Launch options are configurable parameters that specify which settings should be loaded when the game starts. Because they have the highest priority, they take precedence over the game's internal settings. Using them, you can customize the game according to your needs or your system requirements.

Thoughtful use of Steam startup parameters can speed up the loading of the CS:GO process, change the appearance of individual elements, or even improve the performance of the game.

The latter is especially important because every player wants to increase the number of FPS and play without lags.

You should know that, in fact, there is no such thing as the best CS:GO launch options. Why? Because every player and every computer is individual and teams should always correspond to individual predispositions.

Here's what you need to know about launch options:
➣ There are no launch options that suit everyone. You should choose the most suitable options for you (depending on your preferences, system and internet connection);
➣ Each parameter should be checked and tested separately. Some performance-related commands may increase FPS on one computer, but decrease it on another;
➣ From time to time Valve removes outdated launch options. This forces many players to use outdated commands that don't work (I'll list them at the end of this guide);
➣ launch options are useful for troubleshooting. They can be used to solve various problems and fix incompatible graphics settings.

The launch options are very easy to configure via Steam.
Open Steam, go to the library, right-click on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and select Properties:



Then, at the bottom of the window that appears, enter the necessary launch options.



After that, restart CS:GO so that they take effect.

If you have a problem:
➣ Make sure that the launch options you entered are separated by spaces;
➣ Make sure that the launch options do not contain quotes around them (") or any other odd characters. The only characters that should be in the launch options are letters, numbers, as well as +, - and _.
➣ If you have used the launch options from this guide, make sure that you have replaced everything that is enclosed in square brackets (for example, [value]).
➣ Most (if not all) launch options start with - or +. If you don't have these symbols, most likely this is causing problems.

It is not easy to find parameters that could be considered the best. I had to adjust the settings so that they work on any computer. After testing each of the teams separately, it turned out that the best set is only 3 commands:
Now you may be wondering how it is possible that the set of best launch options contains only 3 basic commands.

Well, there is a misconception in CS:GO that the more parameters, the better.
This is a huge mistake! In fact, the fewer teams there are, the fewer problems there are.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: If you have a high-performance PC, you probably don't need 99% of all launch options. This was confirmed by a Valve employee who wrote on Reddit: "The best CS:GO launch options are the settings in the game itself. They are most frequently used and tested."

Most of the teams that players use to improve performance don't actually improve it or improve it minimally. They can also cause lags that are not visible at first glance.

Here are the CS:GO launch options to increase FPS:
When should I use startup parameters to increase FPS?
➣ Use these options if you have really low FPS (below 120 FPS);
➣ Do not use the options if you have at least 2 times more FPS than the monitor frequency (for example, at least 288 frames per second and 144 Hz).

Before adding these parameters, carefully read how they work and what the consequences are! You will find an explanation in the next section of this guide.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: the above launch options increase the number of frames per second, but most likely increase the input delay. If you have a powerful computer and your game runs smoothly, don't use them!

-console — Opens the console after logging into the game: this launch option causes the console to open automatically when the game is opened. However, most players will not need this command because the console can be quickly opened using the toggle key. The most commonly used key is, of course, ~.

-novid — Removes the intro display after the game starts: this option will allow the game to start faster because it completely removes the start video. This is a very important command to avoid blocking AFK in some situations. When you don't have enough time to log in to the server, it's better not to spend 10 seconds watching the intro.

-nojoy — Disables joystick support in the game: this command allows you to disable joystick support so that the game uses less resources. Basically, we are talking about lower RAM consumption, which, according to some players, improves the performance of the game.

Originally posted by danE:

Useful to know: in fact, joystick support uses about 20 MB of RAM (0.02 GB). If you have more than 2 GB of RAM installed on your computer, you don't need to add this boot option.

-tickrate 128 — Sets the maximum possible tick rate on local servers: this parameter is one of the most frequently set parameters and should be included in each player's settings. With its help, the game will run on 128 tr. in autonomous mode (for example, on training maps) and on a private server. This will make the game smoother and more fun.

-high — Gives the CS:GO process high priority: this option gives the Counter-Strike process the highest priority in your system. Theoretically, this should improve the performance of the game, because it will be a more "important" application than others in your system. However, I do not recommend this setting, as the difference will not be noticeable.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: this option is useless on most computers. We recommend checking the performance of the game before and after setting it up. Recently it started causing problems and stopped working properly.

+mat_queue_mode 2 — Assigns all threads and CPU cores to the CS:GO process: this parameter is actually a console command that automatically invokes multithreading. This will allow Counter-Strike to use all CPU cores, can increase FPS when the input delay increases, so use this only on an old | weak computer.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: possible values for this parameter are -1, 0, 1 and 2. The value must correspond to a specific computer. The value -1 uses the default streaming mode, the value 0 uses synchronous single-threaded mode, the value 1 uses single-threaded queued mode, and the value 2 uses multithreaded mode.

-fullscreen | -full — Starts the game in fullscreen mode: this command forces CS:GO to run in full-screen mode and may solve some problems with graphical settings. We recommend using this option because it reduces resource consumption by disabling the Windows user interface, which should increase the number of FPS.

-windowed | -window — Launches the game in windowed mode: this launch option is the opposite of the previous one, because it forces the windowed mode. Since this is a standard Windows mode, it allows you to minimize the game faster ("ALT + TAB"), at the same time, reducing performance.

-noborder — Removes the application border and simulates fullscreen mode: this parameter allows you to completely remove the border (the panel with the application name and the Min/Max/Max/X icons) when windowed mode is enabled. Enabling this option will make the app look as if it is in fullscreen mode.

-w [value] — Sets the width of the game window (resolution): this command adjusts the width of the CS:GO application when windowed mode is enabled. With its help, you can set your own resolution, which is not available in the game settings.

-h [value] — Sets the height of the game window (resolution): this command, like the previous one, adjusts the resolution of the game. Use it if you want to select a custom application height in windowed mode.

-refresh [value] / -freq [value] — Adjusts the refresh rate of the monitor: this parameter selects how many times per second the pixels on the monitor will be updated. You should choose the maximum possible value for your monitor. If your monitor has 144 Hz, enter 144.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: if you have already selected the highest refresh rate in Windows settings or graphics card settings, the -refresh and -freq options are not needed. To check this, remove this parameter and enter map_info 1 in the console to find out what frequency updates the game works.

-language [name] — Changes the language of the game: this option allows you to change the main language of the game. With it, you can choose a separate language for the Steam client and a separate language for CS:GO. Most players set their native language on Steam and English in the game.

+exec [file_name].cfg — Loads the specified configuration: this console command allows you to load an additional configuration file. This will be very useful if you want to override the standard settings from config.cfg or download additional commands.

-nocrashdialog — Disables the display of errors in the console: this option will cause the console to stop displaying errors. Some players choose this option because most of the mistakes are not important to us. It's worth turning it on if we're going to debug the game.

-r_emulate_gl — Enables OpenGL emulation: this option starts OpenGL emulation in Windows, which can lead to a sharp increase in FPS on weaker computers. In particular, this applies to outdated models of video cards.

Originally posted by danE:

Note. Unfortunately, most of the launch options guides distribute information about the -r_emulate_g command. However, there is no such command.

-limitvsconst — Limits the number of vertex shaders: this command is an extended graphical parameter that forces CS:GO limit the number of vertex shaders to 256. Players with budget graphics cards should test it to improve the performance of the game.

-forcenovsync — Disables VSync function: This parameter forces the game to disable VSync. VSync is an original vertical synchronization technology to prevent screen breaks. However, this technology is far from perfect and can cause so—called FPS blocking (its successors are G-Sync and FreeSync).

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: most players disable vertical synchronization in the graphics card settings or in the game settings. If you have done the same, don't add it again in the startup options.

-softparticlesdefaultoff — Changes the settings for rendering particles: this parameter sets the rendering of particles using the depth of the scene overlay method (without shading). It limits the FPS drop when grenades explode near you.

+r_dynamic 0 — Disables dynamic lighting: this command is another parameter that affects the graphics of the game. Setting the value to 0 disables some lighting functions in the game, which can minimally increase the number of FPS, especially during a fight with an opponent.

Originally posted by danE:

Useful to know: dynamic lighting is used in the flash during shooting and when the flash explodes. Watch this video to see what it looks like.

+cl_forcepreload 1 — Forcibly loads all textures, graphics and sound effects before logging on to the server: this command increased the number of FPS a few years ago, but increased the time required to connect to the server. However, now it can cause the game to crash. Keep this in mind.

-disable_d3d9ex — Disables d3d9ex mode, which is enabled by default: this option disables d3d9ex mode when starting the game. Its biggest advantage is that it can help solve some graphics problems. But it also has a few drawbacks. When you add it, minimizing the game may take a little longer, and CPU consumption may increase.

-nopreload — Prohibits preloading models: this option will prevent preloading models and textures when connecting to the server. If you add it, you will connect to the server faster, but you may encounter a delay during the first few tens of seconds after connecting the server.

Originally posted by danE:

Advice: disabling preloading may cause FPS to drop on older computers, as the game will have to use additional resources during the game. However, this applies only to weaker computers with a small amount of RAM and an outdated processor!

During the research, it turned out that there are many launch options that do not work or degrade the performance of the game. Unfortunately, most manuals on the internet spread incorrect information and do not update the command lists. This means that most players are still using outdated options.

Here are the malicious or broken CS:GO launch options:

-lv — Reduces violence in the game: this option caused a shortage of blood and added knees to the opponent's model after death. It was removed some time ago.

+abuse_hblood 0 — Disables the display of blood in the game when an opponent is defeated: this command, like the -lv team, limited the display of violence in the game. However, it was removed a few years ago.

-threads [value] — Selects the number of CPU threads used by CS:GO: the parameter is outdated and may cause performance issues. It was replaced with the command "+mat_queue_mode".

-no-browser — Disables the server browser: this option deactivated the display of the in-game browser after joining the server but was removed in 2018.

-noforcemparms | -noforcemaccel — Disables mouse acceleration and buttons configuration in the game: these launch options apply to the system mouse settings but do not work in CS:GO.

-noaafonts — Removes the font smoothing effect: this parameter is outdated and has not changed the appearance of the font and has not increased the number of FPS for several years.

-nod3d9ex — Disables some DirectX 9 features: this option never existed and was a joke.

Originally posted by danE:

Useful to know: even some professional players were trolled and used this parameter. One of them was "coldzera", who used this command for several years.

-r_emulate_g — Will make the game simulate OpenGL: as in the previous command, this option does not exist. It's hard to say why the players started using it but most likely it's a typo. The correct command is r_emulate_gl.

+mat_disable_fancy_blending 1 — Causes fancy texture blending to be disabled: this graphic option improved CS:GO performance but was removed during the August 2019 update.

-d3d9ex — Activates d3d9ex mode: this option significantly reduces the time needed to minimize the game and reduces CPU consumption. Some time ago, it was permanently added to the game code, so you no longer need to add it to the launch options. If you want to disable it, use -disable_d3d9ex.

CS:GO Launch Options are the parameters that are used when starting Counter-Strike. They allow you to overwrite the standard settings, which makes them useful for debugging problems and testing the performance of the game.

There is no single set of options that would suit everyone. It all depends on your settings and preferences.

Therefore, you should choose your own settings, and not use ready-made command sets (for example, to increase FPS).

Remember that the list of launch options is constantly updated. Valve adds new commands and removes old ones. Sometimes it also changes the operation of existing options but does not publish information about it. This forces many players to use parameters that either don't work or cause performance problems.

Author: danE
Ask questions in the comments if something is unclear. Recommendations and suggestions are also welcome.
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