For the most frames in Counter-Strike 2, set Shader Detail, Particle Detail, Model / Texture Detail and Global Shadow Quality to Low, Ambient Occlusion to Disabled, High Dynamic Range to Performance, and Multisampling Anti-Aliasing to None or CMAA2. For visibility, keep two settings up even though they cost a little performance: Boost Player Contrast: Enabled and Dynamic Shadows: All. Play in Fullscreen at your monitor’s highest refresh rate, and turn on NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency if you have an NVIDIA card.
Those two visibility settings are not our opinion alone: Valve’s own descriptions in the settings menu warn about turning them off. Below we go through every option in the Video tab with what Valve says it does, Valve’s own advice on V-Sync and G-Sync, and how to measure what you gained.
Display Settings (Video Tab)
| Setting | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Display Mode | Fullscreen | Valve’s support site says that in Windowed and Fullscreen Windowed the refresh rate is set by Windows, and that G-Sync can cause visual glitches outside true fullscreen. The command behind the Brightness slider is also described in the game’s command list as applying only in fullscreen modes. |
| Aspect Ratio and Resolution | Your preference; native is sharpest | Lower resolutions raise frame rates but blur distant detail. Normal 4:3, Widescreen 16:9 and 16:10 are all offered. |
| Refresh Rate | The highest your monitor supports | Valve’s video settings recommendations say this first, and the game shows a recommendation popup at startup if you are below your display’s maximum. |
| Brightness | Raise it if maps look dark to you | Valve describes it as changing the gamma correction of the whole image, which can make players in dark corners easier to spot. |
Valve also suggests double-checking your refresh rate in Windows’ advanced display settings, because a high refresh monitor can be running at a lower mode without you noticing.
Advanced Video Settings for FPS and Visibility
These are in Settings, then Video, in the Advanced Video section. The quotes come from the descriptions the game shows for each setting.
| Setting | Our pick | What Valve says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Boost Player Contrast | Enabled | “Improves the legibility of players in low contrast situations,” and “can degrade graphics performance” |
| Current Video Values Preset | Start at Low, then adjust | Sets everything below at once |
| Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode | None for the most frames, CMAA2 for smooth edges cheaply | Higher anti-aliasing quality “can degrade graphics performance” |
| Global Shadow Quality | Low or Medium | Overall shadow quality |
| Dynamic Shadows | All | “Sun Only” can improve performance “but might leave you at a competitive disadvantage, particularly indoors” |
| Model / Texture Detail | Low or Medium | Lowering it “may improve performance on low-end systems, but will degrade image quality” |
| Texture Filtering Mode | Bilinear for frames, Anisotropic if you have headroom | Higher filtering “can degrade graphics performance” |
| Shader Detail | Low | Higher settings “can degrade graphics performance” |
| Particle Detail | Low | Controls the complexity of particle effects and whether particles cast shadows |
| Ambient Occlusion | Disabled | Enabling it “can degrade graphics performance” |
| High Dynamic Range | Performance | Performance “potentially increases performance and reduces GPU memory use” |
| FidelityFX Super Resolution | Disabled (Highest Quality) | Renders at a reduced resolution and upscales |
On the two judgment calls:
- Dynamic Shadows: All. Shadows of players and smokes from light sources other than the sun can give away an enemy around a corner. Valve’s own tooltip spells out the disadvantage of Sun Only, and Valve has even removed a light from Nuke (in October 2023) to stop shadows giving away player positions through a doorway. Keep it on All unless your frame rate is desperate.
- FidelityFX Super Resolution. Because it renders at a lower resolution and upscales, distant players get softer. Only use it if your graphics card is the bottleneck and nothing else on the list has helped.
CMAA2 is a post-processing method rather than true multisampling, and it is generally the lightest way to smooth edges. MSAA at 2x, 4x or 8x looks cleaner but costs more as you go up.
Frame Pacing: V-Sync, G-Sync, Reflex and the FPS Cap
The Frame Pacing section (also in Advanced Video) holds V-Sync, an NVIDIA G-Sync status row, NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency, Maximum FPS In Game and Maximum FPS In Menus. Valve’s support article gives a clear recommendation:
- If you have a G-Sync monitor, Valve recommends enabling V-Sync, NVIDIA G-Sync and NVIDIA Reflex together. It says this caps your frame rate slightly below your monitor’s refresh rate “by design,” and calls it “usually the smoothest-looking and lowest input latency settings combination.” G-Sync itself is switched on in the NVIDIA Control Panel, and you need to restart CS2 afterwards. The game shows a popup offering to apply this setup if it detects you could use it.
- If you have an AMD FreeSync monitor, Valve says to enable FreeSync in the AMD Software app and restart CS2.
- Without adaptive sync, we would leave V-Sync off: Valve explains that V-Sync removes screen tearing but adds input latency on its own. Turn it on only if tearing bothers you more than latency, and turn on Reflex if you have an NVIDIA card. The game describes Enabled + Boost as drawing more power to the GPU and possibly costing slightly more FPS to cut latency further.
For Maximum FPS In Game, 0 means no limit. Valve’s August 2025 notes say the underlying frame cap can no longer be changed while you are connected to a server, so set it from the main menu. Maximum FPS In Menus can stay low, since nothing competitive happens in a menu.
Game Tab Settings That Affect Performance
Two options outside the Video tab are worth a look:
- CPU Cores Usage Preference only appears on some systems; the game describes it as being for CPUs that have both performance and efficiency cores. The choices are Performance Cores Only, Prefer Performance Cores and No Preference. The game’s own description says the best setting “will vary depending on your hardware and software configuration” and that it needs a restart, so try each and compare.
- Buffering to smooth over packet loss / jitter (None, 1 tick or 2 ticks) is for connection stutter, not frame rate. The game says it “reduces the rate of missed ticks but increases your effective ping time,” so leave it at None unless your connection drops packets.
How to Check Your FPS After Changing Settings
Turn on the Telemetry display under Settings, then Game, then Telemetry, and set Show frame time and FPS to Always. Valve’s Telemetry HUD article explains the readout: the number on the right is your average FPS, and the number on the left is your worst recent frame time in milliseconds, which is the one that catches hitches. Change one setting at a time, play a few rounds on the same map, and compare.
If you prefer typing, the matching console commands are in our list of the best CS2 console commands, and our console guide covers switching the console on. Skip the old “FPS boost” launch options while you are at it: our CS2 launch options guide explains which ones no longer do anything. And if you are setting up a new crosshair at the same time, see how to use crosshair codes.
Playing other competitive shooters too? We have similar breakdowns for Deadlock and Marvel Rivals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best CS2 settings for FPS? Low Shader Detail, Particle Detail, Model / Texture Detail and Global Shadow Quality, Ambient Occlusion Disabled, High Dynamic Range on Performance and anti-aliasing on None or CMAA2. Keep Boost Player Contrast Enabled and Dynamic Shadows on All for visibility.
Should I turn on Boost Player Contrast? For most players, yes. Valve describes it as improving the legibility of players in low contrast situations; the only cost is some performance.
Is Sun Only or All better for Dynamic Shadows? All. Valve’s own description says Sun Only might leave you at a competitive disadvantage, particularly indoors.
Should I use V-Sync in CS2? Only together with G-Sync and NVIDIA Reflex, which is the combination Valve recommends for G-Sync monitors. On its own, V-Sync adds input latency.
Fullscreen or Fullscreen Windowed in CS2? Fullscreen. Valve notes that windowed modes take their refresh rate from Windows and that G-Sync can glitch outside true fullscreen, and the game’s command list describes the brightness setting as applying only in fullscreen modes.
How do I show FPS in CS2? Settings, then Game, then Telemetry, and set Show frame time and FPS to Always.