Windows 11 is finally getting mouse settings that let you avoid the Control Panel

I've been waiting for this for years. One of the first things I do when I configure a new Windows 11 PC is disable "Enhance pointer precision" inside the old Control Panel and reverse my scroll wheel using the Registry Editor. Soon, I'll be able to go into the modern-looking Windows 11 Settings interface to control both of these settings.

Windows tracker PhantomOfEarth has discovered that Microsoft is secretly working on adding these options to the Windows 11 Settings interface. The latest Canary build of Windows 11 released earlier today includes these options in Settings, but they're currently hidden behind a flag.

Windows laptop users have been able to reverse the scrolling direction on a touchpad for years, but it always puzzled me why desktop PC users have to resort to registry keys to change something as basic as mouse scrolling direction or rely on a third-party mouse manufacturer to provide software that enables it. Apple has had this built into macOS for years for the mouse, which is typically set to scroll during a downward motion on the mouse wheel. Similarly, increasing the precision of the pointer is something PC gamers usually disable. I love playing first-person shooters with this setting disabled, but you always have to go into “Advanced Mouse Settings” to access this setting or go to the dedicated Mouse Control Panel with its outdated-looking UI. For someone who uses their PC for gaming and regularly switches between macOS and Windows, these two mouse settings are definitely a welcome addition to Windows 11. Microsoft hasn't officially acknowledged that these settings are coming, but given that they're just about to enter testing, I expect to see them in Windows 11 for everyone later this year.