Guide · Windows

Enhance Pointer Precision: What It Does and How to Turn It Off

"Enhance pointer precision" is the checkbox behind most "turn off mouse acceleration" advice. Here is what it actually does, how to switch it off in under a minute, and what to use if you do want acceleration in games.

Updated · Ergo Engineering

What Enhance pointer precision does

Enhance pointer precision is Windows' built-in mouse acceleration. With it on, the pointer moves farther when you move the mouse fast and less when you move it slowly, following a fixed curve Microsoft designed for desktop use. It makes small targets on a desktop easier to hit with a small mouse movement.

For aiming in games, that design has problems:

  • You cannot shape it: there is no setting for where the speed-up starts or how strong it is.
  • It is tied to the Windows pointer speed slider, so changing one changes the other.
  • It is not built around a cap that suits aiming, so fast flicks can overshoot.

That is why "turn off mouse acceleration" is standard FPS advice. What that advice really means is: turn off this acceleration.

How to turn off Enhance pointer precision in Windows 11

  1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
  2. Click Additional mouse settings. Shortcut: press Win + R, type main.cpl and press Enter.
  3. Open the Pointer Options tab and untick Enhance pointer precision.
  4. Click Apply, then OK.

How to turn it off in Windows 10

  1. Open Settings > Devices > Mouse.
  2. Click Additional mouse options (or use Win + R and main.cpl).
  3. On Pointer Options, untick Enhance pointer precision, then Apply and OK.

Mouse software (Logitech, Razer, SteelSeries and others) can have its own acceleration setting. Turn that off too, so only one curve, or none, is active.

Does it matter in modern games?

Less than you might think. Many modern shooters, including CS2 and Valorant, read raw input and ignore Enhance pointer precision completely. It still affects your desktop and any game that uses the Windows pointer. Turning it off keeps everything consistent.

If you like acceleration: use a curve made for aiming

Plenty of players aim better with acceleration, just not with the Windows version. A custom acceleration curve for games keeps your slow aim at the sensitivity you trust, speeds up only your fast movements, and is capped so flicks stay predictable. Applied in the mouse driver, it works in raw-input games too.

AimStation builds that curve from a recording of your own aim, so you do not have to guess numbers. Read the mouse acceleration guide, or see how it works in CS2, Valorant and other games.

FAQ

Should I turn off Enhance pointer precision for gaming?

For most players, yes. It is Windows desktop acceleration, not a curve designed for aiming. Many modern games ignore it anyway because they read raw input. If you want acceleration in games, use a curve built for aiming instead.

Does Enhance pointer precision affect CS2 or Valorant?

No. Both games read raw mouse input, which bypasses the Windows pointer speed slider and Enhance pointer precision.

Is Enhance pointer precision the same as mouse acceleration?

Yes. It is the Windows implementation of mouse acceleration: pointer speed rises with how fast you move the mouse, following a fixed Windows curve.

Why does Windows keep turning it back on?

Some mouse software and some Windows updates or driver installs reset mouse settings. Check the box again after installing mouse software, or set your preference in the mouse software itself.