How to Disable Mouse Acceleration on Windows 10

If you’ve ever played any games on computers that require precise mouse movement (First Person Shooters, for example), you’ll have heard that disabling mouse acceleration on your computer will help you perform better in the game. Mouse acceleration, also known as pointer precision, is a Windows feature designed to make the mouse pointer move based on not only the physical distance you move your mouse but also the speed with which you move the mouse. Mouse acceleration has been around for the longest time imaginable – it was actually included as a feature in Windows XP as well. With mouse acceleration enabled, the mouse pointer moves farther if you move your mouse faster, and the pointer covers less distance if you move your mouse slower.

With mouse acceleration disabled, on the other hand, the mouse pointer moves a fixed distance for every inch you move your mouse, and this fixed distance is not affected in any way by how fast you are moving your mouse. This consequently results in mouse movements being way more precise when mouse acceleration is disabled. That being the case, most Windows users who play games and actually want to be able to play them well keep mouse acceleration disabled. Users have also reported mouse movement feeling much more natural and “logical” with mouse acceleration disabled. It is much easier to predict just how much your mouse pointer will move if you move your mouse a certain distance if you only have to take into account the distance you’ll be moving your mouse and not have to factor in the speed with which you’ll be moving it. Also, it has been reported that with some mouse models, the “Enhanced Precision” setting causes the cursor to disappear frequently and it becomes even more of a nuisance than it already is.

Mouse acceleration or pointer precision can be turned off in every version of the Windows Operating System that is currently supported by Microsoft, and that includes Windows 10, the latest and greatest iteration of the Operating System. To disable mouse acceleration in Windows 10, you need to:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu button or press the Windows logo key + X to open the WinX Menu.
2. Click on Control Panel in the WinX Menu to launch the Control Panel.
3. With the Control Panel in Category view, locate and click on Hardware and Sound.
4. Under Devices and Printers, click on Mouse. Doing so will open the Mouse Properties window.
5. In the Mouse Properties window, navigate to the Pointer Options tab. 
6. Disable mouse acceleration by unchecking the checkbox located directly beside the Enhance pointer precision option.
7. Click on Apply and then on OK.
8. Close the Control Panel.

Using your mouse with mouse acceleration disabled might confuse you for a bit, but that’s only because it’s something new and something that feels different than what you’re used to and it might even get rid of the pointer lag in some cases. Once you get used to your mouse without mouse acceleration, moving your mouse around will feel incredibly natural because you’ll have an idea of exactly how much displacement will be produced in the mouse pointer if you move your mouse a certain distance. In addition, if you ever play games (especially First Person Shooters like Rainbow 6 Siege and Counter Strike: Global Offensive), do not doubt the decision to disable mouse acceleration on your computer as that is without even the shadow of a doubt the right thing to do.