Quake Mouse Acceleration: Custom Accel for Arena Shooters
Arena shooters made mouse acceleration famous. Build a Quake-style acceleration curve from your own aim for Quake Champions, Quake Live, Diabotical, ShootMania and other arena FPS games.
Updated · Ergo Engineering
Mouse acceleration has deep roots in arena shooters. Quake Live players tuned it with cl_mouseAccel for years, and "Quake-style" acceleration is still the name of the classic linear curve. Arena games need everything at once: rail and lightning-gun precision, plus instant turns for rockets and movement. AimStation builds that curve from your own recordings instead of from guesses.
Does Quake have mouse acceleration?
- Quake Champions and Quake Live use the classic 0.022 yaw, the same as CS2, so the same sensitivity number gives the same turn at the same DPI.
- If you already use the game's own acceleration, turn it off before you apply an AimStation curve, so only one curve is active.
- The same curve works in every arena shooter on Windows, including ShootMania, Diabotical and Reflex Arena, because it is applied to the mouse, not the game.
How to set up a custom acceleration curve for Quake
- Install AimStation. Download it free for Windows 10 or 11, run Setup and restart when it asks. Setup installs the Microsoft-signed mouse driver the curve runs in.
- Turn off other acceleration. Switch off Windows "Enhance pointer precision" and any acceleration in your mouse software or in Quake, so only one curve is active. (How to turn it off.)
- Record while you play. Open AimStation, press Record on the Record tab, and play Quake normally for a few sessions. AimStation measures how fast your slow aim is, how fast your flicks are and how often you make each.
- Tune it in plain language. AimStation builds a curve around your speeds. Adjust slow-aim sensitivity, flick sensitivity and where the speed-up starts, then test it on your mouse before you save.
- Apply it. Apply the curve to your mouse. With AimStation Pro you can set it as Quake's default curve so it switches on by itself when Quake is in front. Ctrl + Alt + F10 turns it off instantly.
Quake tips for a good curve
- Record real duels and FFA, not just a trainer. Arena movement produces very fast turns that are hard to reproduce in drills.
- Arena players often like a stronger curve than tactical-shooter players. Use the tuning sliders to push the flick sensitivity further once the base feels right.
- Keep one curve per game with AimStation Pro, so Quake and a tactical shooter never share a curve by accident.
Quake sensitivity in other games
The same physical turn in other games, at the same DPI (yaw 0.022). The last column is the mouse travel for a full 360° turn at 800 DPI. For any other value or DPI, use the sensitivity converter.
| Quake | Valorant | Apex | OW2 | Fortnite | cm/360 @ 800 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 0.471 | 1.5 | 5 | 5.941 | 34.6 cm |
| 2 | 0.629 | 2 | 6.667 | 7.921 | 26 cm |
| 2.5 | 0.786 | 2.5 | 8.333 | 9.901 | 20.8 cm |
| 3 | 0.943 | 3 | 10 | 11.881 | 17.3 cm |
| 3.5 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 11.667 | 13.861 | 14.8 cm |
| 4 | 1.257 | 4 | 13.333 | 15.842 | 13 cm |
These numbers match your base sensitivity. With an acceleration curve, set the slow end of the curve to the sensitivity you already know, and let the curve add speed only on fast movements.
Quake mouse acceleration FAQ
What is Quake-style mouse acceleration?
It is the classic linear acceleration from Quake games: sensitivity rises steadily with mouse speed. AimStation builds a curve from your own recorded speeds instead, and lets you cap how high the sensitivity can go.
Does AimStation replace cl_mouseAccel?
Yes, it does the same job at the mouse driver instead of in the game, so the same curve also works in games that have no acceleration setting at all. Turn the in-game acceleration off so the two do not stack.
Does it work in ShootMania and other arena games?
Yes. The curve is applied to the mouse itself, so it works in any Windows game, including ShootMania, Diabotical, Reflex Arena and Quake.
Other games
One curve per game, or one for everything: AimStation works in every Windows game. CS2 · Valorant · Apex Legends · Overwatch 2 · Fortnite · Call of Duty