FIX · MOUSE
Turn off mouse acceleration (Enhance pointer precision) in Windows 11
Enhance pointer precision is Windows' pointer acceleration: the pointer travels further when you move the mouse quickly than when you move it the same distance slowly. Microsoft presents it as making the pointer more accurate at slow speeds. For aiming, many players want the same hand movement to cover the same distance every time, so they switch it off. It only changes the Windows pointer: a game that reads raw mouse input never sees it.
Updated .
TECHNICAL SUMMARY
| Where it lives | Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse |
|---|---|
| Registry values PC Tweaker writes | HKCU\Control Panel\Mouse MouseSpeed = 0 (thresholds 0 too, optional) |
| Scope | The signed-in account |
| Admin rights | No |
| PC Tweaker plan | Free |
Turn it off in Settings
Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse, and switch Enhance pointer precision off. Where that page does not show the switch, select Additional mouse settings under Related settings, open the Pointer Options tab and clear Enhance pointer precision under Motion, then select OK. Turning the same switch on, or ticking the box again, undoes it.
Which games it affects
Microsoft's guidance for game developers explains the difference. Mouse movement delivered as WM_MOUSEMOVE has Windows' pointer acceleration, which it also calls ballistics, already applied. Movement read through raw input (WM_INPUT) comes straight from the HID stack with no ballistics applied. So a game that reads raw input is not affected by this setting either way, while menus, the desktop and games that move the Windows pointer are.
Pointer speed is a separate setting
The Mouse pointer speed slider is not acceleration. Microsoft documents it as a value from 1 to 20, with 10 as the default, and describes Windows applying acceleration first and then scaling the result by that speed. Turning acceleration off leaves the speed where it was, so fast movements will cover less distance than before; adjust the slider or your in-game sensitivity rather than turning acceleration back on.
What the stored values mean
Windows keeps the acceleration as two threshold values and an acceleration level, which apps read and set with SystemParametersInfo (SPI_GETMOUSE and SPI_SETMOUSE). Microsoft's mouse_event documentation describes the rule: when a movement is longer than the first threshold and the acceleration level is not zero, Windows doubles the distance. With the level at 0 that never happens. On the PC this guide was checked on, with acceleration off, SPI_GETMOUSE returned 0, 0, 0.
Do it by hand
Check the current values (read-only)
On the PC this guide was checked on, with acceleration off, MouseSpeed and both thresholds read 0, and MouseSensitivity, the pointer speed, read 10.
PowerShellGet-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Control Panel\Mouse' | Format-List MouseSpeed, MouseThreshold1, MouseThreshold2, MouseSensitivitySwitch it off
Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse: turn Enhance pointer precision off. Or Additional mouse settings, Pointer Options, clear Enhance pointer precision, OK.
Switch it back on
Turn the same switch on, or tick the box again.
With PC Tweaker
Two free controls in the Gaming category do this without administrator rights. Disable mouse acceleration writes MouseSpeed = 0 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse; Reduce input lag (mouse) also sets MouseThreshold1 and MouseThreshold2 to 0. Both record the previous values before writing, so Restore puts them back. Because they write the stored registry values rather than changing the live setting, the change applies after you sign out and back in.
Rather not edit the registry by hand?
PC Tweaker shows the exact change before it runs, records the value it replaces and puts it back with Restore. The Free plan needs no account. If a payment fails or a plan ends, Pro tools lock; changes already applied stay as they are and Restore still undoes them.
Common questions
Should I turn off Enhance pointer precision for gaming?
For aiming, turning it off gives you consistent movement: the same hand movement always covers the same distance on screen. Microsoft presents the setting as making the pointer more accurate when the mouse moves slowly, so you may prefer it on for the desktop or a touchpad. Games that read raw mouse input ignore it either way.
Does Enhance pointer precision affect games that use raw input?
No. Microsoft's guidance for game developers explains that raw input (WM_INPUT) comes straight from the HID stack with no pointer acceleration applied, while the Windows pointer messages (WM_MOUSEMOVE) have it applied. It still affects the desktop, menus and games that move the Windows pointer.
What does Enhance pointer precision do?
It turns on Windows' pointer acceleration, so the pointer moves further when you move the mouse quickly than when you move it the same distance slowly. Microsoft describes it as making the pointer more accurate when the mouse is moving slowly. Turn it off in Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse.
Is mouse acceleration the same as pointer speed?
No. Pointer speed is the separate slider in the same Settings page, a value from 1 to 20 with 10 as the default, while acceleration changes the distance depending on how fast you move. Microsoft documents that Windows applies acceleration first and then scales the result by the pointer speed, so you can turn acceleration off and keep any speed you like.
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