Hi, I'm Behr, a former CS:GO player who reached Global Elite and FaceIT Level 10.
While I've stepped back from competitive play, I'm updating my old guides to help new and experienced players get the most out of Counter-Strike 2.

This guide covers essential NVIDIA settings that can improve your game's visual clarity and help you spot enemies more easily.

These tips are especially useful for CS2 but can be applied to almost any game.

Let's begin.

This is a critical, and often overlooked, step. Many high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz, etc.) are not set to their maximum refresh rate by default, even if they're advertised as such. You must manually set it in both Windows and your game.

Right-click on your desktop and go to NVIDIA Control Panel. Navigate to Display > Change resolution. Under the resolution list, you'll see a Refresh rate dropdown. Select the highest available rate for your monitor.

Go to Settings > Video. Make sure your Refresh Rate is set to the same value you chose in the NVIDIA Control Panel.

The aspect ratio you choose in CS2 affects your Field of View (FoV) and player models. The two most common choices are 16:9 (widescreen) and 4:3 (stretched or black bars).

Pros: This is the native aspect ratio for most modern monitors. It provides the widest Field of View, allowing you to see more to your left and right. This can be a significant advantage for spotting enemies in your peripheral vision.

Cons: Player models appear at their normal size, making them smaller and potentially harder to hit compared to 4:3.


Pros: When stretched, player models appear wider, making them larger and easier targets. This can make flick shots and hitting heads feel more forgiving.

Cons: You lose significant Field of View, especially at the edges of your screen. This can make you vulnerable to players on your flanks who you might not see until the last second.


Set your aspect ratio to 4:3 and choose your preferred resolution (e.g., 1280x960, 1024x768).

Digital Vibrance is an NVIDIA-specific setting that increases the saturation of colors on your screen. In a game like CS2, this can make player models and props "pop" against the environment, making them easier to spot.

Go to Display > Adjust desktop color settings.

Find the Digital Vibrance slider. The default value is 50%.

Slowly increase the value. Many players find a setting between 70% and 100% to be optimal. Be careful not to go too high, as it can make colors look unnatural.

While the settings above are controlled by your graphics card, your monitor's built-in color settings are also important. Every monitor is different, and adjusting the brightness, contrast, and color temperature can have a big impact.


Experiment with different colour presets and adjust brightness and contrast to find a balance that works for you. A slightly higher contrast can help targets stand out, but be careful not to crush the details in shadows.

With these changes, you'll have a game that not only looks more vibrant but also gives you a clearer view of the action, helping you hit more shots and spot enemies more quickly.

Good luck!

— Behr

Check out my other guides!