Mouse Acceleration Explained

Mouse acceleration makes the cursor travel further when you move the mouse quickly than when you move it slowly over the same distance. It helps on a desktop, where you want to cross the screen fast and still hit small buttons. In games it can make aim feel inconsistent. This guide explains what mouse acceleration is, how to turn it off in Windows, macOS and Linux, and when you should leave it on.

What is mouse acceleration?

Without acceleration, the cursor moves a fixed amount for every inch the mouse moves. With acceleration, the operating system also looks at how fast you move: a quick flick sends the cursor further, a slow movement moves it less.

Microsoft calls this pointer acceleration, “also known as ballistics”. Apple describes the effect of its version clearly: “the pointer moves more quickly for fast mouse movements and more precisely for slow mouse movements.”

Acceleration is a setting in your system, not in the mouse. The mouse only reports movement; the computer decides how far the cursor goes.

Enhance pointer precision in Windows

In Windows, mouse acceleration is the setting called Enhance pointer precision. Microsoft presents it as a way “to make the pointer more accurate when the mouse is moving slowly”.

Microsoft’s paper on pointer ballistics for Windows XP explains how it works: Windows measures how fast the mouse is moving and looks up an acceleration value for that speed in a table, and the pointer speed slider picks which curve is used. When the setting is switched off, “all these functions are bypassed”, and Windows simply multiplies the mouse’s movement by a fixed amount set by the speed slider. That paper describes Windows XP; Microsoft has not published the exact curve for later versions.

How to turn off mouse acceleration in Windows 11

Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
Switch Enhance pointer precision off.

You can also do it in the classic window: select Additional mouse settings, open the Pointer Options tab, clear the Enhance pointer precision checkbox and select OK.

How to turn off mouse acceleration in Windows 10

Select Start > Settings > Devices > Mouse.
Under Related settings, select Additional mouse options.
On the Pointer Options tab, under Motion, clear Enhance pointer precision and select OK.

Razer’s support pages give these same steps when a mouse moves erratically, which shows how much this one setting can change the feel of a mouse.

Pointer acceleration on a Mac

In macOS Sonoma 14 and later, Apple has a switch for it:

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse.
Click Advanced.
Turn Pointer acceleration off.

Apple says acceleration is on by default. The switch is in Mouse settings; Apple’s trackpad settings do not list it. Earlier versions of macOS, such as Ventura 13, have no switch in System Settings.

Mouse acceleration on Linux

Most modern Linux desktops use libinput, which has three acceleration profiles:

Profile	What it does
Adaptive	The default. Takes movement speed into account
Flat	A constant factor, giving 1:1 movement
Custom	A curve you define yourself

To turn acceleration off, choose the flat profile. Most desktop environments offer this as a switch in their mouse settings; the exact name depends on the desktop.

Chromebooks

Google’s Chromebook help lists a switch to turn Touchpad acceleration on or off under Settings > Device > Touchpad. Check the same page for mouse options on your Chromebook.

Raw input: why many games ignore the setting

Games can read mouse movement in two ways. They can use the cursor position that Windows produces, with acceleration included, or they can read the raw movement from the mouse. Microsoft explains that raw input lets a game receive “raw data from the mouse at the lowest level possible”, and that it “has no ballistics applied to its data”.

Many shooters offer a raw input option for this reason. When Valve added a raw input checkbox to Half-Life in 2013, it described the result as “usually with lower latency but missing the post processing from your OS’s Window manager”. So:

In a game with raw input on, Windows acceleration and the Windows speed slider usually have no effect. Your in-game sensitivity and your mouse’s DPI decide how far you turn.
In a game without raw input, or in menus that use the normal cursor, Windows acceleration still applies.

If aim feels inconsistent, check the game’s settings for raw input and any in-game acceleration option, as well as the Windows setting.

Should you turn mouse acceleration off?

You mainly…	Suggestion
Play shooters	Off, so the same movement always turns the same distance
Use a large screen	Try on, to cross the screen with small movements
Use a trackpad	Leave it on
Do precise design work	Try both and keep the more predictable one

Turning acceleration off makes the cursor feel slower at first, especially for long movements. Give it a few days, and raise the pointer speed or your mouse’s DPI if you have to lift the mouse too often.

Test the difference yourself

Note your current setting, then turn acceleration off.
Play several rounds on the Aim Trainer and note your accuracy and time.
Turn acceleration on and repeat after a short break.
Compare the two sets of results, and keep the setting that gives you steadier scores.

For aim habits beyond this setting, read how to improve mouse accuracy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Enhance pointer precision mouse acceleration?

Yes. Enhance pointer precision is the Windows name for mouse acceleration. Switching it off removes the acceleration and leaves a fixed speed set by the pointer speed slider.

Should I turn off mouse acceleration for gaming?

Most players who rely on aim turn it off, so the same movement always gives the same result. Many games use raw input, which ignores the Windows setting anyway, so also check the game’s own options.

How do I turn off mouse acceleration on a Mac?

On macOS Sonoma or later, open System Settings > Mouse, click Advanced and turn off Pointer acceleration.

Does mouse acceleration affect raw input?

No. Microsoft states that raw input has no ballistics applied, so games that use it are not affected by Windows acceleration.

Why does my mouse feel slow after turning off acceleration?

Long, fast movements no longer get the extra boost. Raise the pointer speed or the DPI a little until you can cross the screen comfortably.

Do gaming mice have built-in acceleration?

Acceleration in Windows and macOS is applied by the system, not the mouse. Some older mouse software offered its own acceleration settings, so check yours if movement still feels uneven with the system setting off.