Two-run comparison
Same distance, different speed
0 counts
Hold the button and move 10 cm slowly (about 3 seconds).
Record a slow run and a fast run for a verdict.
Mouse Acceleration Test
This mouse acceleration test compares a slow and a fast swipe over the same distance. Pick the slow run, hold the left button and move 10 cm across the pad in about three seconds. Then pick the fast run and do the same distance in a flick. Equal counts mean 1:1 tracking.
Counts per run
- Slow run
- --
- Fast run
- --
- Difference
- --
Test acceleration accurately
1. Mark 10 cm on your pad
A ruler or two pieces of tape. Both runs must cover the same physical distance.
2. Do the slow run
Hold the button and glide the mouse across the mark in roughly three seconds, then release.
3. Do the fast run
Same distance in one quick flick. If the fast count is more than 10 percent higher, acceleration is scaling your movement.
Why the two-run method works
Pure physics
Without acceleration, counts depend only on distance. Speed cannot change them.
Catches hidden acceleration
Some drivers and games apply curves even when the OS slider says off.
Negative acceleration too
A fast count lower than slow means the sensor is skipping.
No settings assumed
The test does not care which OS you run; it only compares counts.
Acceleration terms
- Pointer acceleration
- An OS feature that moves the cursor further when the mouse moves faster. Good for small desks, bad for muscle memory.
- Enhance pointer precision
- The Windows name for acceleration. Untick it in Mouse settings.
- Raw input
- A game option that reads the mouse directly, bypassing OS acceleration.
- Negative acceleration
- Movement being lost at speed, a sensor limitation rather than a setting.
Acceleration questions
I turned it off in Windows but the test still shows a difference. Why?
Mouse software profiles and some games add their own curves. Check both. On macOS, the system curve stays on unless disabled via Terminal.
Is a 5 percent difference acceleration?
No. Hand error accounts for that. Over 10 percent, repeated twice, is real.
Does DPI matter for this test?
No. Both runs use the same DPI, so it cancels out.
Turn acceleration off
Windows
Settings → Bluetooth and devices → Mouse → Additional settings → Pointer Options → untick Enhance pointer precision.
macOS
Run: defaults write -g com.apple.mouse.scaling -1 in Terminal, then log out and back in.
In games
Enable raw input and set in-game acceleration to zero.