Best Counter Strike 2 Settings: Audio, Crosshair, Graphics & More

Counter-Strike 2 has been released, and you’ve got it installed to relive the fun of CS: GO and check out the new stuff. The big difference in CS2 is that it uses a better engine called Source 2, which makes the game look prettier with improved graphics and maps. However, this new engine needs more computer power, so let’s talk about adjusting the game’s graphics settings to make it run smoothly on your PC and get the best performance.

Window Settings And Optimizations for Counter-Strike 2

In this section of our guide, we’ll adjust a few things in your Windows 10 or 11 settings to make your game run faster and more smoothly so you don’t run into problems like frame drops.

Update Your Windows to Its Latest Version

Before diving into the guide, ensure your Windows is all caught up with the latest updates. These updates fix problems and bring in some new features that we’ll discuss later, improving your gaming experience.

1. Open Search and type “Check For Updates.”
2. Click on Check for Updates, which should take you to the Windows updates section.
3. If there are updates available, then download and install them. If now, your system has the latest updates installed, and you’re good to go.
   

   

Enabling Game Mode

Game Mode is a handy Windows 10 and 11 feature that’s great for gamers. It helps your games run better by making your computer pay extra attention to them. This can make your games work faster and smoother. And if you ever notice other programs causing your computer to slow down while you’re gaming, Game Mode steps in and shuts them down so your game can perform much better.

1. Go To Start and type “Game Mode.”
2. Click on the first result to enter the gaming section of settings.
3. Here, enable “Game Mode,” and that’s it.

Set Counter Strike 2 to “High Priority”

While the game is running, do the following:

1. Open task manager.
2. Click on Counter Strike 2 and select “Go to Details.”
3. Here, you’ll see the main process that’s running Counter Strike 2. Simply right-click on it and set its priority to “High.”

This will allow your PC to prioritize CSGO’s 2 performance and reduce system resources towards other background processes.

Enabling Ultimate Performance

Windows’ “Ultimate Performance” mode is like putting your computer into overdrive. It makes your CPU and GPU work as fast as they can all the time, not just when they need to. This helps your computer use all its power without any limits.

When you switch on this mode, you’ll see a big boost in how well Counter Strike 2 runs, and Windows itself will feel more responsive. But be aware that turning on this feature involves following certain steps.

1. Go to Start and type “Windows PowerShell.”
2. Open the first result With Administrator Privileges.
   
3. Copy and paste this code into Windows PowerShell.
   “powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02 -d5df -448d -aa00 -03f14749eb61”
4. After you have entered the code, click Start again and type “Edit Power Plan.”
5. Once Opened, Proceed to Power Options.
   

   

1. Now Select Ultimate Performance in the plan, and if you were unable to find it. Click on the arrow in Hidden Additional Plans, and you will find it.
   

   

Disabling Heavy Start-Up Programs

Doesn’t it bug you when your computer takes forever to start because a bunch of programs like Discord, Steam, Skype, or games open automatically? If you don’t need them right away, turning them off can make your computer start faster and run smoother.

How? It’s pretty easy. Just do this to terminate unnecessary programs:

1. Open Task Manager and go to the “Startup” tab. 
2. Here, identify the programs that are important to you. For the programs that you don’t need immediately when your PC boots up, simply right-click on them and select “Disable”.

This will disable unwanted programs from starting with Windows and start hogging your system resources immediately.

Disabling Full-Screen Optimization

Players also mentioned in CSGO that when enabled, CSGO behaves strangely, making it impossible to minimize the game. Enabling this feature makes running Discord in the background impossible, but CSGO does run with consistent frame rates. It’s essential to test FPS with both Full-Screen Optimization enabled and disabled because its performance can change with updates. Applying the same scenario in Counter Strike 2

So, to disable this feature, follow the steps below:

1. First, you’ll need to browse your local install files. For that, open Steam, right-click on Counter Strike 2, and go to “Properties.”
2. In Properties, go to the “Local Files” tab and Click On Browse Game Local Files.
   

   

3. Now, you’ll be in the install directory of CS2. Simply right-click on the main executable file (.exe) and click on properties. This will open up a window. Go to the “Compatibility” tab here.  

   

4. Simply check the option that says “Disable full-screen optimizations,” and that’s it.

Disabling Unnecessary Animations

To make sure CS2 runs smoothly with a steady frame rate, you should disable unnecessary “fancy animations.” This helps your computer’s CPU and memory work more efficiently, making your PC and games feel faster and more responsive.

To do this, simply follow the instructions below:

1. Open Start and Search & open “View Advanced System Settings.”
2. Head to the settings tab under Performance, In Visual Effects, Select Custom.
3. Disable the rest of the options, and only enable “Show Thumbnails Instead of Icons” and “Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts.”
   

   

4. After Applying the changes, you will already notice something different and better.

Disable the Game Bar and Captures

Have you ever been playing games and seen those Xbox or Game Bar notifications pop up? While you can ignore them, sometimes they can accidentally start recording your gameplay. Plus, these notifications can stack up in the action center, which can cause issues in Counter Strike 2. To improve your game’s performance, it’s a good idea to turn off this feature.

1. Open Start and type “Game Mode”.
2. Now Proceed to The Game Bar and Captures Tab. Disable and lower down everything you see.
   

   

3. Go To Start Agan, Search, and “Open Focus Assist.”
4. You can disable or configure everything according to your Counter Strike 2 schedule.

Cleaning Up Your Useless Files

Over time, your computer can gather unnecessary files that slow it down. When these files pile up, they can lead to problems like your computer not running smoothly or even crashing. It’s a good idea to clean up these unneeded files to avoid these issues occasionally.

These files can also make Counter Strike 2 run worse, causing it to have lower frame rates and not perform as well. Many players have installed Counter Strike 2 on their C drive, and even after you’ve emptied your computer’s recycle bin, some temporary files can still stick around. Here’s how to eliminate these temporary files and clean up your computer. Just ensure you do it on the drive where Counter Strike 2 is installed.

First, clean up the cache and temp files through the following method:

1. Go To Start, type “Run” and open it. Once it’s opened, enter “%temp%” and click OK.
   

   

2. There are all the junk files that are accumulating in your system. Simply select all the files and delete them without a second thought. Don’t worry. You won’t lose your personal data after deleting these files.  

Windows provides a first-party tool to clean up these leftover files. Here’s how to use it.

1. Open Windows search and type “Disk Cleanup”. Open the first result that comes up. 
2. Select the drive you want to clean junk from and click OK. 
3. After some time, a window will pop up. You can either check all boxes and delete basic junk files here or click “Clean up System Files” to perform the advanced cleanup.

1. If you choose “Clean up System Files,” you’ll be prompted to select the drive again and click OK.
2. This window will pop up. Simply select all the boxes and click on OK to start the cleanup.

Warning: If you use the advanced cleanup option, it will delete old Windows data. So, if you ever want to return to your previous Windows setup, you won’t be able to do that after selecting “Windows Update Cleanup.”

Nvidia and AMD offer many settings in their control panels that can make your games run better. It’s easy to adjust these settings, but knowing which ones are best for improving Counter Strike 2‘s performance can be a bit tricky. So, in this guide, I’ll explain how to change these settings for both AMD and Nvidia step by step to make Counter Strike 2 run smoother. Let’s start!

Best Nvidia Settings for Counter Strike 2

In this part of the guide, we’ll adjust the settings for your graphics card. While you can change graphics options within Counter Strike 2 itself, tweaking the Nvidia Control Panel’s 3D Settings can have a more significant impact.

The settings we suggest strike a good balance and should give you high FPS while maintaining excellent visual quality for spotting enemies. Just make sure your Nvidia drivers are up to date. You can either check for updates on the Nvidia website or use GeForce Experience to do so.

Quick note: The changes you make in the Global Settings of the Nvidia Control Panel will affect all your games. If you want to adjust settings specifically for Counter Strike 2, head to “Program Settings” and add Counter Strike 2 as an application there. This way, your settings will only apply to Counter Strike 2.

Nvidia Control Panel Settings for Counter Strike 2

1. To navigate to the Nvidia control panel settings for Counter Strike 2, access the Nvidia Control panel from the Desktop.
2. Click on “3D Application Settings” and go to program settings.
3. Select Counter Strike 2 in the “Select a program to customize” section.
4. Select your dedicated graphics card in the “preferred graphics process” section. Please note this section is only valid if you’re playing on a gaming laptop.
5. Now, you can easily customize the control panel settings for CS2.

Set the Nvidia program settings for Counter Strike 2 as follows:

1. Image Sharpening can be set according to your preference. Try setting it to 50 and changing it as per requirement
2. Set Anisotropic filtering to OFF
3. Turn Ambient Occlusion OFF
4. Set Antialiasing FXAA to OFF
5. Put Antialiasing Gamma Correction to ON
6. Turn Antialiasing Mode to OFF
7. CUDA – GPUs to ALL
8. Turn DSR Factors Off
9. Put Low Latency Mode to OFF
10. Set Max Frame Rate to OFF to uncap FPS
11. Monitor Technology is an optional option. If your monitor supports G-Sync, then choose it; otherwise, OFF
12. Turn Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA) OFF
13. Put your main GPU in the OpenGL Rendering GPU option
14. Set Power Management Mode to Prefer Maximum Performance
15. Preferred Refresh Rate (Your Monitor) – Select the highest available value
16. Put Shader Cache On
17. Turn ON Texture Filtering Anisotropic Sample Optimization
18. Set Texture Filtering Negative LOD Bias to Allow
19. Turn Texture Filtering Quality to High Performance
20. Enable Texture Filtering as Trilinear Optimization
21. Set Threaded Optimization to On
22. Turn OFF Triple Buffering
23. Turn Vertical Sync (VSYNC) OFF
24. Put Virtual Reality pre-rendered Frames to 1

Nvidia Color Settings for Counter Strike 2

Want to make the game visuals clear and vibrant? Just follow these settings. Note that colors differ from Monitor to Monitor, and you might not get the result I’m getting in some cases. Anyhow, it is worth the attempt to give it a try.

1. Set Brightness Level to + 55%
2. Set Contrast Level to + 50%
3. Change Gamma to + 1.10

Enhancements

1. Fully Increase Digital Vibrance to 100%. This will make your graphics very vibrant.
2. Set Hue to 0.

AMD Radeon Settings for Counter Strike 2

AMD Users, don’t worry; we have you covered with the best settings for performance and visuals.

We have tried and tested dozens of settings, but these are the most balanced. First, make sure that your AMD Drivers are updated to the latest version. You can check and download the latest drivers from this page.

After you’re done checking for the latest drivers, follow these settings below:

Go to AMD Control Panel and open the gaming tab to locate the Counter Strike 2 executable. 

Locate the Counter Strike 2 executable in the AMD Control Panel

After you’ve located/added CS2 in the AMD Control Panel, click on it to configure its settings.

AMD Control Panel Settings for CS2

Set the AMD profile graphic settings for CS2  as follows:

1. Graphics Profile: eSports
2. Raden Anti-Lag – Enabled
3. Raden Chill – Disabled
4. Radeon Image Sharpening – Enabled
5. Sharpness – Personal preference, but I prefer anything above 50
6. Radeon Enhanced Sync – Disabled
7. Wait for Vertical Refresh – Always off
8. Anti-Aliasing Level – 2X
9. Select Multisampling in the Anti-Aliasing Method
10. Disable Morphological Anti-Aliasing
11. Disable Anisotropic Filtering
12. Select Performance in Texture Filtering Quality
13. Anti-Aliasing – Override Application Settings
14. Select Performance Under Texture Filtering Quality
15. Enable Surface Format Optimization
16. Tessellation Mode – Override Application Settings
17. Maximum Tessellation Level – 8x
18. OpenGL Triple Buffering – Disable

And there you have it. Use your PC’s appropriate GPU control panel settings and enjoy an amazing performance in Counter Strike 2.

Best Counter Strike 2 Video Settings

In the case of Counter Strike 2, the visuals have improved over time, although the improvements haven’t been drastic. This is actually a positive thing because it means Counter Strike 2 hasn’t become overly demanding on your GPU (graphics card). To achieve the best performance, you’ll need to explore and optimize certain video settings, which can lead to higher FPS. More FPS generally results in a smoother and more responsive game, giving you an advantage over your in-game opponents.

Basic Video Settings

1. Main menu background scenery: In Counter Strike 2, you can choose any background scenery you prefer for the main menu. This setting allows you to personalize your gaming experience and set a visual tone that suits your style.
2. Color mode: Setting the Color mode to “Computer Monitor” ensures that the colors in the game are displayed accurately. This is crucial for a true and vibrant representation of the in-game visuals, making it easier to spot opponents and objects.
3. Brightness: Adjusting the Brightness to 110% can be particularly beneficial for enhancing visibility in dark or shadowy areas of the game. It ensures that details aren’t lost in low-light situations, giving you an advantage in spotting enemies.
4. Aspect Ratio: The Aspect Ratio of 16:9 is recommended for Counter Strike 2. Many players have found that this ratio provides a more comfortable and visually pleasing experience, contributing to improved gameplay.
5. Resolution: Opt for a Resolution of 1920×1080. This choice aligns with the widely adopted standard for Full HD displays and offers sharp and clear visuals, enhancing your overall gaming experience.
6. Display mode: Selecting “Fullscreen” as the Display mode immerses you completely in the game environment by utilizing your entire screen. This mode typically results in smoother gameplay and can prevent distractions from other desktop elements.
7. Refresh rate: Maximize the Refresh rate to take full advantage of your monitor’s capabilities. Higher refresh rates lead to smoother motion and reduce screen tearing, enhancing the overall fluidity of your Counter Strike 2 gameplay.
8. Laptop power savings: For laptop users, it’s crucial to disable Laptop power savings. This ensures that your laptop’s power-saving features do not interfere with the game’s performance, enabling your system to operate at its optimal capacity during CS2 sessions.

These were the basic settings. Let’s jump ahead to the advanced settings where real performance gains can be made. 

Advanced Video Settings

1. Boost player contrast: Disable this option. Enabling it can make it harder to spot players, particularly in low-light conditions.
2. Wait for vertical sync: Make sure this is disabled. Vertical sync can introduce input lag, so turning it off will result in more responsive gameplay.
3. Current video values preset: Set this to “Custom” to have control over specific settings
4. Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode: Choose “4X MSAA” for improved image quality with anti-aliasing, which helps smooth out jagged edges.
5. Global Shadow Quality: Set to “High” or “Medium” based on your preference. Higher settings offer better visual quality, but the medium can help improve performance.
6. Model / Texture Detail: Opt for “Medium” to strike a balance between visual quality and performance.
7. Texture Filtering Mode: Select “Bilinear” for smoother textures, which can be easier on your system.
8. Shader Detail: Choose “Low” to reduce the complexity of shaders, potentially boosting performance.
9. Particle Detail: Set this to “Low” to reduce the visual effects of particles, which can help maintain performance.
10. Ambient Occlusion: Disable Ambient Occlusion for better performance, as it can be demanding on your GPU.
11. High Dynamic Range: Opt for “Quality” to enhance lighting and visuals in the game.
12. FidelityFX Super Resolution: Keep this disabled for now, as it may not be fully optimized or compatible with Counter Strike 2.
13. NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: Enable this feature for reduced input lag and a more responsive gaming experience, particularly if you have an NVIDIA graphics card.

And there you have it, you have the best in-game video settings to boost your fps in Counter Strike 2. 

Counter-Strike 2 Audio Settings In-Game

Counter Strike 2, you can adjust how the game sounds to fit your preferences, but there’s no one-size-fits-all setting. It’s like tuning your radio to your favorite station. Surprisingly, many players don’t pay much attention to these audio settings. That’s a big mistake because sound is super important in games like Counter Strike 2. Listening to things like gunshots and footsteps helps you know where enemies are.

The type of headphones you use also matters. With a good pair, you can hear things like footsteps more clearly. Plus, there are some settings in the game that can make the audio even better. Let’s check them out to make your time in Counter Strike 2 more exciting and helpful.

1. Set the Music Volume in Steam Overlay to 0%
2. Audio Device should always be put to STEREO HEADPHONES for accurate left and right sounds. If you’re playing on speakers, which I don’t recommend unless they’re 7.1 surround, you can tweak the settings to match your setup arrangement. 
3. Put the VOIP Volume to 50% or less to get less distracted by a teammate yelling in the mic. Been there, done that, not really pleasing.
4. L/R Isolation (Left/Right Isolation): Keep at 0% for accurate spatial audio. It maintains the natural audio balance between left and right channels, allowing precise sound localization.
5. Perspective Correction: Set to YES for accurate spatial audio. It adjusts audio cues based on your in-game perspective, ensuring more realistic and accurate sound positioning.

And that’s pretty much it. Now, you’ll have better sound quality to identify different sounds in Counter-Strike 2 easily.

Enable Loudness Equalization

In Windows, there’s a feature called “Loudness Equalization” for your sound devices. It makes the soft sounds louder, and the loud sounds a bit softer, making everything more even. This change applies to all the sounds on your computer, but it can make the audio in Counter Strike 2 sound clearer and better.

After accessing Windows sound settings, go to the “Playback” tab and right-click on your current audio device (headphones). Then, select properties. 

Now, audio sources in CS2  will be much clearer and louder, even at lower volumes.

Nahimic Audio Settings for Counter Strike 2

If your PC or Laptop supports Nahimic, these settings can give you an edge in sound quality over your opponents. 

1. Set the Surround Sound to OFF as it interferes with the game’s native binaural sounds. 
2. Turn ON the Volume Stabilizer to normalize the high and low frequencies and prevent them from being uncomfortable. 
3. Put the Voices volume to 4db, boosting in-game VOIP quality and improving some other audio frequencies. 
4. Set the Bass to OFF. Trust me on this. CS2 is not a cinematic game in which you’ll need to rub your ears as bullets whiz. Turning off the Bass completely will help focus the treble more.
5. Set the Treble volume to the max at 12db to maximize sounds like gunfire and footsteps. This almost gives you super hearing in CS2; you can pinpoint sounds across great distances. 

That is all for Nahimic audio settings for Counter Strike 2. If your PC supports Nahimic, then you’re in for a treat. 

Best Crosshair Settings for Counter Strike 2

In Counter Strike 2, crosshairs play a major role in aiming properly. Having a good crosshair can mean the difference between nailing headshots with pinpoint accuracy and missing by a few pixels.

If you play competitively and want to have the same best settings the Counter Strike 2 Pros use, then this section is for you. 

1. First, always be sure to pick the color of the crosshair that you can easily tell apart from the other game surfaces. You could either pick red, green, or blue for the best crosshair visibility.
2. Now, the Crosshair Style should be Classic Static. You can opt for other fancy options, but sticking with the classic works best, even for most pros.
3. Remove the center dost, as relying on it often results in inaccurate shots. Removing the center dot helps the outer crosshair to become tighter, resulting in a more accurate aim.
4. The length of the Crosshair can be anywhere from 3.0 to 3.5
5. Set the Thickness of the crosshair to 1.1 
6. The gap between the Crosshair should be -3.0
7. Disable the Crosshair Outline
8. We don’t recommend using T-style crosshairs.
9. Put the Deployed Weapon Gap to No
10. Show Player Crosshairs to Everyone

By choosing these settings, you’ll get a much more accurate crosshair in the game, making nailing those pinpoint shots much easier. 

You can also adjust your crosshair to resemble the ones Pros use, but I recommend using the one you feel comfortable with. 

Best Launch Options for Counter Strike 2

To set these launch options, follow these straightforward steps:

• Open Steam and locate Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2 in your game library.
• Right-click on Counter Strike 2 and select “Properties.”
• In the Properties window, click on “Set Launch Options.”
• Paste the provided lines into the designated box and click “OK.”

Best Mouse Settings

But having the best mouse isn’t enough to make you a Counter Strike 2 pro right away. You also need to set up your mouse correctly and practice with those settings to get good at the game.

Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all mouse setting that works for everyone. We all have different hand sizes, how fast we move the mouse, and how much space we have for our mouse to move on the pad. So, in this section, we’ll help you figure out the best mouse settings for Counter Strike 2 that suit you.

Choose The Right Mouse DPI

DPI, which stands for Dots Per Inch, refers to how many pixels your mouse registers with each movement. When you have a higher DPI setting, your in-game crosshair moves a greater distance with even small hand motions. Figuring out the perfect DPI setting in Counter Strike 2 can be a bit of a challenge, but if you’re familiar with first-person shooter games, you might have a better sense of what DPI works best for you. 

Low DPI Settings

In the world of Counter Strike 2, DPI settings ranging from 100 to 400 are considered low DPI settings. These settings offer the utmost precision when taking shots but require you to move your mouse over a larger area for your in-game crosshair to move.

This range is particularly well-suited for weapons designed for long-distance engagements, like snipers and assault rifles. However, it might take some time to get accustomed to if you’re dealing with close-quarters combat. Notably, many professional players prefer using DPI settings within this range.

One downside to this DPI setting is that it’s not ideal for quick scopes and flick shots. Even if you manage to perform a flick shot, it demands a significant hand movement to execute successfully.

Medium DPI Settings

In the realm of Counter Strike 2, DPI settings ranging from 600 to 1000 are categorized as medium DPI settings. These settings offer a balanced mix of precision and swift cursor movements. You won’t need to make large hand motions to control your in-game crosshair effectively.

While it may not provide the utmost accuracy or effortless control, the significant advantage of this DPI range is its versatility. It strikes a middle ground, making it relatively easy to adapt to, especially for newcomers to Counter Strike 2 or the first-person shooter genre. If you’re just starting, selecting a DPI within this range can be a comfortable choice.

High DPI Settings

In the world of Counter Strike 2, we step into the high DPI settings arena, starting at 1200 DPI and going higher. These settings allow your in-game crosshair to move very quickly with just a small hand motion, making them a bit tricky to control.

Once you’ve mastered high DPI, you can become a pro at quick flick shots, but it takes some practice to get used to, especially when compared to the easier low and medium DPI settings. High DPI is best suited for fast, close-range battles in Counter Strike 2.

However, there’s a catch – high DPI settings are not great for using long-range weapons like snipers because of the high sensitivity. So, while it can make you a flick shot expert, it’s not the ideal choice for precision shooting at a distance in Counter Strike 2.

Disable Enhance Pointer Precision

Enhanced Pointer Precision also alters your DPI when you move your mouse, which isn’t best to get used to a DPI range. To disable it, follow these steps:

1. Go to Start Search “Mouse Settings” and go to “Additional Mouse Options.”
2. Head over to Pointer Options and uncheck Enhance Pointer Precision to disable this feature.
3. Make sure you hit Apply and OK after applying changes.

Best Keybinds for Counter Strike 2

Movement Keybinds

1. Toggle Inventory Display, Set it to I
2. The Movement Keys will be W, A, S, and D by default, which is the best option.
3. The Strafing keys should be set to A & D for better evasive movements.
4. Set the Walk to Shift. People are known to use caps lock to toggle walking but it’s not the most popular choice as CS2 now lets you choose to toggle walk. 
5. The Spacebar is always the default for Jump
6. For Duck, you can either use CTRL or C

Weapon & Tools Keybinds in Counter Strike 2

1. The Use function should be set to either F or E
2. Fire and Secondly Fire are defaulted to the right and left mouse clicks
3. For Reload, the best key bind is also the default one, R
4. Use Mouse3 for Radial Weapon Menu
5. Using the scroll up and down is the most intuitive for Next and Previous Weapons. 
6. Last Weapon Used is a really important feature and should be set to your extra mouse side buttons or Q

Other key binds are the best in the default state. Let’s move over to tools keybinds.

1. Set the Explosive & Traps to 5 key
2. Put the HE Grenades to X
3. The Flashbang Grenades should be set to F
4. The Smoke Grenades can be bound to side-mouse buttons, i.e. mouse4
5. Set the Decoy Grenade to Z
6. Put the Molotov Coctail to C

Using these tools quickly in the heat of the battle can turn the tide. So, putting them in easy-to-access keybinds can help you use them in time of need.

Ending Words 

In the world of Counter Strike 2, the settings we’ve recommended are carefully chosen based on personal experience, what popular players prefer, and what professional gamers use. Don’t hesitate to try different settings to find what suits you best.

Following this guide, you can expect to have a great experience in Counter Strike 2 with smooth gameplay and high FPS. The aim was to create a one-stop guide for all Counter Strike 2 players, helping everyone enjoy the game to the max.