Which is absolutely fine to start off with if you are just getting into playing FPS games on mouse and keyboard. But for the most part, use it as a baseline that you start off with and then you gradually fiddle around with to better cater it towards how you play.
But actively trying to copy a Pro’s settings or gear with the hopes that you will approve at the game you are playing is not the way to go in our opinion
Mostly because the players that play at a professional level all have had several years to learn proper game sense and how to aim. Most of them can take something like a SteelSeries QCK or a Logitech G640 and any top 10 gaming mouse off of Amazon and still outperform someone like you or me just because they know the ins and outs of the game they are playing. They have thousands of hours of experience and mechanical skill matters.
While this doesn’t mean having proper gear isn’t important, at a pro level, other factors are more important and come before gear (mouse or mousepad) such as:
- Posture
- Hydration
- Diet
- Sleep
- Breathing
But outside of those things, one of the most important parts to think about is developing game sense and how to optimize your aim, as that can go a long way compared to a new mouse/mousepad that might give you a 5-10 percent advantage.
One situation where I can actually see copying settings benefiting a person is in finding your perfect sensitivity. For someone who is completely new to playing games on a mouse and keyboard, finding a sensitivity that works for you might seem confusing. However, by copying a pro's sensitivity and using it as a baseline, then tweaking it by either making it slower or faster until you find a sensitivity that feels perfect for you, is a great place to start.
Even though a mouse might work for someone else, it might not perfectly work for you. Let’s take Gale, for example, a very prominent name in the Overwatch community. He is using the GLSSWRKS Kazemi, a glass mousepad, as his main mousepad. A glass mousepad is already a pretty hard thing to get adjusted to, but Gale makes it work, and it works with his play style as well. He mainly plays a character that relies on heavy, fast, and smooth tracking.
But while it works for him, a glass mousepad might not work for you. It could be either too fast for you or maybe you just don’t like the feeling of glass.
Or you can take someone like Kephrii, also a prominent name in the Overwatch scene. He used to use the Artisan Hien, a pretty fast mousepad but has since then switched to the Kurosun Samurai. And he also plays a ton of Windowmaker, a character that really benefits from having snappy and accurate aim. For most people, just the idea of using a faster mousepad with a character that requires a slower and more accurate play style just doesn’t work.
But for him it was working, even though for some people it might be too fast of a mousepad to use with a character like that.
So in total, a lot of things that evolve around the peripheral space all come down to personal preference. What works for you is the most important part about finding a mouse or mousepad and less so chasing what the pros are using just because they have crazy aim.
You can reach a point where you are genuinely surprised by your aim, provided you have a mouse that suits you, and you invest time in practicing how to aim better or in learning more about game sense.
Another thing to note is that a lot of pro players or even content creators are sponsored by peripheral brands. Meaning they are contracted to use peripherals made by that said company. A good example of this is someone like Shroud, a name that is quite familiar. He is contracted/sponsored by Logitech, resulting in him only using Logitech products. So that means he is using a Logitech mouse, mousepad, keyboard, and headphones.
On the other hand someone like Tenz, probably the biggest name when it comes to Valorant. Has said on stream that the superlight is the least likely mouse he would main for a long time. He is someone that likes to experiment with mice. He has been seen using like Ninjutso Sora V2 and the End Game Gear XM2we. More importantly he was using the Sora V2, a mouse that doesn’t come from the usual brands such as Logitech or Razer, at one of the Valorant Grand Finals. Just because the XM2/Sora shape just works perfectly for him. While something like the Superlight feels awkward to him.
I have seen a lot of people that go through a cycle that keeps repeating. They are doing bad in a game and blame it on their mouse or mousepad and go out and purchase something new in hopes that their new purchase will make them better instantly.
For most people, sticking to one mouse and mousepad is the best thing you can do. Switching your mouse or mousepad excessively is probably one of the worst things you can do, as you are not properly developing muscle memory. As someone who used to switch their mouse and pad on a daily basis, I can confidently say that sticking to just one combo is the best decision I have made.
Just feel more stable and more confident in my aim, as I don’t really have to worry about adjusting to a new pad or mouse as the muscle memory for the combo I have been using is already there, and I can just focus on the game.
Psychologically, every time you switch your pad or mousepad, your brain has to reset what it has learned about the mouse/mousepad you have just used and has to take some time to develop those core muscle memories for the new combination you are using.
In the peripheral space, a lot of products come out that are so hyped up that it almost feels like if you don’t buy the new shiny item, you’ll miss out. That could be a new mouse, mousepad, or keyboard that just came out that everyone is going crazy over. Unless this new piece of gear is exactly what you want when it maybe comes down to something like the shape, then just focusing on what you are currently using and building muscle control for that is the smarter option.
Instead of focusing on what the pro players use or what is currently the hyped-up product, it's better to put some research into a mouse that meets all your specific needs. Consider what you require from a mouse, such as:
- Weight: How light or heavy do you prefer your mouse to be?
- Size: Does the mouse fit well with your hand size?
- Click Feel: How light or tactile do you want the mouse clicks to be?
- Coating: What texture or material feels best in your grip?
- Skates: Are the stock mouse feet of good quality, or do they need upgrading?
Taking these into consideration would be far more beneficial than buying something your favorite pro player is using or that one mouse is being hyped up by everyone.
So at the end of the day it’s honestly best to find out what works for you and take into consideration your hand size and the ideal mouse you are after and not try to mimic someone else's setup. Try to be unique and add some of your personality when looking for your next gear purchase as it's a lot of fun to research what works for you and less so when trying to be a carbon copy of someone.
POTENT | SNEKXS