How to Change Mouse DPI

Where the DPI settings live in every major brand's software, what the DPI button does, and what to do when your mouse has neither.

To change mouse DPI, press the DPI button to cycle through the stored stages, or open your mouse brand's software, select the mouse, and set each stage to the exact value you want. If the mouse has neither a button nor software, its DPI is fixed and you adjust in-game sensitivity instead. Windows and macOS have no DPI setting; their pointer speed sliders scale movement after the fact and should stay at the default.

This guide covers all three routes: the button, the DPI settings in Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, Glorious Core, and Corsair iCUE, and the options when there is no software. It ends with how to keep your aim identical after the change and how to confirm the new value with the DPI analyzer.

Before you change anything: know the current value

Changing DPI blind makes it hard to get back to a setting you liked. Note the current stage first, either from the software or by measuring it; how to check mouse DPI covers both. If you play a game with a tuned sensitivity, write down the DPI and sensitivity pair so you can reproduce the feel later.

If you are not sure what value to move to, what DPI should I use explains why 400 to 1600 covers almost everyone and how to choose within that range.

How to change DPI with the DPI button

Most gaming mice have a dedicated DPI button, usually behind the scroll wheel and sometimes on the underside near the sensor. Each press advances to the next stored stage and loops back to the first after the last one. The mouse signals the active stage with an LED colour, a short on-screen overlay from the software, or nothing at all on budget models.

The button only selects among the stages already stored in the mouse. Out of the box those are the factory defaults, commonly something like 400, 800, 1600, and 3200, and you cannot type a new value with the button alone. To set the stages to your own numbers, you need the software; once they are saved to the mouse, the button cycles through your values on any computer.

Some mice assign DPI changes to other controls. Logitech's "DPI shift" temporarily drops to a low DPI while a side button is held, Corsair calls the same idea a sniper button, and several Razer and SteelSeries mice let you bind DPI up and DPI down to separate keys. These are all configured in the software.

How to change DPI in each brand's software

Install the app for your brand, plug the mouse in, and select it. The DPI controls are in the places listed below. Set the values, then save the profile to the mouse's onboard memory so the setting survives a reboot or a move to another PC.

Brand	Software	Where to change DPI	Notes
Logitech G	G HUB	Select the mouse, open Sensitivity (DPI), drag the stage markers or type values	Set the default stage and optional DPI shift value; save to the onboard profile under the onboard memory mode
Razer	Synapse	Select the mouse, Performance tab, edit Sensitivity and the DPI stages	Turn stages on or off; some mice let you set X and Y DPI separately
SteelSeries	GG (Engine)	Select the mouse, then the sensitivity or CPI settings	SteelSeries labels the value CPI; up to five stages, each can be disabled
Glorious	Glorious Core	Select the mouse, open the DPI tab	Enable or disable stages and set an LED colour per stage
Corsair	iCUE	Select the mouse, open the DPI section	Up to five stages plus a sniper value; save to a hardware profile for onboard use

Two habits make the software route painless. Put the DPI you actually use in the first stage, so the mouse lands on it after a reset or a firmware update. And disable the stages you never use, which turns the DPI button from a hazard into a two-position switch.

Logitech G HUB

Open G HUB, click the mouse, and go to the Sensitivity (DPI) section. The slider shows every enabled stage; drag a marker to change it or click the number to type a value. Logitech mice support DPI shift, a temporary low-DPI stage while a button is held, which you set on the same screen. If you want the setting to live on the mouse, switch to onboard memory mode and save the profile there.

Razer Synapse

Open Synapse, select the mouse, and open the Performance tab. Set the Sensitivity value directly, or enable DPI stages and set each one. Synapse ties stages to the DPI button on the mouse and can show an on-screen indicator when you press it. Save to an onboard profile if the mouse has onboard memory.

SteelSeries GG

Open SteelSeries GG, launch the Engine section, and select the mouse. The sensitivity settings list the stages, which SteelSeries calls CPI rather than DPI; the number means exactly the same thing. Set the values you want, disable the stages you do not, and the DPI button on the mouse cycles through the remaining ones.

Glorious Core

Open Glorious Core and select the mouse, then open the DPI tab. Each stage has a value and an LED colour, which is useful because the colour is the only on-mouse indicator of the active stage. Disable extra stages and save the settings to the mouse.

Corsair iCUE

Open iCUE, select the mouse, and open the DPI section. Each of the up to five stages has a value, and a separate sniper DPI applies while the sniper button is held. Save the configuration to a hardware profile so it works on other machines without iCUE running.

How to change mouse DPI without software

If your mouse has no app, the DPI button is the only control that changes the sensor's DPI. Press it and measure each stage with the DPI analyzer to find out what you have; many unbranded mice ship with stages such as 800, 1200, 1600, and 2400 even when the box does not say.

If the mouse has no DPI button either, its DPI is fixed in firmware and cannot be changed. You are not stuck, though, because what you feel in a game is DPI multiplied by in-game sensitivity. A fixed 1000 DPI mouse paired with a lower sensitivity behaves like an 800 DPI mouse paired with a higher one; the DPI calculator gives the exact sensitivity for any pairing.

Two options that look like a DPI changer are worth understanding so you do not misuse them:

Windows pointer speed and macOS tracking speed. These sliders multiply movement after the mouse reports it. On Windows, positions other than the middle one (6 of 11) scale the counts, and some positions skip pixels, which makes fine aiming erratic. Leave the slider in the middle and keep Enhance pointer precision off if you play games.
Setting DPI on someone else's computer. If a friend has the software installed, plug your mouse in there, set the stages, and save them to the onboard memory. The stages stay on the mouse when you take it home. This works for every brand in the table above that supports onboard profiles.

How to keep your aim the same after changing DPI

DPI and in-game sensitivity multiply together. If you double DPI and leave sensitivity alone, you turn twice as fast; if you halve the sensitivity at the same time, nothing changes except that the desktop cursor moves faster. The table shows the matching sensitivity in Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant for a player who keeps the same turn speed while moving between the common DPI values.

DPI	CS2 sensitivity	Valorant sensitivity	eDPI (CS2 / Valorant)
400	2.2	0.7	880 / 280
800	1.1	0.35	880 / 280
1600	0.55	0.175	880 / 280
3200	0.275	0.0875	880 / 280

The rule is simple: new sensitivity equals old sensitivity multiplied by old DPI, divided by new DPI. The DPI calculator does this for any game and also reports your cm/360, the distance your hand travels for a full turn, which is the most direct way to confirm that two settings feel the same.

Some games cap how many decimals you can enter, so the converted value may be a rounding away from exact. If that bothers you, pick a DPI change that keeps the sensitivity clean: moving from 400 to 800 or from 800 to 1600 always divides by exactly 2.

Verify the change

After saving the new DPI, scroll down to the tool below, type the value you set into DPI setting (optional), and take a few runs along a ruler. If Off from setting shows a gap of a few percent, the change took and the difference is normal sensor tolerance. A gap of 50 or 100 percent means the mouse is still on another stage, the profile was not saved to the device, or you edited a profile that is not active.

If you set up several stages, measure each one and save it to a slot under DPI stages. That gives you a written map of the DPI button that matches the sensor's real output rather than the nominal values.

DPI analyzer: confirm the new DPI with a ruler and a few swipes.
How to check mouse DPI: find the current value before you change it.
What DPI should I use?: decide which value to move to.
DPI calculator: get the in-game sensitivity that keeps your aim identical after a DPI change.

Distance to move

Unit

No ruler?

DPI setting (optional)

—DPI

Hold the left button here, slide the mouse exactly 2 in to the right along a ruler, then release.

Average of 0

—DPI

Off from setting

—

Spread · nearest stage

—

DPI stages

After a few runs, click a slot to save the average, then press the DPI button on your mouse and measure the next stage.

The cursor is hidden while measuring so the reading uses raw sensor counts, not the accelerated pointer. Press Esc to cancel.

Updated October 6, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the DPI on my mouse?

Press the DPI button if the mouse has one, or open the manufacturer's software and edit the DPI stages. The button cycles through the stored stages, while the software lets you set the exact value of each stage and save it to the mouse. Windows and macOS cannot change DPI themselves.

How do I change mouse DPI without software?

Use the DPI button, which is the only control that changes the sensor's DPI on a mouse without an app. If the mouse has no button either, its DPI is fixed, and the closest substitutes are the in-game sensitivity setting and the system pointer speed slider. The slider scales movement rather than changing DPI, so keep it at the default for gaming.

Where is the DPI button on a mouse?

On most gaming mice it is a small button just behind the scroll wheel; on some, including many Logitech and Zowie models, it is on the underside next to the sensor. A few mice combine it with a profile switch or a side button. Check the manual if you cannot find one, because some mice have no DPI button and rely entirely on software.

Can I change DPI in Windows 11 settings?

No. The Mouse page in Windows 11 Settings has a pointer speed slider, which multiplies the cursor movement after the mouse reports it, and does not touch the sensor's DPI. To change DPI you need the DPI button or the manufacturer's software.

What DPI stages should I set up?

Set the stage you play on first, usually 400, 800, or 1600, and put it in the first slot so it is the default after a reset. Add one higher stage for the desktop if you use a high-resolution screen, and disable the rest so a stray press cannot change your sensitivity mid-game. Fewer stages means fewer surprises.

Does changing DPI change my in-game sensitivity?

It changes how fast you turn, because what you feel is DPI multiplied by in-game sensitivity. Doubling DPI from 400 to 800 doubles your turn speed unless you halve the sensitivity to match. Use the DPI calculator on this site to get the exact sensitivity that keeps your aim identical.

Why did my DPI change by itself?

Almost always because the DPI button was pressed by accident, especially on mice where the button sits right behind the scroll wheel. The second most common cause is a software profile switching with the active game or application. Disable unused stages and unused profiles in the software to stop it happening.

More DPI tools and guides

Once you know your real DPI, these pages turn it into a sensitivity you can use in every game.