Mouse Settings for Playing CS:GO

The mouse is an essential piece of gamer’s equipment. Like cleats for a soccer player or a club for a golfer. Right now, the CS.MONEY blog is going to tell you how to adjust your controller for the most effective play.

In this post:

What is sensitivity?

Almost all in-game mouse settings are related to mouse sensitivity — an indicator that shows how fast the crosshair moves across the screen relative to the mechanical movement of the controller.

Which sensitivity is the best?

Most top players use low sensitivity. With the lower sensitivity, your crosshair moves smoother across the screen than with the higher one. This approach will wear your mousepad out sooner due to more intensive mouse movement. But this will give you more crosshair control. And this is more important, as aiming gets easier and more accurate.

However, if your mouse is too heavy or your mousepad is too small for wider moves, increase your sensitivity.

There are no rules. Any settings are individual, and copying some of them from the pros won’t instantly make you one. So, to determine which sensitivity is more comfortable for you, try both low and high.

Adjusting crosshairs in CS:GO

How do you calculate the actual DPI?

The in-game sensitivity is the actual DPI multiplier.

So, to calculate the actual DPI, just multiply the mouse DPI by the in-game sensitivity. For example, if your mouse DPI is 400, while the in-game value is 3, you get 3*400=1200*. That’s the actual DPI. Adjusting your mouse DPI or in-game sensitivity will result in an actual DPI change. The former option is simple. Many mice have DPI switchers and offer special utilities for fine-tuning.

Let’s configure our mouse using the CS:GO in-game tools.

*Changing mouse sensitivity in your OS settings will influence your actual DPI. In this example, we consider this a constant value.

Option 1: Through game settings

To configure this way, go to the “Keyboard / Mouse” tab, where you’ll find several configuration options.

Reverse Mouse. When the mouse moves up, the cursor goes down, and vice versa.
Mouse Sensitivity. A multiplier for your DPI.
Zoom Sensitivity. The same multiplier, only in sniper rifle aiming mode.
Acceleration. The faster you move your mouse, the farther the cursor will move.

Option 2: Via developer console

Some players may find this more convenient. There are many commands for the developer console which makes it a perfect tool to fine-tune your mouse.

sensitivity 3. Allows you to set the DPI or its multiplier.
m_customaccel 0. A value of (0) disables acceleration, whereas that of (1) enables it.
m_customaccel_scale 0.1. Acceleration value.
m_rawinput 1. The command disables (0), or enables (1) the use of the OS settings.
m_yaw 0.022. Sets the sensitivity multiplier of rotation speed on the X-axis.
m_pitch 0.022. Sets the sensitivity multiplier of rotation speed on the Y-axis.

Best mouse configurations from pro players

Professional players often share invaluable game tips concerning the game. On top of that, you can easily find their configs, check out, and test some of their settings. Including the ones for your mouse.

Stewie2K: DPI 450, in-game sensitivity 1.85
Coldzera: DPI 800, in-game sensitivity 1.1
tarik: DPI 800, in-game sensitivity 1.1
s1mple: DPI 400, in-game sensitivity 3.09
NiKo: DPI 400, in-game sensitivity 1.38

It seems that the “Best CS:GO Player 2021” nominee, s1mple, has a slightly higher sensitivity than the other players from the list. Noted 🙂

Configuring your devices properly will take some time but efforts will be worth it.

Proper settings can provide you with the convenience you need during the game and thus help you succeed. If you’ve just started mastering CS:GO, you should experiment with the settings to find the configuration that’s suitable for you. Then your progress is sure to speed up, and you’ll elicit more fun from the game.

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