Mouse Acceleration Fixes

While this is not FEAR specific, it is one of the first things any PC gamer should do when configuring their machines.

With Windows XP, Microsoft changed the way that Mouse Acceleration worked, which resulted in the elimination of precise aim in FPS games. I won't go into precise details on the topic as there are much better resources available to explain this which can be found at the end of the article.


Why do FPS gamers need a mouse fix?

 If your mouse travels a distance X on your mouse pad, mouse acceleration will cause your cursor to move a different distance depending on how quickly you move the mouse. Moving your mouse slowly will cause your cursor to travel less of a  distance than it would travel had you moved the same distance more quickly. The inconsistencies in the tracking results from variable acceleration result in unpredictable mouse behaviour, thus making it impossible to aim with presision and consistency.

These mouse fixes modify the Windows registry to guarantee that if you move X distance, your mouse will move the same distance regardless of how quickly the mouse is moved. A movement of X inches on your mouse pad will result in an equal distance traveled with slow or fast mouse movements, resulting in truly precise aim. I personally notice a day and night difference playing COD4 with the MarkC mouse fix on Windows 7 and can't imagine playing any FPS without it.

It is important to note that different fixes do exist and not all are compatible with different editions of Windows. As such, we will provide fix recommendations for XP, Vista, and Windows 7.


Which one is right for you?

 The CPL Mouse Fix is one of the oldest and most proven mouse fixes for gamers running Windows XP and has been used by competitive Counter-Strike and Quake players for quite some time.

The Cheese Mouse Fix works in Windows XP and Vista and is an improvement over the CPL mouse fix because it supports multiple refresh rates.

The MarkC Mouse Fix is the best fix for Windows 7 and is not compatible with XP or Vista. It redefines the curve used by the 'Enhance pointer precision' feature in the Windows mouse settings to be a completely straight line. The slope of the line is tuned so that every on-mouse-pad mouse movement is turned into exactly the same amount of on-screen pointer movement.

For help with the MarkC mouse fix, please visit his ESReality page. Mark C provides an excellent insight on all topics concerning mouse acceleration and FPS gaming on his blog, DoneWithMouseAcceleration. I highly suggest you check it out to get a better understanding of the problem of mouse acceleration and the way he went about fixing it.

I hope that this post helps you to improve your aim not only in FEAR but in all games you play on your PC.

It is important to note that you should follow the instructions for each fix VERY carefully, as there are different registry files that must be used depending on your resolution, DPI setting, and refresh rate included in different fix files and it is important that you select the right one for your setup. As with all things in life, RTFM.

Want to test out your new precise aim? Hop in our CTF server and stomp on some n00bs!

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