How to change mouse wheel sensitivity in FiveM

Mouse wheel sensitivity in FiveM is controlled through the game's settings file, not through an in-game menu. You'll edit a configuration file called settings.xml, which stores your control preferences. The setting you're looking for is called MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER, and changing its value makes the wheel respond faster or slower to your input.

The process takes about two minutes and requires only a text editor. If you've never edited a settings file before, the steps below walk you through exactly where to find it and what to change. The file is plain text, so Notepad or any basic text editor will work—you don't need special software.

Key Takeaways

  • Mouse wheel sensitivity is stored in settings.xml, located in your FiveM application data folder at %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data, not in the game directory itself.
  • The MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER value controls sensitivity; higher numbers make the wheel more responsive, lower numbers make it less responsive.
  • You edit the file with Notepad or any plain text editor, then restart FiveM for the change to take effect.
  • If you can't find settings.xml, you may need to launch FiveM once to generate the file, or enable viewing hidden folders in Windows.
  • XML files are strict about formatting, so match the spacing and brackets of existing lines exactly when adding or editing the setting.

Locating your settings.xml file

The settings.xml file lives in your FiveM application data folder, not in your game installation directory. On Windows, this folder is hidden by default. To find it, open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar: %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data. Windows will automatically expand %localappdata% to your actual user folder, and you'll be taken directly to the right location.

If that path doesn't work or the folder appears empty, you may need to enable viewing hidden files. In File Explorer, click the View tab at the top, then check the box next to "Hidden items." Try the path again. If settings.xml still doesn't exist, launch FiveM once and close it; the file will be created on first run. This is normal—FiveM generates the settings file the first time you start the game.

Once you've found the data folder, look for settings.xml in the file list. It will have a small text document icon next to it. If you see multiple folders but no settings.xml file, make sure you're in the correct path and that hidden files are visible.

Opening and editing the file

Right-click on settings.xml and select "Open with," then choose Notepad or any plain text editor. Do not use Microsoft Word or a rich-text editor—these add formatting that will break the file and prevent FiveM from reading it. Once the file is open, use Ctrl+F to search for MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER.

You'll see a line that looks like this: <setting name="MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER" value="1.0" />. The number after value= is what you'll change. The default is 1.0. Increase it to make the wheel more sensitive (try 1.5 or 2.0), or decrease it to make the wheel less sensitive (try 0.5 or 0.3). For example, changing 1.0 to 2.0 doubles how responsive the wheel is to each scroll.

After you've made your change, save the file using Ctrl+S. Make sure the file still shows as settings.xml and not settings.xml.txt—some text editors add an extension by default. If that happens, rename the file back to settings.xml before closing.

Testing your new sensitivity

Close FiveM completely if it's running, then reopen it. The new wheel sensitivity will take effect immediately when the game loads. If the change feels too extreme, close FiveM again, edit the value a second time, and test again. Most players find values between 0.5 and 2.0 comfortable, but your preference depends on what you're doing in-game and your personal mouse habits.

If you want to return to the default, simply change the value back to 1.0, save, and restart FiveM. You can experiment with different values without any risk—the worst that happens is the wheel feels wrong until you adjust it again.

What to do if the setting doesn't appear in your file

If you search for MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER and it doesn't exist, you can add it manually. Find a line in the settings.xml file that looks similar—any other setting with the same format—and add a new line right after it. Type: <setting name="MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER" value="1.0" />. Make sure the spacing and angle brackets match the lines around it exactly, then save and restart FiveM.

If you're unsure whether you've formatted it correctly, compare your new line to an existing one character by character. XML files are strict about formatting, so even a missing space or bracket will cause problems. Look for settings that have the same structure—they'll all follow the pattern of <setting name="[NAME]" value="[NUMBER]" />.

Troubleshooting common issues

If FiveM won't start after you edit settings.xml, the file likely has a formatting error. Close FiveM, open settings.xml again, and look for missing angle brackets, mismatched quotes, or extra spaces around the MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER line. If you're not sure what went wrong, delete the line you added or changed, save the file, and restart FiveM. The game will use its default value instead and should launch normally.

If the wheel sensitivity hasn't changed after you restart FiveM, double-check that you saved the file. Some text editors require you to explicitly save; Ctrl+S confirms the save. Also verify that you edited the correct settings.xml file in the %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data folder, not a different one elsewhere on your computer. It's easy to accidentally edit the wrong file if you have multiple copies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good starting value if I want the wheel to be less sensitive?

Start with 0.5 or 0.7 and test it. If it's still too fast, try 0.3. If it's too slow, move back up to 0.6. You can adjust in small increments once you find the ballpark that feels right for your playstyle.

Can I set the wheel sensitivity to zero?

Technically yes, but it will disable the wheel entirely. A value of 0 means no response at all. If you want the wheel to barely respond, use 0.1 or 0.2 instead.

Does this setting affect only FiveM or my entire system?

Only FiveM. The MOUSE_WHEEL_MULTIPLIER setting is stored in FiveM's own configuration file, so it won't change how the wheel works in other programs or on your desktop.

Will my sensitivity setting stay if I update FiveM?

Usually yes. FiveM updates typically preserve your settings.xml file. However, it's always safe to write down your preferred value in case you need to re-enter it after a major update.

What if I want different sensitivity for different servers?

The settings.xml file applies to all FiveM servers you join. There's no built-in way to have different sensitivities per server, so you'll need to use one value that works across all your gameplay.