Mouse acceleration

Settings›Basic›Input and interface

Recommendation

Depends

Disable acceleration if you want the same response of the Windows pointer during slow and fast mouse movement.

This is not a mandatory optimization for every game. Applications with Raw Input receive mouse movement in a different way and may not depend on the Windows pointer acceleration.

Usually chosen

Off

Main effect

Cursor behavior

FPS and memory

No effect expected

In short

Mouse acceleration in Windows is tied to the “Enhance pointer precision” setting. When it is enabled, Windows can change pointer movement depending on the speed of mouse movement. Microsoft describes this feature as an aid for precise aiming during slow movement.

After disabling it, the pointer responds to mouse movement more evenly. The effect on FPS, memory usage or latency was not measured in this article; there are no conclusions about these metrics here.

What changes

The difference is noticeable primarily in File Explorer, the browser, on the desktop and in applications that use standard Windows pointer movement. With acceleration enabled, the same physical distance of mouse movement can result in different cursor movement depending on the speed of movement.

After disabling it, it may take time to get used to. The cursor speed remains a separate user setting.

Games and Raw Input

The effect on a game depends on how it receives mouse data. Microsoft distinguishes ordinary pointer movement messages and Raw Input: for the ordinary Windows path, pointer acceleration is applied, while WM_INPUT data does not receive this processing.

Therefore, a game that actually uses Raw Input for camera control may not depend on the Windows acceleration setting. This cannot be automatically carried over to every game, its menu or overlay: the specific input path must be checked separately.

Disabling acceleration helps make control more predictable: the Windows cursor and games without Raw Input will feel more alike. A universal performance gain should not be expected from this.

Recommendation

Disable if:

• you need a consistent cursor response at different movement speeds;
• you play competitive games and want to rule out Windows acceleration as a possible factor;
• you find the difference between cursor behavior on the desktop and the crosshair in certain games inconvenient.

You can leave it enabled if:

• the current control is convenient for you and you do not want to change your usual behavior;
• you mostly work with the Windows pointer and value easier precise aiming during slow movements;
• you use a touchpad or another pointing device whose behavior needs to be evaluated separately.

How to check the result

1. Note the current position of the cursor speed slider.
2. Move the mouse over the same physical distance first slowly, then quickly.
3. Compare cursor movement with acceleration enabled and disabled.
4. Separately check the games you use. Do not draw a conclusion about Raw Input only from the name of the setting in the game menu.

For this setting, there is no need to compare FPS or memory usage: the expected change relates to pointer movement processing.

How to change and revert

In BoosterX, open “Optimization” → “Basic” → “Input and interface” → “Mouse acceleration” and set the toggle to “Enabled”: BoosterX will apply the state without pointer acceleration. Click “Apply” at the bottom of the page. If “Instant apply” is enabled, the change is made immediately.

In Windows, the setting is found in the additional mouse properties: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Mouse → Additional mouse settings → Pointer Options. The name of the section may differ slightly between Windows versions.

To restore the previous feel through BoosterX, open “Optimization” → “Basic” → “Input and interface” → “Mouse acceleration” again, set the toggle to “Disabled”: BoosterX will restore the standard Windows acceleration. Then click “Apply”. An alternative path in Windows: enable “Enhance pointer precision” again.

Sources and scope of verification

• Change mouse settings: the location and purpose of the enhance pointer precision setting.
• High-precision mouse movement: the differences between ordinary pointer movement and WM_INPUT.
• RAWMOUSE structure: Microsoft states that Raw Input does not depend on the mouse speed in Control Panel.

The use of Raw Input in individual games and the behavior of specific engines were not verified here. Direct latency measurements for this setting were not performed.

Last verified: 2026-09-20.