How can I know the dpi of the mouse? [solution]

What is DPI ?

What we commonly call DPI (Dots Per Inches, in Spanish) is actually a measurement system used to determine the print quality of a printer. The more DPI a printer has, the more dots it prints for each inch, that is, the image quality is superior.

Simple outline on the idea of DPI

Although it was born as a term for printers, nowadays, mice have appropriated this term, although with some nuances. If in printers it refers to the number of dots that are capable of printing in one inch, in mice we refer to the number of dots that we can read in one inch. The higher the mouse DPI , the more points we will read, which translates to more screen movement with less real movement.

To give you an example:

If we have a mouse with DPI 800 and we travel 4 inches, then we will have traveled approximately 3200 pixels on the screen. If we repeat the same case with DPI 1200, we will travel around 4800 pixels on the screen.

This is why it is common for the term sensitivity to be confused with that of DPI .

Sensitivity, on the other hand, should be seen more as a multiplier of DPI. If we have it at 1, the previous calculations will remain, but we can configure it at lower and higher levels.

Normally it is not advisable to touch the sensitivity, especially in video games, because it is an extra calculation that must be done.

Let me explain: while DPI is a unit of measure for the sensor, sensitivity is a multiplier that is applied to it. Therefore, it is possible that when increasing the sensitivity, inaccuracies of calculations appear when moving the pointer or even input lag.

How do I know the DPI of the mouse?

We have several methods to find out the DPI of the mouse you are using right now and you may not be able to use some of them. As there is no standard in this regard, each brand prints them where they want. Most ways to view mouse DPI are pretty straightforward, so you have nothing to fear.

Logitech G403 Wireless Mouse with no DPI on base

For starters, DPIs can be found at the base of the mouse. Many companies use to put certain relevant information on the device, including the DPI of the mouse, we can find it on the side of the device box. The boxes are the cover letter of the devices, so it is common that the most basic characteristics such as the DPI are printed on it. If we do not find it in the box, we will surely be able to find it in the instruction manual of the mouse, if it is that you still have it. It will come in several languages, and in some of the pages they will normally indicate the DPIs to which the mouse can be configured.

Mouse DPI setting

Also, we can use the mouse brand personalization software.

Maybe we don't know if it's a Logitech G Pro or a G203 and the names have been deinked. In this case, we could resort to downloading the brand's software, which will register the device and give you its configuration options. There you can see their DPI levels and even change it so that they are in numbers with which you are most comfortable.As a last option, we can access the manufacturer's website. We will need the mouse model to search for the characteristics and / or the technical sheet of the device.

How to change the DPI ?

One of the fastest and most intuitive methods is the one we have already told you in the previous section. In the mouse customization software we will be able to access many options, among which we will find the DPI configuration most of the time. There we will see how many levels we have and what number of DPIs each level is, among other things.

On the other hand, some mice will have a button that toggles between DPI levels (usually at the base). If we have software like the one previously mentioned, we can edit how many DPI each level will have, but some mice lack it. It may happen that the levels are set to 400/800/1200, for example, and when you press the button you only switch between these three figures.

As a last bullet, we have the option to change the settings in Windows , but this has more to do with sensitivity than with DPI .

How important are the mouse DPI ?

Peculiarly, in the world of gaming peripherals, it has been quite popular to use DPI as a marketing currency. The devices increasingly reached higher numbers, which some users translated as better quality. Today, however, the marketing currency is 'RGB lighting' that floods us all.

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Most mice achieve a DPI of between 8, 000 and 16, 000 . Upright mice usually have figures less than 2000 and some top mice only reach 10, 000 or 12, 000 . Does this mean they are directly worse gadgets than their higher DPI counterparts? Absolutely not.

As we have told you, DPI only determines how many pixels we move according to the centimeters we move. Everything will depend on your tastes, the size of your screen and its resolution.

On this topic, the community of users who squeeze the most mice are professional eSports players. They are hired and compete to win, so any difference that benefits them is exploited. If we look at their mouse settings we will easily notice a somewhat strange trend.

Mouse settings of some professional gamers

Despite the fact that they use mice that reach 16, 000 DPI with ease, both in Counter-Strike , Overwatch and other eSports , players usually play with settings of 400, 600, 800 and some strangers exceed 1000 . As you see, at the end of the day the high DPIs are not as relevant and many users will not even use the maximum capacities.

In both competitive video games and graphic design and other disciplines, having a low DPI can be much better. You need to move the mouse more, but you gain precision.

Final words

Although it is not a very recurring topic when it comes to mice, DPI is a crucial topic in the daily life of users. If your mouse slides too much or too little, it can be hell to have to use it for your work.

Fortunately, most companies configure the devices at the factory to have average DPI (around 1, 200). So if you pick up any mouse, as a general rule it will move at a speed similar to average, so there is little need to touch it up.

If you are interested in this topic in depth, there are mice that can temporarily change the DPI . This is especially useful in video games where there are very different tasks. In shooters it is usually used when you have different weapons and you need more precision for a few seconds.

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And you, what can you tell us about the DPI ? How many DPI do you use in your day to day? Let us know your answers in the comment box below,

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