How to choose the best VALORANT sensitivity settings and DPI

Your settings in VALORANT come down to personal preference—but there are still a few important things to keep in mind, such as your mouse sensitivity and your dots per inch (DPI). 

Precision matters in VALORANT. If your sensitivity is too high, you’ll have a hard time accurately clicking or tapping on your opponent’s heads. But if it’s too low, reacting to a shot, a flank, or a flash can be equally demanding.

Finding the right balance with your sensitivity is key to improving your mechanics in VALORANT.

Best DPI for VALORANT

I recommend using 800 DPI for VALORANT. It’s neither too fast nor too slow. For tactical shooters, the best players—those who compete for thousands of dollars in cash prizes—tend to use lower DPIs like 400, 800, and, in some cases, 1,600.

What is DPI?

Your DPI dictates the speed at which your mouse cursor moves on your screen. It’s the basis for everything you do on your computer, from browsing the internet to playing a game. Before you decide on your sensitivity, you should always focus on your DPI.

Best sensitivity settings for VALORANT

I recommend anything between 0.35 and 0.45 sensitivity. It’s on the lower side of the scale and might take some time to get used to, but it’s not too low that it impairs your movement.

The general rule of thumb is to maintain an eDPI on the lower end, something under 300. EDPI stands for effective DPI, which is the total DPI you choose multiplied by your in-game sensitivity. Say you choose 800 DPI for your mouse and 0.35 as the in-game sensitivity, your eDPI will be 280.

High or low sensitivity: What should you choose in VALORANT?

When choosing your sensitivity, you should take your role and your preferred weapon into account. But first, know what your playstyle is. The higher the sensitivity, the more easily you’ll be able to track your opponents. With low sensitivity, you’ll be more accurate, precise, and in control.

If you like using weapons like the Operator, Vandal, Guardian, or Bulldog, consider a lower sensitivity. But if you favor using spray-friendly weapons like the Phantom, Spectre, Odin, or Ares, choose a higher sensitivity.

The agent you main also plays a pivotal role in determining the best sensitivity for you. Agents like Jett, Yoru, Neon, and Raze thrive on unpredictable movement mechanics and thus, cater to higher sensitivities. You’ll need to satchel, dash, and teleport into sites and engage in closed-quarter fights, and may be required to land flick shots frequently. Lower sensitivity won’t allow you to move that freely.

For agents like Reyna, Phoenix, and others, however, there’s not much need for higher sensitivity. That said, controllers and sentinels often like to play defensive and adopt the spray-and-pray style, and the Phantom and Odin are the best choices for such strategies. In that case, you might want to turn up your sensitivity.

Dot Esports’ VALORANT DPI and sensitivity settings recommendation

Bear in mind I use a Logitech G Pro X Superlight wireless gaming mouse and have plenty of space on my desk. This allows me to lower my sensitivity, giving me a tad more accuracy when I’m scoping in with the Operator. This is generally the DPI and sensitivity I go for, but I have been known to bump it up or down after going on a frustrating loss streak. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting with your settings to find the perfect fit for you.

Pro VALORANT DPI and Sensitivity settings

Of course, pros know it best, so I get that you’d like to take it from them. Since it depends largely on playstyle, most VALORANT pros have starkly different sensitivity preferences from each other. Here are some notable examples of sensitivity preferences from the esports scene: