Mouse Acceleration on Windows 11: How to Disable It and Use Raw Input (2026 Gaming Guide)

If your aim feels inconsistent in Valorant, CS2, or Apex Legends, mouse acceleration on Windows 11 is the first thing to check. The setting is hidden behind a friendly name — Enhance Pointer Precision — and it quietly changes how far your cursor travels based on how fast you move the mouse. That breaks the muscle memory every FPS player relies on.

This guide shows exactly how to turn off mouse acceleration in Windows 11, why raw input matters even after you disable it, and how to confirm the change actually took effect. You will also learn when the setting helps (yes, that case exists) and how to keep it from re-enabling itself after Windows updates.

What Is Mouse Acceleration on Windows 11?

Mouse acceleration is a software layer that scales cursor travel based on the velocity of your hand. In Windows 11 it is exposed as a single checkbox called Enhance pointer precision. Microsoft positions it as a usability feature: small movements get magnified slightly so the cursor reaches a far corner of a 4K monitor without lifting the mouse, and quick swipes travel even further.

The math is the problem. With acceleration on, two of the same physical hand movements can produce two different cursor distances. A slow 5cm drag might move the cursor 800 pixels. A fast 5cm drag might move it 1600 pixels. For text editing or browsing, your eyes correct that automatically. For aiming a crosshair you cannot see in your peripheral vision, the inconsistency is exactly what destroys flick shots.

How to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration in Windows 11 (3 Methods)

There are three working paths. All of them flip the same registry value. Pick whichever you find first.

Method 1: Settings App (the modern way)

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click Bluetooth & devices in the left sidebar.
3. Click Mouse.
4. Scroll to the bottom and click Additional mouse settings. The classic Mouse Properties dialog opens.
5. Switch to the Pointer Options tab.
6. Uncheck Enhance pointer precision.
7. Click Apply, then OK.

Method 2: Control Panel (works on every Windows version)

1. Press Win + R, type main.cpl, hit Enter.
2. Mouse Properties opens directly. Go to Pointer Options.
3. Uncheck Enhance pointer precision, click Apply, OK.

Method 3: Registry (for permanent, scriptable control)

If your gaming PC is shared, or you want to make sure a Windows feature update does not silently re-enable acceleration, hard-code the values in the registry.

Sign out and back in, or reboot, for the registry change to take effect across all processes. MouseSpeed = 0 is what actually turns acceleration off. The two threshold values are legacy holdovers from the Windows XP acceleration curve.

Mouse Acceleration vs Raw Input: What Is the Difference?

This is the part most guides skip. Disabling Enhance Pointer Precision is a Windows-level fix. Raw input is a game-level setting that goes one step further — it reads packets from the mouse driver directly, bypassing the Windows pointer pipeline entirely.

For Valorant, CS2, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, and Fortnite, raw input is enabled by default (or always on under the hood). If you play older Source-engine games, modded builds, or some indie shooters, look in the mouse settings for a Raw Input checkbox and turn it on.

If you have done both — disabled Enhance Pointer Precision and confirmed raw input is on in your game — your aim is now Windows-acceleration-free.

Does Mouse Acceleration Affect Aim in CS2 and Valorant?

Yes, but only if it is enabled at the Windows level and the game does not override it. Both Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant use raw input internally, so they are mostly insulated from the Windows setting. However:

• Tabbing out to your desktop with acceleration on, then tabbing back in, can momentarily give your hand muscle memory the wrong feel.
• Aim trainers like Aim Lab and Kovaak's respect Windows pointer settings unless you enable raw input in their config — turn it on.
• Older spectator and replay tools often use Windows cursor APIs, where acceleration still applies.
• Some streaming overlays and remote-desktop tools (Parsec, Moonlight) honour Windows acceleration on the host side.

The cleanest setup is to disable acceleration once at the Windows level, leave it disabled, and trust raw input in every game that supports it. That way, your desktop and your game share the same response curve.

How to Test That Acceleration Is Actually Disabled

Turning off the checkbox is one thing. Confirming the system actually behaves linearly is another. Here is the straight-line test, then the real-world test.

The straight-line test (30 seconds)

1. Place a ruler or any straight edge along your mousepad as a guide.
2. Move the mouse slowly from left to right along the ruler. Note where the cursor lands on the screen.
3. Lift the mouse, return it to the start, and now move it quickly across the same physical distance.
4. If both endings land at the same screen position, acceleration is off. If the fast motion ends further, acceleration is still on.

The real-world test (use the live tools)

The straight-line test only proves the math. Whether your mouse hardware is also clean is a separate question. Run these in order:

1. Mouse Test — confirm left, right, middle, and side buttons all register exactly once per click.
2. Ghost Click Detector — catch any phantom double-clicks that would survive even a perfect Windows config.
3. Mouse Trail Visualizer — draw long straight lines and circles. With acceleration off, your trails should look smooth and consistent at any speed.
4. Input Latency Checker — measure the end-to-end delay so you know what you are actually fighting (acceleration is not the same as latency).

Why Does Enhance Pointer Precision Keep Turning Itself Back On?

This is one of the most common Reddit complaints. You disable acceleration, play for a week, then notice your aim feels weird again. Two things usually cause it:

1. Windows feature updates. Major Windows 11 updates can reset mouse defaults, especially if your user profile rolled forward from Windows 10.
2. Mouse vendor software. Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, Corsair iCUE, SteelSeries GG, and Glorious Core can each apply their own pointer profile when they launch on boot. If a profile contains an "acceleration" or "smoothing" value, it can re-enable Windows acceleration silently.

Fix it for good with two habits: (1) script the registry method above and run it from Task Scheduler at user logon, and (2) after every major Windows update, open Pointer Options and confirm the box is still unchecked.

When Mouse Acceleration Actually Helps

This guide is honest, not dogmatic. There are real cases where acceleration earns its keep:

• Low-DPI office mouse on a 4K monitor. 800 DPI on a 3840-pixel-wide screen means a single mouse sweep barely covers half the desktop. Acceleration prevents you from constantly lifting and repositioning.
• Trackballs and trackpads. The total physical movement available is small, so non-linear scaling helps reach distant pixels.
• Accessibility. Users with limited hand mobility may rely on acceleration to reach the corners of the screen at all.
• RTS and city-builders. Games like Civilization VI or Cities: Skylines do not need a 1-to-1 aim feel, and many players find them more comfortable with acceleration on.

If you split your time between FPS and productivity, the practical compromise is: leave Windows acceleration off globally, raise your mouse DPI to 1200–1600 to keep the desktop usable, and let raw input do its job in every game.

What About Mac and Linux?

Quick answers if you also use other systems on the same setup:

For full keyboard shortcut equivalents across Windows, macOS, and Linux, see our complete keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet.

Common Mistakes After Disabling Mouse Acceleration

1. Lowering sensitivity too much. With acceleration off, you may feel like the cursor is "slower". It is not — it is just consistent now. Give your hand a week to adapt before changing DPI.
2. Forgetting to disable it on the second profile. Some users have separate "Gaming" and "Work" Windows accounts, or G Hub profiles that override per-game. Disable acceleration on every profile that ever touches your aim.
3. Confusing acceleration with input lag. If the cursor feels delayed, that is a latency or polling issue, not acceleration. Run the input latency checker and the polling rate test for the real cause.
4. Ignoring vendor smoothing. Razer, Logitech, and Glorious all expose a smoothing slider somewhere. Set it to 0.
5. Not testing buttons after a settings change. A double-clicking switch will sabotage every aim improvement you just made. Run the Double Click Test to confirm clean clicks.

How This Fits Into the Rest of Your Aim Setup

Disabling mouse acceleration is one piece of a clean response chain. Here is the full pipeline most competitive players tune in order:

1. Acceleration off (this guide).
2. Raw input on in every game that supports it.
3. Mouse polling at 1000Hz minimum — see the polling rate guide for what the marketing numbers actually mean.
4. Stable DPI matching your eDPI target — see the mouse DPI test guide for measuring the real number.
5. No double-clicks, no drift — verify with the double-click test guide before every ranked session.
6. Monitor running at its true refresh rate, not the factory-default 60Hz.
7. Game graphics tuned for stable, high frames per second — choppy framerate hides aim improvements.

Each of those layers can quietly cost you 10–20% of your aim consistency. Together, they are the difference between a setup that fights you and one that disappears into your hand.

FAQ: Mouse Acceleration on Windows 11

Where is mouse acceleration in Windows 11?

Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Mouse → Additional mouse settings → Pointer Options tab → Enhance pointer precision. The faster route is Win + R, type main.cpl, Enter.

Does mouse acceleration cause input lag?

No. Acceleration changes scaling, not timing. Your cursor still updates as fast as it would otherwise. What it changes is consistency.

Should I disable mouse acceleration if I only browse and use Office?

Probably not. For desktop work on a single 1080p or 1440p monitor with a comfortable DPI, acceleration is fine. The fix is mainly for FPS aim and aim trainers.

Why do pros all turn off mouse acceleration?

Because muscle memory in FPS depends on the same physical motion always producing the same cursor distance. Acceleration breaks that link. There is no benefit to keeping it on for ranked play.

Can I disable mouse acceleration without admin rights?

Yes. Enhance Pointer Precision is a per-user setting under HKCU. Any standard user can toggle it in their own profile through the Settings app or Mouse Properties.

Does the in-game sensitivity slider replace turning off acceleration?

No. Sensitivity only changes how many pixels each unit of mouse movement maps to. Acceleration changes how those units scale with speed. They are independent settings, and you want sensitivity tuned after acceleration is off.

Will disabling acceleration improve my K/D in Valorant or CS2?

It removes a source of inconsistency that costs you flicks. Your K/D depends on game sense, crosshair placement, recoil control, and a hundred other things — but acceleration off makes practising any of them easier because the input becomes predictable.