Best eDPI when playing Valorant
When it comes to FPS games like Valorant, crosshair placement is one of the key factors in top-fragging and one-tapping enemies. However, having a perfect eDPI is equally important when killing enemies.
If you don't know what eDPI means or how to compute it, here's a guide and some tips on customizing your Valorant settings.
What is eDPI?
To understand eDPI, you must understand the meaning of DPI or Dots Per Inch. DPI measures how far the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement. For example, if you use 1600 DPI, the mouse cursor moves 1600 pixels for every inch of mouse movement.
This means the cursor will move between large distances across the screen with a slight mouse movement. For example, the average mouse has a DPI of 400-800, while gaming mice usually have 4000 DPI or more.
But understand that DPI differs from your in-game sensitivity settings, especially if you're playing Valorant and other first-person shooting (FPS) games. DPI is all about the capabilities of your mouse (hardware), while sensitivity is a setting in your computer (software).
Matching a low DPI mouse to a high sensitivity will make your movement bumpy and faulty, while having a mouse with high DPI settings alongside a low in-game sensitivity will result in an accurate, smoother movement.
As gamers, we often compare our in-game settings, like crosshairs and keybind settings, to professional players and streamers. By using eDPI as a basis, we can follow them. eDPI stands for Effective Dots Per Inch, which is calculated by multiplying the mouse DPI by the in-game sensitivity, regardless of whether we are using pricey or cheap mice.
Mouse Sensitivity | In-Game Sensitivity | eDPI |
400 | .5 | 200 |
600 | .5 | 300 |
800 | .5 | 400 |
What is the best eDPI in Valorant?
Since Valorant relies heavily on your mouse settings and in-game mouse sensitivity, finding the right balance with your sensitivity settings is key to improving in the game. For Valorant, the perfect mouse DPI is 800, which is neither too slow nor too fast.
When choosing your Valorant sensitivity settings, you should consider your preferences. If you like using automatic weapons that can spray enemies like the Phantom or the Vandal, consider having higher sensitivity. If you prefer using weapons like the Operator, consider a lower sensitivity range between 300 to 450 eDPI since it is easier to adjust your crosshair.
Another thing to consider in having a low sensitivity is your physical surroundings. For example, if you have limited space for your mouse, we suggest playing with high sensitivity since playing with low sensitivity requires massive mouse movement.
Overall, the optimal sensitivity for Valorant differs per player, but the rule of thumb states that the eDPI is between 200-400. Professional players like Tenz and Shroud have an eDPI of 352 and 351, respectively.
How can I know the DPI of my mouse?
There is no other way to know the DPI range of your mouse than by checking the box or going to the manufacturer's website. Some mice also have the option to change between two DPIs, usually 400 and 800, by just clicking the button below the scroll wheel.
If you use an unbranded mouse and can't find the DPI, you can use online DPI tools to approximate the value. However, before using any online DPI tool, you must untick 'Enhance pointer precision' in the mouse settings.
Testing the perfect eDPI for Valorant
Having an extremely low eDPI can result in a slow reaction when it comes to shots fired by enemies, a flank, or a flash while having a higher DPI than the usual means you'll have a hard time accurately clicking or tapping your opponent's heads.
To know that your Valorant mouse sensitivity and in-game sensitivity are perfect, you need to do the 180° test. To perform this, you must go to the shooting range in Valorant and follow these steps.
Put your mouse on the leftmost part of your mousepad.
Drag the mouse horizontally to the right-most part of the mousepad.
If your agent made a 180° turn, meaning your agent is looking at the same spot after performing the test, it means you have a perfect eDPI. If your agent didn't make a complete turn, it's better to increase your eDPI.
Different players have different sensitivity settings, so it's best to practice before using it in competitive matches. After all, the best way to kill enemies with one tap comes with muscle memory.
