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On Windows, open Mouse Properties > Pointer Options and clear Enhance pointer precision. On current macOS, turn off Pointer acceleration in Mouse settings. Linux settings depend on the desktop environment and input stack, so there is no single universal switch.

What mouse acceleration does

Mouse acceleration makes pointer travel depend partly on how quickly you move the mouse, not just on how far. For example, moving the mouse 10 cm quickly may move the pointer farther than moving it the same distance slowly.

Turning acceleration off makes movement more predictable at a given sensitivity. It does not guarantee mathematically exact 1:1 movement in every app or game: games may use raw input or apply their own processing.

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Turn off mouse acceleration in Windows 11

  1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
  2. Select Additional mouse settings to open Mouse Properties.
  3. Choose the Pointer Options tab.
  4. Under Motion, clear Enhance pointer precision.
  5. Select Apply, then OK.

Microsoft’s mouse-settings guide documents the Windows pointer options and their paths.

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Turn it off in Windows 10

  1. Open Settings > Devices > Mouse.
  2. Select Additional mouse options.
  3. Open Pointer Options, clear Enhance pointer precision, then select Apply and OK.

For either Windows version, you can open the same classic dialog with a shortcut: press Windows + R, enter main.cpl, and press Enter. Then use the Pointer Options tab.

Turn off mouse acceleration on a Mac

  1. Open the Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Select Mouse, then Advanced.
  3. Turn Pointer acceleration off.

Apple lists this separately from Tracking speed: acceleration changes the speed-dependent response, while tracking speed changes the overall pointer response. A mouse may need to be connected before the relevant controls appear. See Apple’s instructions for changing pointer acceleration.

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These are mouse settings, not necessarily trackpad settings. macOS provides separate Mouse and Trackpad controls. If a third-party mouse utility or driver is installed, it may also affect pointer behavior; Apple notes that non-Apple driver software can affect whether settings work as expected (Apple Pointer Control reference).

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Linux: check your desktop environment

Linux has no single acceleration switch that applies to every distribution, desktop, and display server. The settings can be handled by the desktop environment or compositor and input stack, and may differ by device.

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  • KDE Plasma: Open System Settings > Input Devices > Mouse. Look for pointer-acceleration controls, including an acceleration profile or factor. Labels can vary by Plasma version. See the KDE Plasma mouse-settings documentation.
  • GNOME or another desktop: Check that environment’s Mouse or Mouse & Touchpad panel. The available options and names vary; do not assume a Windows-style checkbox or one command applies everywhere.

On Wayland, input behavior is generally managed through the compositor and input stack. libinput’s documentation describes device-specific acceleration methods and profiles. Identify your desktop and display server before following command-line advice.

Acceleration, pointer speed, DPI, and sensitivity are different

Setting What it changes
Acceleration How pointer travel changes with movement speed.
Pointer or tracking speed The overall scale of pointer movement in the operating system.
DPI/CPI The mouse sensor’s counts per inch; changing it changes the input scale, not acceleration itself.
Polling rate How often the mouse reports movement.
In-game sensitivity How much the game moves the view or aim for a given input.
Smoothing or filtering Additional processing that can change how movement feels or is timed.

On Windows, pointer speed and Enhance pointer precision are separate controls; on macOS, Tracking speed and Pointer acceleration are separate too. Changing the speed slider alone does not disable acceleration.

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If a game still feels accelerated

Turning off the operating-system setting does not necessarily change in-game aim. Some games use raw mouse input, which can bypass desktop pointer processing; others have their own acceleration or smoothing. Check the game’s controls for options such as Mouse acceleration, Aim acceleration, Input smoothing, Mouse filtering, or Raw input. The exact effect of raw input depends on the game.

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  • Trackpad input: Trackpad movement, gestures, and inertia may use separate controls.
  • Remote desktop or virtual machine: The session may translate input differently from the local desktop.
  • Managed device or settings that revert: A driver, utility, game, or administrator policy may reapply preferences.

For a basic desktop check, start the pointer at a fixed place, move the mouse a measured physical distance slowly, return to the start, then repeat the same distance quickly. Compare the pointer travel. This is only an illustrative check: imperfect hand movement, screen edges, and other software can affect the result.

For a game, use a practice area and keep DPI and in-game sensitivity unchanged while comparing repeated swipes of the same physical distance. If the crosshair’s response differs by movement speed, inspect the game’s own input settings rather than assuming the operating-system toggle controls it.

Should you turn it off for gaming?

Disabling acceleration can make aim more repeatable for players who want a consistent relationship between physical mouse movement and cursor or camera movement. It is not a guaranteed performance improvement. Players accustomed to acceleration may initially find aiming harder, and some games ignore desktop acceleration or apply their own curve.

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For ordinary desktop use, acceleration can help cover a large screen with a small, quick movement while allowing slower movements to stay controlled. Choose based on what feels consistent and comfortable for your use.

If the pointer now feels too slow

Acceleration may have been part of the sensitivity you were used to. Before changing anything, note your original DPI, operating-system pointer speed, and in-game sensitivity. Then adjust just one variable at a time: raise Windows pointer speed or Mac tracking speed, change mouse DPI, or adjust the game’s sensitivity. DPI does not make a sensor inherently more accurate, and changing several settings together makes it harder to tell what helped.

Turn acceleration back on

  • Windows: Return to Additional mouse settings > Pointer Options, select Enhance pointer precision, then apply the change.
  • macOS: Open System Settings > Mouse > Advanced and turn Pointer acceleration on.
  • KDE Plasma: Restore the previous acceleration profile or factor in System Settings > Input Devices > Mouse.

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