Apex Legends is a game where you slide, strafe in the air and swap between close-range tracking and longer shots, often within a few seconds. That makes the sensitivity setting more than a number to copy from a video: it decides whether your arm can follow a moving target and still land a quick turn when someone appears behind you.
This guide explains what the number really means, gives tables you can read at 400, 800 and 1600 DPI, shows how to bring a Valorant or CS2 setting across, and ends with a two-week plan so you stop changing values every night. Everything is built on one formula, and the arithmetic is shown so you can check it yourself.
How Apex turns hand movement into a turn
Every shooter converts mouse counts into rotation with a fixed value called yaw: the degrees the camera turns for one count at sensitivity 1. Apex Legends uses a yaw of 0.022, exactly the same as CS2. Your mouse sends DPI counts for every inch it moves, so the distance you need for a full turn is:
cm/360° = 360 ÷ (yaw × sensitivity × DPI) × 2.54
Take a worked example. At 800 DPI and an Apex sensitivity of 1.5, the product 0.022 × 1.5 × 800 is 26.4 degrees per inch of hand travel. Dividing 360 by 26.4 gives 13.64 inches, and multiplying by 2.54 gives about 34.6 cm. That is the distance your mouse covers for a complete rotation.
Because the yaw is shared with CS2, an Apex number and a CS2 number with the same DPI feel identical in horizontal speed. You can compute any of this instantly with the DPI and eDPI calculator, which shows eDPI and cm/360° for the selected game.
cm/360 for common Apex sensitivities
The table below lists the hand distance for a full turn at the three most common DPI settings. It uses yaw 0.022, so the values match the CS2 table. The last column is eDPI (DPI × sensitivity) at 800 DPI.
| Apex sens | 400 DPI | 800 DPI | 1600 DPI | eDPI @800 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 208 cm | 104 cm | 52 cm | 400 |
| 1.0 | 104 cm | 52 cm | 26 cm | 800 |
| 1.5 | 69.3 cm | 34.6 cm | 17.3 cm | 1200 |
| 2.0 | 52 cm | 26 cm | 13 cm | 1600 |
| 2.5 | 41.6 cm | 20.8 cm | 10.4 cm | 2000 |
| 3.0 | 34.6 cm | 17.3 cm | 8.66 cm | 2400 |
Notice how the same sensitivity changes meaning with DPI: Apex 1.0 is 104 cm per turn at 400 DPI but only 26 cm at 1600 DPI. Doubling the DPI halves the distance. That is why a sensitivity quoted without its DPI tells you almost nothing, a point covered in detail in the eDPI guide.
Which range to start in
Many Apex players sit roughly between 25 and 45 cm/360°. That is an approximate range, not a rule, and there is a lot of spread on both sides. Beginners often play too fast, below about 25 cm/360°, which makes small corrections jumpy. A good starting point is the middle of the range, around 35 cm.
To pick a value, find your DPI column and read the sensitivity for the distance you want. This table is the inverse of the previous one.
| Target cm/360 | 400 DPI | 800 DPI | 1600 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| 25 | 4.16 | 2.08 | 1.04 |
| 30 | 3.46 | 1.73 | 0.866 |
| 35 | 2.97 | 1.48 | 0.742 |
| 40 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.649 |
| 45 | 2.31 | 1.15 | 0.577 |
| 50 | 2.08 | 1.04 | 0.52 |
| 60 | 1.73 | 0.866 | 0.433 |
For instance, at 800 DPI the 25 to 45 cm band corresponds to sensitivities from 2.08 down to 1.15, and 35 cm is 1.48. At 400 DPI the same band is 4.16 down to 2.31. If you use 1600 DPI, you would be working with values near 1.04 to 0.577, where each 0.01 step is a large jump, which is one reason 400 or 800 DPI is easier to fine-tune. Settings above about 1600 DPI give no real aiming advantage.
Hipfire versus ADS
Apex has a general sensitivity that applies when you shoot from the hip, and separate aim-down-sights settings that apply when you zoom in. The conversion and the tables in this guide describe the hipfire value, which is the one that controls how you turn, track and look around.
ADS multipliers exist so that zoomed optics do not feel faster than they should. In Apex, they are adjustable per optic, but this guide does not give specific multiplier values, because they are not part of the facts used here. The practical advice is to settle your hipfire sensitivity first, leave the ADS values alone for a few days, and only then change them if a particular optic feels too slow or too fast.
- Change one thing at a time: hipfire first, ADS afterwards.
- Keep a note of the old value so you can return to it.
- Test ADS in a practice range against a moving target, not against a wall.
Why movement changes the answer
Apex gives you sliding, air control and a field of view slider, so the same cm/360° can feel different from a tactical shooter with fixed movement. A wider field of view makes targets look smaller and the crosshair seem to cross the screen faster, while a narrower one does the opposite. If you change your FOV, expect the feel of an unchanged sensitivity to shift a little.
Fights in Apex also tend to demand a mix of two skills. Tracking asks for smooth, small adjustments, which usually favors a slightly slower sensitivity and a stable arm. Flicking and quick 180° turns favor a faster one. A sensible compromise is to stay in the middle of the range and rely on a comfortable grip rather than pushing to either extreme. If your mousepad is small, a very low sensitivity also means running out of space, so check how much room you actually have; a 35 cm turn needs a comfortable stretch of desk.
Another point: your sensitivity is not just the setting, it also depends on how you hold the mouse. The aim routine guide explains how short, regular practice helps you judge whether a value suits you.
Converting from Valorant or CS2
Conversion works on distance. With the same DPI in both games, the result does not depend on DPI at all, only on the ratio of yaws. From Valorant (0.07) to Apex (0.022), multiply by 0.07 ÷ 0.022, which is about 3.18. From Apex to Valorant, multiply by about 0.314. CS2 and Apex share the same yaw, so CS2 to Apex is 1:1.
| Valorant | Apex (x 3.18) | Apex | Valorant (x 0.314) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.30 | 0.95 | 1.0 | 0.314 |
| 0.35 | 1.11 | 1.5 | 0.471 |
| 0.40 | 1.27 | 2.0 | 0.629 |
| 0.50 | 1.59 | 2.5 | 0.786 |
As a worked example, suppose your Valorant sensitivity is 0.35 at 800 DPI. That is an eDPI of 280 and about 46.7 cm/360°. Multiplying 0.35 by 3.18 gives roughly 1.11 in Apex, which at 800 DPI lands on the same 46.7 cm. If you play CS2 at 1.0, use 1.0 in Apex.
You can skip the arithmetic with the sensitivity converter, or open the ready-made pages Valorant to Apex and Apex to Valorant. For a broader explanation of the method, see the conversion guide.
A two-week plan to settle on one value
Changing sensitivity every session prevents muscle memory from forming. As an example plan, suppose you play at 800 DPI and start at Apex 1.5, which is 34.6 cm/360°.
- Days 1 to 7: keep 1.5 and do not touch it. Play normally and note whether you tend to overshoot targets (too fast) or run out of mousepad (too slow).
- Day 8: take one step only. If you overshoot, try 1.3; the formula gives 360 ÷ (0.022 × 1.3 × 800) × 2.54, about 40 cm. If you run out of space, try 1.7, about 30.6 cm.
- Days 8 to 14: stay on the new value for the whole week.
- Day 15: compare. Keep the one that felt more controllable, and stop testing.
Add a quick check with the sensitivity test, which recreates the cm/360° of each round from your game and DPI and suggests a value from your speed and misses. Treat it as a starting estimate, not a verdict, and confirm it in real matches.
Common mistakes
- Copying a number without the DPI. Apex 1.0 is 52 cm at 800 DPI but 104 cm at 400 DPI. Always compare cm/360°.
- Comparing eDPI across games. Apex 1600 eDPI equals CS2 1600 eDPI because the yaw is the same, but it is not comparable with Valorant.
- Leaving mouse acceleration on. Turn off pointer acceleration, and use raw input, otherwise the same movement gives different turns.
- Raising DPI to feel faster. More than roughly 1600 DPI gives no real aiming benefit; adjust the in-game value instead.
- Testing for one evening. A new value usually feels wrong for a few days before it feels right.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Apex Legends sensitivity at 800 DPI?
Many players sit roughly between 25 and 45 cm/360°, which at 800 DPI is Apex sensitivity 2.08 down to 1.15. A midpoint such as 1.5 (34.6 cm) is a sensible place to start, then adjust slowly.
Is Apex sensitivity the same as CS2?
The yaw is identical at 0.022, so with the same DPI an Apex value equals the same CS2 value; for example, 1.5 at 800 DPI is 34.6 cm/360° in both. Scoped and ADS settings still follow each game's own rules.
How do I convert Valorant 0.4 to Apex?
Multiply by about 3.18, so 0.4 becomes roughly 1.27 at any DPI as long as you use the same DPI in both games. At 800 DPI both give about 40.8 cm/360°.
Should I change my DPI or my in-game sensitivity?
Change the in-game value in small steps and keep DPI fixed at 400 or 800. For example, going from 1.5 to 1.3 at 800 DPI lengthens a turn from 34.6 cm to about 40 cm.
How long should I test a new sensitivity?
Give it about a week before judging. The two-week plan above uses 7 days on each value, then picks one and stops testing.
Apex sensitivity comes down to one distance, cm/360°, and one yaw of 0.022. Read your DPI column in the tables, start near 35 cm if you are unsure, change one value at a time and give each test a week. When you want exact numbers for your own DPI, use the sensitivity converter and keep the result for the full two weeks.