If you’ve ever spent an afternoon tweaking Valorant settings to fix sluggish aim or shave a few milliseconds off your input delay, you’ve probably searched where is raw input buffer Valorant after hearing pro players and streamers rave about the feature. I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into testing small setting changes to get an edge in ranked play, and this is one adjustment that made a noticeable difference for my flick shots once I actually found it and set it up correctly. Too many players either skip this setting entirely because they can’t locate it, or mess with it without understanding what it actually does, leading to worse performance instead of better. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to use the raw input buffer feature to your advantage.
Where Is Raw Input Buffer Valorant Located In Settings?
Finding the raw input buffer setting only takes a few clicks once you know where to look, and you don’t need to restart your game for changes to take effect. First, launch Valorant and click the small gear icon in the top right corner of the home screen to open the settings menu. Select the “Settings” option from the dropdown, then navigate to the “General” tab on the far left of the menu. Scroll down until you reach the “Mouse” section, which sits right below the language and region preferences.
You’ll see the “Raw Input Buffer” toggle clearly labeled in this section, right below the mouse sensitivity slider. When you toggle the feature on, a secondary slider will appear that lets you adjust the buffer level from 1 to 8. If you don’t see the setting in the General tab, check the “Mouse” sub-tab under the “Controls” menu, as Riot occasionally moves small settings around during minor patches. You can test changes immediately by jumping into a practice range or deathmatch lobby right after adjusting the slider.
What Exactly Does Valorant’s Raw Input Buffer Do?
At its core, the raw input buffer feature lets Valorant read mouse input directly from your mouse’s driver, instead of routing it through Windows’ default mouse processing system first. Windows’ default input handling adds between 2 and 8 milliseconds of extra delay, depending on your operating system version, background processes, and installed mouse software. That might not sound like much, but in a game where duels are decided by split-second reactions, even 2ms of extra delay can mean the difference between landing a headshot and getting eliminated first.
The number on the buffer slider refers to how many mouse input frames Valorant stores at once before processing them. Lower buffer levels mean less input delay, but they require more consistent processing power from your CPU to avoid dropped inputs. Higher buffer levels add more delay, but they reduce the risk of random mouse stutters if your PC is running other programs in the background. For most modern gaming mice with 1000Hz or higher polling rates, this feature unlocks the full responsiveness you paid for when you bought your mouse.
I tested this feature side by side last month with my old 125Hz office mouse and my new 8000Hz gaming mouse, and the difference was night and day. With the office mouse, I barely noticed a difference between having the setting on or off, but with the high polling rate mouse, my flicks felt far more precise and responsive with the buffer enabled at level 1. If you have a budget gaming mouse, you’ll still see benefits even if you didn’t spend $100+ on a top-tier model.
Should You Enable Raw Input Buffer For Your Setup?
The right setting for you depends entirely on your hardware and playstyle, not just what pro players use. I’ve tested this feature across three different PCs over the past two years, and these are the general rules I follow when recommending settings to friends:
- Enable it if you use a mouse with 1000Hz polling rate or higher, as you’ll get the full benefit of reduced input delay without stability issues
- Leave it off if you run Valorant on a low-end PC with less than 8GB of RAM or a CPU older than 6 generations, as the extra processing can cause small stutters during team fights
- Stick to a buffer level of 1 or 2 for competitive play, as levels higher than 3 add unnecessary delay that cancels out any benefits of the feature
- Disable it temporarily if you notice random mouse freezes mid-game, as some third-party mouse customization software conflicts with the feature
Most pro Valorant players keep raw input buffer enabled at level 1 or 2, because it gives the most consistent aim response across different PC setups and tournament venues. That said, don’t force yourself to use it if it feels off. I have a friend who’s made it to Immortal rank with the setting turned off entirely, because he’s spent years building muscle memory with Windows’ default input processing. If you do switch it on, give yourself 2 to 3 deathmatch games to adjust before you jump into ranked play, as the more responsive input will feel a little weird at first.
If you play Valorant with a controller, this setting won’t affect your input at all. It’s only designed for mouse users, so you can ignore it entirely if you prefer controller play. You also won’t see much benefit if you’re running the game at 60fps on a 60Hz monitor, as your display and frame rate will be the biggest bottlenecks for your input response anyway.
Common Raw Input Buffer Mistakes To Avoid
Most players who have bad experiences with this feature make simple, avoidable mistakes when setting it up. The first and most common mistake is setting the buffer level too high. A lot of new players assume that a higher number means better performance, but the opposite is true here. Higher buffer levels force the game to store more input frames before processing them, which adds extra delay that cancels out any benefits of bypassing Windows input handling. I made this mistake myself when the feature first launched, setting it to 8 thinking it would make my aim faster, and I couldn’t hit a single shot for 3 whole games.
Another common mistake is using the feature with outdated mouse drivers. If your mouse drivers are more than two years old, you might experience random input drops or stutters when the raw input buffer is enabled. Take two minutes to check for driver updates for your mouse before you adjust this setting, it can save you a lot of frustration later. You should also make sure you don’t have conflicting mouse software running in the background, as some brand-specific customization tools don’t play well with Valorant’s raw input processing.
You also want to avoid changing the setting right before a ranked match. Even if you copy the exact settings of your favorite pro player, your muscle memory is tuned to the input delay you’re used to. Test any changes in deathmatch or the practice range for at least 30 minutes first to make sure it feels natural for your playstyle. If you don’t notice a difference after an hour of play, don’t feel like you have to keep it enabled. Not everyone can perceive the small changes in input delay, and playing with a setting that feels off will hurt your performance more than it helps.
Finally, don’t expect this setting to fix all your input lag issues. It’s one small part of a larger optimization setup. You’ll still need to turn off unnecessary background processes, set Valorant to high priority in your task manager, and make sure your monitor is running at its maximum refresh rate to get the best possible input response. Even with the perfect raw input buffer setting, you won’t see big improvements if you’re running the game at below 144fps on a high refresh rate monitor.
Now that you know where is raw input buffer Valorant, and how to adjust it correctly for your setup, you can tweak it to get the most responsive aim possible. Remember that there’s no one “best” setting that works for everyone, so don’t be afraid to experiment a little in unranked play to find what feels right for you. If you don’t notice a difference after testing it for a few games, that’s totally fine too. The best settings are always the ones that let you play your most consistent, comfortable game, no matter what pro players or guides recommend.
