How to Change Your CS2 Video Settings
The game divides your video settings into two primary tabs: Video and Advanced Video. The Video tab mainly covers your standard monitor settings, resolution, and refresh rate. On the other hand, the options found in Advanced Video are in charge of the primary graphics and how your game will look and perform.
Changing your video settings in CS2 is actually very easy. However, the two video setting tabs do combine for more than 20 options so it can take a bit of time. These are the steps you need to follow to change your video settings in CS2:
- Open Steam and Launch CS2.
- Click on the cog wheel icon to open settings.
- Go to the “Video” tab and click on either “Video” or “Advanced Video,” depending on what settings you want to change.
CS2 Video Settings
Let’s first start with the global CS2 video settings that you should choose regardless of your PC specs. These are found under Video settings.
CS2 Setting | Option |
Color Mode | Computer Monitor |
Display | Your primary monitor, ideally one with a high refresh rate |
Display Mode | Fullscreen |
Aspect Ratio | Widescreen 16:9 |
Resolution | 1920x1080 |
Refresh Rate | Maximum your monitor supports (Usually 60Hz, 144Hz, or 240Hz) |
Brightness | 100% |
Optimal CS2 Video Settings
Now, let’s get to the fun stuff. These settings can be found under the Advance Video tab. I’ve experimented with all sorts of combinations and pairings to find the optimal video settings that provide the best graphics quality while still maintaining high FPS values for those intense clutch situations. These are the options that I personally use in my games.
CS2 Setting | Option |
Boost Player Contrast | Enabled |
V-Sync | Disabled |
AMD Anti-Lag 2.0/ NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency | Enabled |
Current Video Values Preset | Custom |
Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode | 4X MSAA |
Global Shadow Quality | High |
Dynamic Shadows | All |
Model/Texture Detail | Medium |
Texture Filtering Mode | Bilinear |
Shader Detail | High |
Particle Detail | Low |
Ambient Occlusion | Medium |
High Dynamic Range | Quality |
FidelityFX Super Resolution | Disabled (Highest Quality) |
Best CS2 Video Settings For the Highest FPS
While CS2 is a relatively easy game to run, there are still some players out there who don’t have the PC power to play the game at high FPS values. I’m a firm believer that FPS is more important than graphics quality when it comes to competitive games like CS2 or even Valorant.
For this reason, you might want to turn down a couple of options to boost those numbers. Here’s what I found as the best CS2 video settings to obtain the highest FPS.
CS2 Setting | Option |
Boost Player Contrast | Enabled |
V-Sync | Disabled |
AMD Anti-Lag 2.0/ NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency | Enabled |
Current Video Values Preset | Custom |
Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode | 2X MSAA |
Global Shadow Quality | Low |
Dynamic Shadows | All |
Model/Texture Detail | Low |
Texture Filtering Mode | Bilinear |
Shader Detail | Low |
Particle Detail | Low |
Ambient Occlusion | Disabled |
High Dynamic Range | Performance |
FidelityFX Super Resolution | Balanced |
Best Graphics Quality - CS2 Video Settings
This final one is for the players who have a balls-to-the-wall gaming PC with high-end specs and can run everything you throw at it. It can also be for those who simply want to experience the best aesthetic that CS2 has to offer.
CS2 Setting | Option |
Boost Player Contrast | Enabled |
V-Sync | Disabled |
AMD Anti-Lag 2.0/ NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency | Disabled |
Current Video Values Preset | Very High |
Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode | 8X MSAA |
Global Shadow Quality | Very High |
Dynamic Shadows | All |
Model/Texture Detail | High |
Texture Filtering Mode | Anisotropic 16X |
Shader Detail | High |
Particle Detail | Very High |
Ambient Occlusion | High |
High Dynamic Range | Quality |
FidelityFX Super Resolution | Disabled (Highest Quality) |
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