Pointing Device Gain

The ratio between the movement of a physical input device (such as a mouse or trackball) and the resulting movement of the cursor on screen, typically measured in pixels per inch of device movement. Higher gain means the cursor moves further for a given physical movement. In Windows, gain is adjustable on a scale of 1 to 20 with a default of 10 (approximately 400 pixels per inch). Gain settings are particularly important for users with physical impairments — people with spastic movements may need lower gain to maintain control, while those with limited range of motion may need higher gain to reach all areas of the screen.