Best CS2 Mouse Settings: DPI, eDPI, Polling Rate & Sensitivity

Your mouse is the most important piece of gear in Counter-Strike 2. In this guide, the CS.MONEY Blog explains how to set up your mouse in CS2, what DPI is, and how many Hz you need for smooth crosshair movement. Let’s get started with our guide on the best CS2 mouse settings.

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Mouse Settings

Most of the settings are adjusted inside the game, but we’ll also cover the most important options in your mouse software and Windows.

Mouse Drivers and Software

Modern gaming mice offer much more than a DPI button or a few extra side buttons. Most also let you change the polling rate, create macros, and customize other settings. When setting up your mouse for CS2, pay attention to these three options:

• Connection type. If you use a wired mouse, you can skip this. If you have a wireless mouse, make sure it is connected through the 2.4 GHz wireless receiver, not Bluetooth. Bluetooth adds extra input delay, making your mouse feel less responsive.
• Polling rate. This setting determines how often your PC receives information from your mouse. Today, 1000 Hz is the standard. Anything lower is not recommended. Higher values are fine if your mouse supports them, but most players will not notice a difference.
• DPI. The higher the DPI, the more sensitive your mouse becomes. You can use almost any value, from 400 to 2400 or even higher. The important part is knowing your DPI because you will need it to calculate your eDPI later.

It is also worth talking about macros and automation. Mouse software can create macros that automatically control recoil or perform perfect bunny hops.

Even though that sounds tempting, we strongly recommend avoiding them for two reasons. First, they take the fun out of the game. Second, Valve can detect this type of automation and ban your account. A Valve ban means losing access to official servers and your skin inventory. It simply is not worth the risk.

Windows

There are only two Windows settings worth changing. They will not directly affect your aim in CS2, but they help build consistent muscle memory.

• Set the Windows pointer speed to 6 out of 11.
• Turn off Enhance Pointer Precision.

Both settings can be found in the Advanced Mouse Settings section of the Windows Control Panel.

These settings provide natural mouse movement without acceleration or unwanted cursor changes.

Best CS2 Mouse Settings

Counter-Strike 2 only has four mouse settings in the game menu, but they are all you really need:

• Mouse inversion.
• Zoom button behavior.
• Mouse sensitivity.
• Zoom sensitivity multiplier.

The first two are entirely personal preferences. Mouse inversion flips the movement, so pulling the mouse toward you moves the crosshair up instead of down. Zoom behavior simply decides whether you hold or toggle the zoom key. Neither setting affects your skill, so use whichever feels comfortable.

Mouse sensitivity, however, is much more important.

What Is eDPI and Is There a Perfect Value?

DPI is your mouse sensor’s hardware sensitivity. A higher DPI means your cursor moves farther with the same physical movement.

There is no perfect DPI for CS2. Most professional players use either 400 or 800 DPI, but DPI alone does not tell the whole story.

Your in-game sensitivity is just as important. Together, these two values create your effective DPI, also known as eDPI.

The formula is simple:

eDPI = Mouse DPI × In-game Sensitivity

For example:

800 DPI × 1.3 sensitivity = 1040 eDPI

Most professional players use an eDPI between 800 and 1200. This is considered relatively low sensitivity. At around 1000 eDPI, you will need to move your mouse roughly 24 centimeters across your mousepad to complete a full 360-degree turn.

Although it requires more arm movement, lower sensitivity has major advantages. It makes recoil control easier and allows for more precise aiming because small hand movements have less impact on your crosshair.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some pros, such as Özgür “w0xic” Eker, use much higher eDPI values and still compete at the highest level.

If you are new to CS2, we recommend starting with an eDPI between 800 and 900, then adjusting it over time until it feels comfortable.

Zoom Sensitivity Multiplier

This setting controls how fast your crosshair moves while scoped with sniper rifles.

• A value of 1 (default) matches your normal sensitivity.
• Lower than 1 makes scoped aiming slower.
• Higher than 1 makes scoped aiming faster.

Most professional players leave this setting at the default value of 1. Still, it is worth testing different values yourself. You may prefer a slightly faster scope sensitivity for quick flicks.

Raw Input in CS2

The last topic is the old console command:

m_rawinput 1

In CS, this command made the game read mouse input directly from the device instead of using Windows mouse settings. It was recommended in almost every configuration guide.

In Counter-Strike 2, however, things are different. Raw Input is built directly into the game and is always enabled. You cannot turn it on or off, so using the old console command does absolutely nothing. You can safely ignore it.

To properly set up your mouse in CS2, check your polling rate, connection type, and DPI in your mouse software, then choose a comfortable sensitivity inside the game.

The whole process takes just a few minutes, but it can make a big difference. A properly configured mouse feels smoother, more consistent, and makes playing Counter-Strike 2 much more enjoyable.

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