What DPI is
DPI stands for dots per inch. In mouse terms, it describes how many movement counts the mouse reports for one inch of physical movement. A higher DPI reports more counts over the same distance.
DPI is not the same as in-game sensitivity. DPI is the mouse-side count rate; the game applies its own sensitivity scale and yaw to turn those counts into camera rotation.
How to find your DPI
Check the mouse manufacturer’s software or the DPI indicator on the device. If the mouse has configurable profiles, record the active profile rather than assuming the highest or default value applies.
When testing a conversion, keep the DPI consistent between trials. A DPI change without a matching sensitivity change will change the physical turn distance.
Test your actual mouse DPI
If you do not know your DPI, or you want to check the active profile, a DPI analyzer measures the counts the mouse reports over a known distance. Compare the result with the value in your mouse software before using it in a conversion.
Repeat the measurement two or three times and keep the same mouse, surface and input settings between runs. A single result is useful, but a consistent result is easier to trust.
How changing DPI affects sensitivity
Inside one linearly scaled game, you can preserve the same physical turn distance by changing sensitivity inversely with DPI:
Across different games, this formula alone is not enough. The target game’s yaw and supported sensitivity range also matter. See what eDPI means and how cm/360 is calculated for those relationships.
DPI, eDPI and cm/360
- DPI is the mouse-side count rate.
- eDPI is sensitivity multiplied by DPI; it is useful within a game but not a universal cross-game unit.
- cm/360 is the physical distance for a full turn when DPI, sensitivity and yaw are known.
A higher DPI does not automatically mean a faster turn. The sensitivity value and the game’s rotation model must be included in the comparison.
Practical records
Record your mouse model, active DPI profile, polling rate, Windows pointer settings and in-game sensitivity when testing a change. These details make the result reproducible and help separate a DPI change from an input-setting problem.
Try the converter
The converter uses the loaded game records. Treat every result as an estimate, because FOV and input behavior are not modeled.
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Last reviewed: 2 November 2026