800 DPI with an in-game sensitivity of 1.2 in Counter-Strike 2. The eDPI is 800 × 1.2 = 960. Because the game turns the view by 0.022 degrees per count at a sensitivity of 1, a full 360° turn needs 360 ÷ (960 × 0.022) = 17.0 inches of mouse travel, which is 43.3 cm. A 180° turn is half of that. Use the cm per 360 figure to compare across games with different yaw values, and to move between mice and games without losing your aim feel.
Why eDPI is a better number than sensitivity#
Two players on the same in-game sensitivity can have very different aim if one uses 400 DPI and the other 1,600. The product of the two, the eDPI, is the real measure of how fast the cursor moves for a given hand movement. Professional players in tactical shooters tend to use low settings, often an eDPI of a few hundred in CS2, which gives large arm movements and more control for fine adjustments. There is no right number. Try a setting for a week before you decide, and change in small steps.
Frequently asked questions#
Effective dots per inch. It’s your mouse DPI multiplied by your in-game sensitivity.
No. It only means a faster crosshair. The best value is the one you can control, and it depends on the game, your grip and your taste.
Multiply it by 0.314, which is 0.022 divided by 0.07, and keep the same DPI. You’ll turn the same distance with your mouse.
For the distance you move the mouse, no. Some players still prefer a particular DPI for how smooth it feels, so it’s worth testing.
It’s the distance you slide the mouse to turn your view a full circle. It’s the best number for comparing sensitivities across games.