What is eDPI? The Complete Guide

eDPI, in One Sentence

eDPI stands for Effective Dots Per Inch, and it's calculated with a single multiplication:

It exists to solve one specific problem: DPI and sensitivity are two separate numbers that only mean something when combined, and comparing either one alone between two players tells you almost nothing. A player at 400 DPI with 2.0 sensitivity and a player at 800 DPI with 1.0 sensitivity have wildly different-looking settings, but identical eDPI (800) — and, within the same game, identical actual cursor speed.

Why eDPI Exists at All

Before eDPI became a standard way to talk about sensitivity, players could only compare raw sensitivity sliders — which is close to meaningless once you consider that two players might be running completely different DPI on their mice. eDPI collapses both numbers into one, so a community (or a coach, or you comparing your own settings across a DPI change) has a single figure to reference. It's the reason pro settings pages — including our own pro player database — list eDPI alongside raw DPI and sensitivity for exactly this reason.

How to Calculate Your Own eDPI

Multiply your mouse DPI (found in your mouse manufacturer's software, or on a physical DPI button/indicator) by your current in-game sensitivity value. A few worked examples:

• 400 DPI × 2.5 sensitivity = 1000 eDPI
• 800 DPI × 1.25 sensitivity = 1000 eDPI (identical cursor speed to the example above)
• 1600 DPI × 0.25 sensitivity = 400 eDPI

Any combination of DPI and sensitivity that multiplies to the same eDPI will feel the same in terms of raw pointer speed — within the same game. That caveat matters more than it might seem.

The Limitation: eDPI Doesn't Transfer Cleanly Between Games

This is the part most guides skip. eDPI measures cursor speed relative to one specific game's sensitivity scale — it says nothing about the yaw constant that game's engine uses to turn that number into actual camera rotation. A eDPI of 800 in Valorant and a eDPI of 800 in CS2 do not produce the same physical mouse movement for a 360° turn, because Valorant's yaw (0.07) and CS2's yaw (0.022) are completely different.

This is exactly why our sensitivity converter and the rest of this site are built around cm/360 instead — the physical distance your mouse travels for a full turn — rather than eDPI. cm/360 already accounts for each game's yaw constant, so it transfers precisely between titles. eDPI is still useful shorthand within a single game or when comparing your own history of settings, just not as a cross-game standard.

What eDPI Range Should You Use?

There's no universally correct eDPI — it depends heavily on the game, your monitor size, desk space, and personal playstyle. As a rough reference point across the two biggest tactical shooters:

• 200–400 eDPI in Valorant: Considered low sensitivity. Common among players who prioritize micro-adjustment precision over fast flicks.
• 400–800 eDPI in Valorant: The range most competitive players land in — a balance between control and turn speed.
• 400–1000 eDPI in CS2: The typical competitive range, given CS2's different yaw constant produces a different-feeling number at the same physical cm/360.

Because Valorant and CS2 use different yaw constants, their eDPI ranges aren't directly comparable even though the numbers look similar — a reminder of exactly the limitation described above.

Real Pro Player eDPI Examples

• TenZ (Valorant): 800 DPI × 0.3 sensitivity = 240 eDPI
• s1mple (CS2): 400 DPI × 3.09 sensitivity = 1236 eDPI
• NiKo (CS2): 400 DPI × 1.4 sensitivity = 560 eDPI

Notice s1mple's CS2 eDPI (1236) is over five times TenZ's Valorant eDPI (240) — yet, once converted through each game's yaw constant, their actual cm/360 values land much closer together than the raw eDPI numbers suggest. This is the exact gap cm/360-based conversion closes and eDPI alone cannot.

eDPI vs. cm/360: Which Should You Actually Use?

Use Case	Better Metric
Comparing your own settings within one game	eDPI (quick, simple)
Switching between two different games	cm/360 (accounts for yaw)
Copying a pro player's settings	cm/360, then convert to your DPI

Already comfortable with the formula and want to know what a "good" number actually looks like? See our eDPI calculator guide with typical pro ranges by game.