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First-person shooters (FPS) have been the most popular gaming genre in eSports these days. Not only these days, but it has been like that for decades. With the likes of Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and Battlefield, having a good FPS aim helps in achieving higher ranks, and on top of that, it gives you bragging rights among your friends and teammates.
Since the boom of FPS games in eSports in the last ten years, it is mandatory to have a near-perfect aim if you consider stepping into the world of competitive eSports or gaming. So, if your aim is not that good or your KD is taking a toll in online FPS games, then it’s about time to invest some of your energy in improving your aim. We have compiled this guide to steer you in the right direction in improving your FPS aim. So, let’s jump into it.
Choosing your equipment
Before starting, you must get your equipment right to help improve your FPS aim. Let’s now examine your configuration. Your mouse and mousepad are the two most crucial gear for precise aim. Fortunately, mouse sensor technology has progressed, making it possible to purchase a reliable rodent without spending a fortune.
Mouse
DPI, weight, and button layout are a few things to look for while shopping for the finest gaming mouse. In general, it’s recommended by professional players to use a more straightforward lighter mouse. For shooters, you probably only need one or two thumb buttons for the essential functions, and the lighter versions are much simpler to fling about the mouse pad in a hurry. Additionally, you want the fastest response speed possible because a slow mouse won’t allow you to hit targets with headshots.
Mousepad
The next item on the list is a comfy mat. Since you don’t want to have to pick up your mouse in the middle of a firefight, it is advised to acquire the largest mousepad that will fit on your desk. To move the mouse, gamers that utilize very low DPI settings must make substantially bigger hand motions. In addition, there are two ways of aiming with the mouse. One is wrist aiming, and the other way is arm aiming. Generally, it’s recommended to with the wrist if you’re comfortable with high sensitivity, but if your sensitivity is too low for a complete 180 turn, then adopt arm aiming.
Posture
You want to confirm that your body is as well. Some individuals contend that how you grasp your mouse might affect how well you perform; the three most frequently mentioned are the claw, palm, and fingertip grips, although it’s best to use whichever seems most natural. There are several dubious infographics available, but most depend on your hand size and how well it fits the mouse you use.
You also want to make sure that your eyes are at level with your monitor, not too high and not too low. If you slouch while playing, it could impact your performance, and make sure there’s plenty of space for your arms or wrists to move around freely.
Sensitivity
Regarding FPS targeting, the mouse sensitivity setting is the most crucial. However, there isn’t a magic setting or silver bullet that will instantly improve your shooting. Finding settings that give you complete control while still feeling comfortable is vital.
Your aiming capabilities also come down to what mice you use. Although a top-of-the-line sensor won’t magically make you Shroud or Tenz, it will keep your aiming consistent without hiccups. The DPI settings can influence your sensor’s throughput. Some mice perform better when DPI is set to a higher value. However, in recent years the sensors seem to perform well on higher DPI settings.
Generally speaking, it’s preferable to choose a Windows base DPI that you are comfortable with, say 800 DPI, and then test it out in a game like CS:GO. It’s easy to alter your settings to obtain the same “feel” in other games once you’ve developed a feel for your DPI and in-game sensitivity in one game. This is because you can calculate your eDPI (Effective Dots Per Inch).
Aim Trainers
Aim trainers have blown up in popularity in the past couple of years; with more emphasis on aiming well in the game, it was a need of an hour to put out aim trainers for the community. Two of the most popular aim trainers on the market right now are Kovaaks and Aim Labs. Although it’s recommended to practice your aim just by playing the game, these aim trainers are your best bet if you’re looking to improve on raw aiming skills.
In these aim trainers, there are hundreds and thousands of community-made scenarios to help you improve your aim. The fundamental aspects of aiming to enhance are Tracking and Flicking. Tracking is maintaining a constant focus on a target and moving after them. For single-shot weaponry like snipers, flickshots entail briefly aiming your crosshairs at your target before reverting to a neutral position.
You can practice the scenarios of either tracking or flicking just before playing the game. It’s recommended to train for about 30min – 1 hour and to form a routine. This way, you can avoid getting fatigued before even playing the game; this could negatively affect your gameplay and even makes your aim worse than before.
Crosshair placement
You must be familiar with crosshair placement if you’re a CS:GO or a VALORANT player. It is the way of aiming in which you always keep your crosshair at a head level. This involves quick adjustments, thinking, and reflexes to land that sweet headshot in tactical shooters. If you’re bad at flicking at your targets, having a good crosshair placement can compensate for that.
The professional players recommend improving the crosshair placement than improving your aim in general. If you only play tactical shooters such as CS:GO and VALORANT, having a good sense of placing your crosshair at a head level can help you win more duels without having to flick. However, it would help if you still had micro-adjustments to make up for the enemy player’s weird movements.