A lot of gaming accessory companies have been advertising gaming mice with extremely high sensitivities. In fact if anything, the sensitivities in these mice seem to be increasing with every new version that is released, but apparently if you are concerned about your health in the long-run, maybe playing with such a high sensitivity setting might not be the best idea.
This is according to a recent post by Dr. Levi Harrison in which he suggested that there might be a link between those who play on a higher DPI and repetitive stress injury (RSI). According to Harrison, “In observing high sensitivity play, it is clear that there is more of an isolation of the hand and wrist in regards to movement. These players will flick their wrists aggressively, hence engaging the anatomical structures that are at risk for developing RSI including the carpal tunnel, the wrist, joints, tendons, etc.”
If you have ever watch professional gamers play games like StarCraft or any FPS title, you might have an inkling as to what Harrison could be talking about (or watch the video above if you don’t). The idea behind high sensitivity gaming mice is that the higher sensitivity allows users to travel greater distances on the screen with less physical movement, thus allowing players to scan a map or move their characters around without having to drag the mouse all over the mousepad.
However as Harrison points out, this can lead to some unnatural movement. He adds that using a lower DPI might be a better idea. “Low sensitivity on the other hand seems to encourage a more controlled style of play, which is conducive to keeping the wrist in a neutral position, hence promoting proper ergonomics.” Now this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use high sensitivity mice, but rather if you do require such a mouse, it’s probably a good idea to take breaks in between its use rather than marathoning your gaming sessions.
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