Mouse acceleration changes how far your crosshair moves based on the speed of your mouse movement — not just the distance. This sounds intuitive but it's catastrophic for aim consistency.
Why Acceleration Destroys Muscle Memory
Muscle memory for aiming relies on a consistent relationship between physical movement and in-game movement. With acceleration, a 10cm mouse movement at slow speed might rotate you 45°, but the same 10cm at fast speed might rotate you 90°. Your brain can't build reliable spatial memory under these conditions.
How to Disable in Windows
1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Mouse 2. Additional mouse settings → Pointer Options 3. Uncheck 'Enhance pointer precision'
This disables Windows mouse acceleration. Also check in-game settings — Valorant doesn't add any by default, but some mice add it at the hardware level.
The Exception: Raw Accel
Some pro players use Raw Accel (a custom acceleration driver) deliberately, tuned to a specific acceleration curve. This is not the same as Windows default acceleration — it's intentional and precisely calibrated. Beginners should always start with zero acceleration.