eDPI Explained (and What Sensitivity Pros Actually Use)

If you've ever tried to copy a pro's settings and it felt completely wrong, you've run into the reason eDPI exists — and the reason it isn't the number you should actually be using.

Here's what each figure means, and which one to trust.

What is eDPI?

eDPI = DPI × in-game sensitivity.

It stands for effective DPI. Your mouse's DPI is a hardware setting; your in-game sensitivity is a software multiplier. Multiply them and you get a single number describing how far your crosshair travels for a given hand movement.

Example: 800 DPI × 2.0 sens = 1600 eDPI. So does 1600 DPI × 1.0. Those two setups feel identical in game.

That's the useful bit: eDPI lets you compare two players' settings within the same game, even if they use different DPI.

Why eDPI isn't the number you want

Here's the trap: eDPI is only comparable inside one game.

Every game rotates your view a different amount per unit of sensitivity. A 1600 eDPI in CS2 and a 1600 eDPI in Valorant are wildly different — Valorant turns roughly 3.18× further per unit. So copying a pro's eDPI from a different game gives you a sensitivity that feels nothing like theirs.

That's why serious players use cm/360 instead.

cm/360: the number that actually transfers

cm/360 is how many centimetres you physically move your mouse to turn a full 360°. It measures your hand, not an arbitrary in-game number — so it's identical across every game, every DPI, every title.

• It's the only sensitivity figure that's truly universal.
• It's what you should keep constant when you switch games.
• It's what your muscle memory is actually built on.

Use the sensitivity converter to see your cm/360 and carry the exact same feel from CS2 to Valorant to Apex.

What sensitivity do pros actually use?

Lower than almost everyone expects. Typical competitive ranges:

• CS2: ~800 eDPI (e.g. 400 DPI × 2.0) — roughly 40–55 cm/360
• Valorant: ~250–320 eDPI (e.g. 800 DPI × 0.35) — roughly 30–45 cm/360
• Apex Legends: ~1000–1600 eDPI — roughly 25–40 cm/360
• Overwatch 2: ~4000–6000 eDPI — roughly 25–40 cm/360

Notice the eDPI numbers look totally different while the cm/360 ranges are nearly the same. That's the whole point: pros across games converge on a similar physical sensitivity — about 30–50 cm/360 — because that's what human arms are precise at. The eDPI differences are just each game's maths.

So what should you use?

• Start at 40 cm/360. It's mid-range for almost every game and a sane default.
• Go lower if you overshoot targets constantly.
• Go higher if you genuinely can't turn around fast enough.
• Then leave it alone. Aim is muscle memory; changing sens resets it. Commit for at least a month before judging.

DPI itself barely matters. 400, 800 and 1600 DPI all feel the same if the cm/360 matches. Just pick 800 (a native step on most sensors), never touch it again, and adjust in-game sensitivity instead.

Want to actually get better? See how to improve your aim and train on the aim trainer.

FAQ

What is a good eDPI? There's no universal answer, because eDPI isn't comparable across games. Within CS2, ~800 eDPI is a typical competitive setting; in Valorant it's ~280. Compare in cm/360 instead — most pros sit around 30–50cm.

Is high or low sensitivity better? Low, for most people and most FPS games. Low sensitivity uses your arm, which is more precise than your wrist, and makes fine adjustments easier. The trade is slower turns — which good crosshair placement mostly solves.

Should I change my DPI or my in-game sensitivity? In-game sensitivity. Set DPI once (800 is a safe, native value) and forget it. Changing DPI just moves the same maths around while risking sensor interpolation on some mice.

How do I copy a pro's sensitivity? Don't copy their eDPI — convert their cm/360 to your own DPI with the sensitivity converter. That gives you their actual feel rather than a number that means something different on your setup.