How to Make Your Mouse Better for Gaming

Our electronic tools play a large part in easing or obstructing our lives. That’s why it’s essential to seek out devices like the best computer mouse, whether you’re an office worker, digital artist, or pro gamer. Today we’ll focus on gamers because simply purchasing the best gaming mouse doesn’t mean you can’t tweak it for better results. So gamers, read on; because we’re giving the scoop on how to make your mouse better for gaming below.

If you’re still on the mouse hunt, we have some helpful resources, like a guide explaining how much a computer mouse costs. Another crucial element for gamers to consider is their mouse size. We’ve got you covered here, too, with our guide on how to measure your hand size for a gaming mouse.

How to Optimize Mouse Settings for Gaming

There are many, many ways to optimize a gaming mouse. Grip style, settings options, and even the mouse pad/surface all affect how well a gamer can respond and control.

Below are some main ways to optimize your mouse for gameplay. But remember, there are plenty more mouse options and specs to tinker with that aren’t mentioned.

Change Mouse Sensitivity Settings

There are a couple of different mouse specs for gamers to consider when tuning game sensitivity to perfection.

First is DPI, which stands for “Dots per Inch.” DPI measures the number of points a mouse cursor reaches within one inch. The higher the DPI, the greater the mouse sensitivity. It’s recommended that gamers use an 800+ DPI for the best mouse speed and accuracy.

Most gaming mice have a dedicated button that changes the DPI; however, you can do this through your computer’s device settings menu for other mice.

Similarly, users can change the CPI and polling rates within the mouse settings. These are two additional mouse options that alter the sensitivity.

For a deeper dive into some of the mouse sensitivity, we have guides on many mouse specs, like what mouse DPI is and how to change mouse DPI to 800.

Check the Surface Your Mouse Is on

Knowing your mouse’s sensor type is crucial when optimizing for gaming. For example, laser mice work on almost any surface, but optical sensor mice need a non-reflective surface. The reason is that optical sensors give off an infrared light; when placed on a reflective surface, the light refracts back into the sensor and disrupts the cursor movement.

It’s recommended to purchase a gaming mousepad. These specific pads are larger and smoother, so the mouse has less friction, making the movements quicker while gaming.

Disable Mouse Acceleration

Mouse acceleration is a feature that’s often automatically activated in a computer’s settings. This setting changes the distance the cursor travels based on the speed at which it moves. So, if you drag the cursor slowly, it’ll move less than if you drag it rapidly.

While mouse acceleration is handy for average computer usage, gamers should disable it so that every movement matches the physical activity of the mouse. When acceleration is disabled, the cursor moves the same distance as the mouse, leading to the most accurate setup.

Program Extra Buttons

Gaming mice come with up to 15 extra buttons on the top and side of the mouse body. When users install the mouse customization software settings, they can select the function of each mouse button.

The buttons can perform specific key commands, and users can even use them to perform key combos.

Update Mouse Driver and Software

When a mouse driver isn’t up to date, many problems may arise. For one, the mouse can glitch and lag. And at worst, the mouse connection can cease altogether.

Go into your device manager settings and ensure that the driver and software are up to date. Always remember to restart the computer after updating, so the software has a chance to do a complete reboot.