Sensitivity is an in-game multiplier that works in tandem with your mouse DPI settings. Sensitivity values vary from game to game and from person to person. And yet, people still seem to have no idea what sensitivity setting suits their aiming style the most, causing them to constantly switch from one sensitivity to another.
Constantly cycling through sensitivity settings is a bad idea, since players will not be given enough time for their brain and muscle to develop the necessary muscle memory to build consistent and reliable aim.
Today we look at a way to find your best sensitivity settings in CSGO to help you land those crisp flicks.
High Sensitivity versus Low Sensitivity
Both sensitivity ranges have their advantages and disadvantages. S1mple, the best CSGO player in the world, has a relatively high in-game sens of 3.09 with a DPI of 400 which equates to a 1236 eDPI. S1mple’s sensitivity is pretty high considering the current average eDPI among all CSGO pros is just a tad below 900.
There are advantages to having such a High Sensitivity such as faster movement, easier 180-360 degree turns, reduced arm and wrist fatigue, and easier tracking. Oh, and you won’t need a mousepad the size of a floor mat.
A higher sensitivity generally causes every bit of mouse movement to register in-game. Higher sensitivity settings might introduce some unwanted micro-movement. This will inevitably make aiming harder since your crosshair will be very sensitive to small movements.
Low Sensitivity also has its advantages and disadvantages.
Low sensitivity masks off any unwanted micro-movement input which makes micro-adjustments in-game much easier. Low sensitivity also promotes arm-aiming which is arguably a more consistent way to aim. A smoother aim is another advantage to having low sensitivity since players will micro-adjust their crosshair much less after flicking to targets.
The disadvantages of low sensitivity are slow in-game mouse movement, arm and wrist fatigue after long sessions, space constraints since you will be making bigger mouse swipes than with higher sensitivity.
With this in mind let’s go check out one good way to find a sensitivity that your body naturally moves to.
How to Change Sensitivity in CSGO
Changing in-game sensitivity in CSGO is thankfully pretty s1mple. (See what I did there?)
Kidding aside, the sensitivity settings in CSGO can be accessed through the in-game settings menu.
- On the CSGO Main Menu click on this gear icon:
2. Click on the “Keyboard and Mouse” tab:
3. Use the slider to change your sensitivity, or alternatively, type in a specific value you like:
Note: It is always recommended to turn OFF “Mouse Acceleration” and turn ON “Raw Input” to make sure that your mouse movements are one-to-one with your in-game movements.
Inhuman Reactions
If you have played CSGO for a while, you might already have developed a certain amount of muscle memory. Now, this only means that your body already has its natural way of moving according to stimuli.
In CSGO, these stimuli are obviously going to be enemy player models.
We all naturally flick over to the approximate area of an enemy model whenever they pop out in the open. We only say approximate because humans are not insanely accurate every single time that we can land headshots all day with a single flick. But there is a way to find out what sensitivity compliments your current muscle memory.
training_aim_csgo2
To start our little experiment, we need to download a specific community map called “training_aim_csgo2” from the Steam Workshop.
- On the CSGO homescreen, click on the “Play” button:
2. Click on this drop-down menu:
3. Click on “Workshop Maps”:
4. Click on “Visit Workshop”:
5. This Steam Browser window should appear:
6. Type in “training_aim_csgo2” on this search box:
7. Click on the first search result:
8. Click on the Green “+” button to download:
It should show up on your Workshop Maps page in CSGO:
Click on the map and start a game in training mode:
Flick Test
Let’s now head over to the meat and potatoes: The Flick Test.
There is only one goal here: Flick as fast and as naturally as you possibly can WITHOUT adjusting your aim post-flick. Let me explain:
To find your muscle memory’s ideal sensitivity, you have to be able to flick without thinking about flicking itself and the possible micro-adjustment post flick. Think of it as going from point A to point B as directly as possible without any adjustments.
To do this, open up our newly downloaded Workshop Map:
- Once inside, shoot on the AK-47 on this wall to equip it. This is a good gun to do this routine in.
2. Click on “2” on this screen, then press “Start”.
3. A red circle will spawn randomly on the screen which you have to flick and shoot to score hits.
Change your mouse sensitivity to a higher or lower value. Increase or decrease in increments of 0.01 until you find a good feeling sensitivity.
Your goal here is to find a sensitivity that feels natural. You will know what a natural feeling sensitivity is when you’re starting to hit shots subconsciously.
For example, we started at a sensitivity of 0.46 in-game. After flicking around the aim map for a while, we ended up at .4.
We were able to fine-tune our sensitivity to something that feels awesome while flicking and one where we have started to hit some shots that genuinely surprised us.
Listen To Your Body
What works for others sensitivity-wise might not work for you. Humans are just so unique from one another in terms of hand size, arm length, arm bone size, etc. This is why it is most likely a bad idea to copy the pros in-game settings.
The point we are trying to get across here is that to find the perfect settings for you, you need to be comfortable with your in-game sensitivity. This drill also teaches us to become comfortable with being uncomfortable by flicking our mice unrestrained to find a sensitivity that will work for us.
There are moments in-game that affect our aim in ways that most new players are not aware of yet. Some players might tighten up in intense 1v5 situations which unconsciously affect their aim. In these situations, their muscles tightening up will affect their fine motor control. We will need the help of our subconscious aim in these situations to perform well.
