Countless Valorant players have found themselves locked out of the action for a simple yet maddening reason: the mouse just won’t work in-game. Whether it’s a total freeze, lag, or missed clicks, technical hiccups with mice are among the most common complaints in the Valorant community.
So, what’s causing this aggravation—and how can you get back in the game?
The Hidden Culprits Behind Valorant Mouse Issues
Valorant’s mouse “bugs” can emerge for a wide variety of reasons—hardware quirks, software conflicts, or even issues caused by a recent game update.
Here’s what players and tech experts say lie at the root of these problems:
- Driver and USB Issues: Outdated or corrupted mouse and USB drivers are a leading cause. Switching USB ports, or updating the drivers, can often bring a dead mouse back to life.
- Administrator Permissions: Valorant may not always be granted the permission it needed to interact with your hardware. Running the game as an administrator has fixed the problem for many users.
- Background Software Conflicts: Overlay programs (like Discord or NVIDIA GeForce Experience), mouse configuration tools (Logitech G Hub, Corsair iCUE), and even gamepads/controllers plugged into your PC may trigger conflicts that disable your mouse in Valorant. Disabling, updating, or uninstalling these can help.
- System Settings & Windows Bugs: Problems such as “Enhanced Pointer Precision” being enabled in Windows, or certain Windows game settings (like “Game Mode”), can interfere with mouse input.
- Faulty or Over-Active Hardware: Sometimes, the mouse itself is at fault—wireless mouse battery issues, malfunctioning hardware, or even dirt around the sensor can cause strange behavior.
- In-Game or Patch-Related Bugs: Occasionally, a Valorant patch will introduce a mouse-specific issue. When this happens, user forums often fill with complaints and community-discovered workarounds as everyone waits for an official fix.
How to Fix It: Troubleshooting Steps
Get back online with these widely recommended troubleshooting steps:
- Restart Valorant and Your Computer: Sometimes, a simple reboot works wonders. Try ALT+F4 to quit the game entirely, restart your PC, and relaunch Valorant.
- Run as Administrator: Right-click Valorant’s icon and select “Run as administrator”—this solves the problem for many.
- Update or Reinstall Mouse Drivers: Open Device Manager, find your mouse, and update its drivers. If that fails, uninstall and reinstall the drivers.
- Try Different USB Ports & Mice: Plug your mouse into a new USB port. Test a different mouse if possible to rule out hardware failure.
- Disable Overlays and Background Apps: Turn off overlays or close software like Discord, GeForce, or Logitech G Hub. Uninstall or update them if necessary.
- Reset Valorant and Windows Settings: Reset in-game settings to default and turn off Windows “Game Mode” or “Enhanced Pointer Precision” in the mouse settings.
- Keep Mouse Moving During Launch: A quirky workaround: move your mouse while Valorant loads. It sounds odd, but many users have reported that this prevents Valorant from “forgetting” your device.
- Reinstall Valorant or Riot Vanguard: As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the game or Riot’s anti-cheat system; corrupted files can be to blame.
The Frustration—and the Fix
While Valorant’s competitive environment demands peak performance, even tiny hardware or software misfires can ruin a session. The silver lining? Most mouse-related issues are fixable with a bit of troubleshooting like updating drivers, changing ports, or tinkering with a few settings. If all else fails, reporting the bug to Riot’s support team is the best path for stubborn problems.
Whether you’re fighting through mouse lag, missed clicks, or a totally unresponsive pointer, know you’re not alone—and there’s almost always a solution a few clicks away.
Written by:
Christian