DPI is tricky, so it’s natural to find the right one for you by seeing what the top players are using. So I did some research, and I found which DPI Shroud is using and why he still uses this DPI.
What DPI does Shroud use? Shroud currently uses a 400 DPI. It’s the DPI he’s used for a long time and continues to use it because he is familiar with it.
Keep reading for more information on how you can find the perfect DPI for FPS games and whether or not the 400 DPI Shroud uses is right for you.
What DPI Does Shroud Use?
As we mentioned, Shroud uses a DPI of 400. Still, DPI may not be as important as you might think because it all will balance out depending on what your in-game sensitivity is.
Your in-game sensitivity calculated with your DPI gives you a value known as eDPI or effective dots per inch. Ultimately, the value of your eDPI is your true sensitivity.
For example, a DPI of 1200 with an in-game sensitivity of 0.33 is essentially an effective DPI of 400, the equivalent of running a 400 DPI at 1.00 sensitivity.
Shroud talks about this in the video below.
Ultimately, it comes down to whatever feels right for you. For most players, that includes having swift movements and precise aim.
What DPI Is Good For FPS Games?
Typically, FPS gamers on both a professional and amateur level try to keep their DPIs between 400 and 800 DPI.
Then, they balance the in-game sensitivity to maintain within that range when talking about effective DPI.
Most people do this accidentally without even knowing about eDPI! This is done naturally as people try to find what DPI feels right for them.
You could use higher DPIs too and bring the sensitivity down to achieve what’s likely more accurate tracking, but still with a sensitivity that won’t spin you 360 with one twitch of the wrist.
Resolution is also a factor when choosing your DPI because if you have a higher resolution but try to use a low DPI, you may experience pixel skipping.
Pixel skipping feels like it sounds. Your cursor will hop around a bit, which can be semi-annoying when put into use in-game.
People use lower DPIs for FPS games because you don’t want to have such a high DPI that small movements may over adjust your reticle and lead to unwanted results.
That’s why 400 DPI is so popular, other than the fact that many people will use what the best pros have been using.
One thing to consider is that pros like Shroud used 400 DPI when higher DPIs were either inaccurate or overpriced.
Today, this had led to many people using lower DPIs, but you could see equally good results using much higher DPIs.
Pros And Cons Of Low DPI
Starting with the positives, with lower DPI, you can get better micro-adjustments. Typically, you will have an easier time making small adjustments to your aim at a more extended range.
The cursor’s movements from side to side are less likely to jump around up or down because your DPI isn’t as precise. This can make adjusting aim accurately from side to side much easier.
Also, generally, if you are in the 400 to 1200 DPI range, you will get the most accurate tracking from your mouse’s sensor.
With many mice, once you get to very high DPIs, you can actually begin to lose accuracy because the mouse doesn’t track that DPI correctly.
All the cons of lower DPI can essentially be summed up by saying your movement is much slower.
Assuming you don’t rebalance the sensitivity in-game to be exactly what your eDPI was before, lower DPI is going to make your camera turns much slower.
This can be detrimental to flicks or quickly turning around when you hear an enemy coming up from behind you.
More than anything, it’s a lot more work for the player.
If you are a casual gamer, a lower DPI may force you to put in much more physical effort that you may not enjoy.
Lower DPIs, when not balanced to be a higher eDPI, will result in the need for a lot of significant arm movements and constant repositioning of the mouse.
It does pay off in the ability to get better accuracy in your smaller movements. Still, for casual players, the extra intensity may be unappealing.
Pros And Cons Of High DPI
Coming out of the gate with my favorite part about higher DPIs is the lack of big arm movements and constant mouse repositioning.
I prefer wrist movements that I can comfortably make while semi-reclined in my chair and at a safe distance from my monitor.
Overall, for me at least, it feels better and more manageable. The experience I get from this in most games allows me to relax more than a low DPI.
Also, it does feel smoother than lower DPIs. In my research, I’ve read that this could merely be a result of the speed of the mouse, but regardless, DPI is all about look and feel.
When I use a higher DPI, it feels like I am zipping across my screen much smoother than a lower DPI.
When I compared my small movements on a low DPI to a high DPI, on a low DPI, I could see the skipping my cursor would do as it moved, but on a high DPI, it glided across the screen.
Comparing the two extremes, higher DPI provides a more accurate aim, so if you were to lower the in-game sensitivity, you could find a nice balance at 1200 x 0.6.
Should You Use 400 Or 800 DPI?
These are the two most common DPIs for FPS games, so let’s make a quick comparison to break down which might be better for you.
400 DPI will give you a more methodical approach to aiming that allows you to make more precise small movements.
However, it comes at the tradeoff of being much slower when turning your player or making significant readjustments to your aim.
This lower DPI is ideal for games that focus on holding angles or pre-aiming with a lack of big sweeping movements from your mouse.
So I’d say use 400 DPI for games like Rainbow Six Siege, CSGO, Escape From Tarkov, or Valorant.
All of these games focus more on aiming before you get out of cover and make small movements to adjust to your enemy’s exact position.
800 DPI will give you much faster movements being double the DPI of the former, and large adjustments to your aim will be much easier to make.
Things like flicking or quickly snapping your character 90 – 270 degrees will be much easier at this DPI and will likely only take one movement.
If you are far away, quickly adjusting your cursor to an enemy that pops out far from where your sight is will also be easier and faster to do.
The tradeoff is how much easier it is to over-adjust because the sensitivity is much higher. With how precise it is, you may accidentally move the cursor off of your enemy while aiming.
This DPI is probably better for games like Call Of Duty, Quake, or DOOM.
It’s essential for either of these to keep in mind your style of movement and grip while gaming.
High DPI isn’t ideal for players who make big arm movements, and low DPI isn’t ideal for palm grip users that primarily use wrist flicks.
What DPI Is Right For You?
Ultimately, it comes down to your style of gaming and what you feel is the best. DPI is only another sensitivity setting bound to your mouse, so treat it like any other sensitivity.
The best DPI is the one that feels the best to you, and your actual DPI is going to be dictated by your in-game settings multiplied by your DPI setting.