45 cm is the sweet spot for low-DPI gaming.

Yeah, that’s about 18 inches. Let me explain why.

A low DPI (like 400 or 800) with a low in-game sensitivity means you’ll be moving your mouse physical inches per inch of crosshair movement. To do a full 360-degree turn without picking up the mouse, you need about 40-50 cm of horizontal space. I’ve tested this. Most competitive shooters (CS, Valorant, Overwatch) put the sweet spot around 45 cm.

So don’t go smaller than 450x400 mm (roughly 18x16 inches). If you have a big desk, grab an XXL pad — 900x400 mm or even a desk mat. It gives you vertical room too. But 45 cm wide is the bare minimum where you won’t slam into edges.

A tiny 30 cm pad will have you lifting the mouse constantly. That’s slower and less consistent. Just get the right size once and forget about it.

Your wrist (and your K/D) will thank you.