If your cursor seems to travel further when you flick the mouse quickly than when you move it slowly over the same distance, you are feeling mouse acceleration. It is switched on by default in Windows and macOS, it helps some people on a cramped desk, and it frustrates gamers who want the same hand movement to land the cursor in the same place every time.
This guide explains what mouse acceleration actually does, how it differs from DPI and sensitivity, when you should turn it off, and exactly where the setting lives on Windows, macOS, Linux and in games. If you are new to the terminology, our mouse DPI vs sensitivity guide is a useful companion piece.
What is mouse acceleration?
Mouse acceleration is a rule that changes how far the pointer moves based on how fast you move the mouse, not just how far. Without acceleration, the relationship is linear: move the mouse 2 cm and the cursor always travels the same number of pixels, whether the motion took one second or a tenth of a second. With acceleration enabled, a fast 2 cm swipe produces a larger cursor movement than a slow 2 cm drag.
The idea is sensible for desktop work. Slow, careful motions get fine precision for selecting text or a small icon, while quick flicks cross a large monitor without lifting and repositioning the mouse. The trade-off is consistency: because the output depends on speed, the same physical distance does not always produce the same on-screen distance.
Positive vs negative acceleration
The setting in your operating system is positive acceleration: faster movement equals extra distance. Negative acceleration is the opposite and is almost never intentional. It happens when a sensor cannot keep up with very fast movement, so the cursor travels less than expected during a hard flick. Older or low-quality optical sensors, a dirty lens or a poor surface can cause it. Most modern gaming sensors are rated for tracking speeds far beyond what a human arm produces, so true negative acceleration is now rare on decent mice.
Mouse acceleration vs DPI vs sensitivity
These three terms are often mixed up, but they control different things:
| Setting | What it controls | Changes with speed? |
|---|---|---|
| DPI / CPI | How many counts the sensor reports per inch of movement | No — fixed until you change it |
| Sensitivity (OS or game) | A multiplier applied to those counts | No — a constant multiplier |
| Acceleration | An extra multiplier that grows as hand speed increases | Yes — that is the whole point |
| Polling rate | How often the mouse reports to the PC (e.g. 1000 Hz) | No — affects smoothness and latency, not distance |
DPI and sensitivity together decide your baseline cursor speed. Acceleration bends that baseline into a curve. Polling rate is unrelated to distance but affects how smooth and responsive motion feels; the same principles are covered for keyboards in our keyboard polling rate explainer.
How mouse acceleration works on each platform
Windows: Enhance pointer precision
Windows calls its acceleration feature Enhance pointer precision (EPP). Despite the name, it does not make tracking more precise in a technical sense; it applies a speed-based curve to pointer movement. It is enabled by default on most Windows installs. Alongside it sits the pointer speed slider, which has 11 positions. The default sixth position is generally described as a 1:1 setting, where Windows neither multiplies nor skips counts from the mouse.
macOS: Pointer acceleration
macOS has always applied acceleration to mice. Since macOS Sonoma, Apple provides a simple switch: with a mouse connected, open System Settings > Mouse, click Advanced and turn off Pointer acceleration, according to Apple’s support documentation. The tracking speed slider remains available to set your base speed. On older macOS versions there was no built-in toggle, so players relied on third-party utilities or the mouse maker’s software.
Linux: libinput profiles
Most modern Linux desktops use libinput, which offers an adaptive acceleration profile (speed-dependent, the usual default) and a flat profile (no acceleration). GNOME exposes this as a mouse acceleration option in Settings, while KDE Plasma offers an acceleration profile choice in its mouse settings. The exact labels vary by desktop and version.
Games and raw input
Many PC games read raw input directly from the mouse, which bypasses the Windows pointer speed and EPP curve entirely while you are in-game. That is why turning off EPP often changes nothing inside a shooter that already uses raw input. Some games still offer their own acceleration option in the settings menu; if you want consistency, make sure that in-game option is off too. Menus, launchers and the desktop still use your operating-system settings.
Should you turn off mouse acceleration?
There is no universal right answer. It depends on what you do with the mouse:
| You mainly… | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Play competitive FPS games | Turn it off | Builds consistent muscle memory: the same flick lands on the same target |
| Edit photos or design | Usually off | Predictable small movements matter more than crossing the screen quickly |
| Browse and do office work | Either is fine | Acceleration can reduce mouse travel on large or multiple monitors |
| Use a small desk or mouse pad | Consider leaving it on | Fast flicks cover more screen without running out of space |
| Use a trackball or vertical mouse | Try both | Some ergonomic mice feel better with mild acceleration |
For gaming, the case for turning acceleration off is strong. Aiming is a skill built on repetition. If the cursor distance depends on how fast you happened to move, your brain has a moving target to learn. With acceleration off, you only need to learn one ratio between hand distance and on-screen distance, usually expressed as cm/360 (how many centimetres of mouse movement turn your character a full circle). That is also why players describe sensitivity using eDPI, which we break down in the DPI and eDPI guide.
For everyday work, acceleration is not a bad thing. If you use a high-resolution display or multiple monitors and a slow, flat setting feels tedious, the default curve can be more comfortable. Many people never notice it at all.
How to turn off mouse acceleration (step by step)
Windows 11 and Windows 10
- Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices > Mouse (Windows 10: Devices > Mouse).
- Select Additional mouse settings to open the classic Mouse Properties window.
- Open the Pointer Options tab.
- Untick Enhance pointer precision and click Apply.
- Leave the pointer speed slider on the sixth notch if you want a 1:1 baseline, and adjust your speed with mouse DPI instead.
macOS Sonoma and later
- Connect your mouse, then open Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse.
- Click Advanced.
- Turn off Pointer acceleration.
- Set Tracking speed to taste; with acceleration off it behaves as a constant multiplier.
Linux (GNOME and KDE)
- GNOME: open Settings > Mouse & Touchpad and switch off mouse acceleration (labelled differently on some versions).
- KDE Plasma: open System Settings > Mouse (or Input Devices) and choose the Flat acceleration profile.
- Other desktops: libinput’s flat profile can also be set through your desktop’s input settings or configuration files.
Mouse software and in-game settings
Gaming mouse apps such as Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse or SteelSeries GG can apply their own acceleration or ‘smoothing’ features on some models. Open your mouse’s software and make sure nothing similar is enabled if you want a linear response. Then check each game’s mouse or controls menu for an acceleration toggle and disable it. If a game offers a raw input option, turning it on usually ensures the operating system’s curve is ignored.
Adjusting to no acceleration
Switching off acceleration after years with it on feels strange for a few days. Fast flicks suddenly fall short, and you may feel you need more desk space. A few tips make the transition easier:
- Retune your DPI first. Choose a DPI that lets you cross your main monitor with a comfortable wrist or arm motion. Many players settle between 400 and 1600 DPI.
- Give it a week. Muscle memory takes time to rebuild. Avoid toggling acceleration on and off while you adapt.
- Use a larger pad. Without acceleration, low sensitivities need more room. A bigger mouse pad helps; see our gaming mouse pad picks.
- Check your grip. Arm-aimers with a palm grip often use lower sensitivity than wrist-aimers with a fingertip grip. Our mouse grip styles guide explains how grip affects control.
- Keep the sensor clean. Dust on the lens or a worn surface can create jitter that feels like inconsistent acceleration.
Custom acceleration curves: the exception
A small group of competitive players deliberately use custom acceleration. Tools such as Raw Accel on Windows let you design a precise curve, for example keeping sensitivity flat for small adjustments and adding a gentle boost only for large flicks. Unlike the default operating-system curve, these setups are intentional and consistent, so the player can learn them. They are an advanced option rather than a fix for beginners. If you are unsure, start with acceleration off; you can always experiment later.
Does your mouse hardware matter?
A modern optical sensor tracks movement consistently, so any speed-dependent behaviour you feel almost always comes from software settings rather than the hardware. Still, a few hardware factors influence how ‘connected’ the cursor feels:
- Sensor quality: Better sensors handle fast flicks without spinning out or losing tracking.
- Surface: Glossy, glass or reflective desks can confuse some sensors; a cloth or hard mouse pad is more predictable.
- Wireless connection: Modern 2.4 GHz dongles are very responsive, but Bluetooth modes on some mice report less frequently, which can feel less smooth.
- Shape and weight: A mouse that fits your hand is easier to control at any sensitivity. If you are shopping, our guide to choosing a gaming mouse and best gaming mouse roundup are good starting points.
Quick troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor speed changes with how fast you move | OS acceleration is on | Disable Enhance pointer precision or Pointer acceleration |
| Fast flicks travel less than expected | Negative acceleration or sensor spin-out | Clean the sensor, change surface, try another mouse |
| Game feels different from desktop | Game uses raw input; desktop uses OS curve | Normal; set desktop and in-game settings separately |
| Setting keeps turning back on | Mouse software re-applying a profile | Check G HUB, Synapse or similar apps for acceleration options |
| Cursor jitters when still | Dirty lens or reflective surface | Clean the lens and use a mouse pad |
FAQ
Is mouse acceleration bad for gaming?
For most competitive games, yes. Acceleration makes the cursor or crosshair distance depend on hand speed, which makes muscle memory less consistent. Most players disable it and set their speed with DPI and in-game sensitivity instead.
Does turning off Enhance pointer precision affect games?
Only games that use the Windows pointer. Many modern PC games read raw input and already ignore Enhance pointer precision while you play, though menus and the desktop will still feel different.
What Windows pointer speed should I use with acceleration off?
The sixth notch of 11 is widely treated as the 1:1 default, so many gamers leave it there and change speed through mouse DPI and in-game sensitivity.
Can I turn off mouse acceleration on a Mac?
Yes. On macOS Sonoma and later, go to System Settings > Mouse > Advanced and switch off Pointer acceleration. Earlier versions need third-party tools or mouse software.
Is negative acceleration the same thing?
No. Negative acceleration is usually a hardware or surface problem where the sensor fails to register very fast motion, so the cursor moves less than it should. The operating-system setting is positive acceleration.
Should I disable acceleration for office work?
It is optional. If the default feels comfortable and you are not gaming or doing precise design work, leaving acceleration on is perfectly reasonable, especially on large or multiple displays.
Final thoughts
Mouse acceleration is a convenience feature for the desktop, not a flaw. If you mostly browse and work, leave it on if you like how it feels. If you play shooters, edit images or simply want every movement to be predictable, switch it off in your operating system, your mouse software and your games, then set a comfortable DPI and give your muscle memory a week to adjust. Pair that with a mouse that suits your hand and a decent pad, and your aim will thank you.
