What are the most useful CSGO console commands? Like with many of Valve’s other games, CSGO utilizes the power of the Source engine console to give you more options and better settings. It’s just as crucial for improving at the game as knowing where to aim guns and grenades – plus, it can even make practicing that much easier and more efficient.
We’ve got a list of all the best CSGO console commands in the free PC game and some recommendations on what you should change in your config files to give you the biggest advantage possible. With the number of CSGO ranks to progress towards, you’re going to need to be prepared in every way to secure the win.
The best CSGO console commands
Console commands come in a couple of flavors – ones you want running every time the multiplayer game starts and ones helpful to pop into the console when you want a specific effect. Typically, players manually add commands into the console to practice in a private server or tweak their autoexec file. It’s likely some of these will become CS2 console commands, too.
The best console commands are used by the top pros in CSGO like Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut, and more. Unsurprisingly, most pro players’ console commands and settings look the same. For beginners, it’s worth taking a look at what professional settings look like, but it’s important to remember that these console commands are purely down to personal preference. Using Simple’s settings won’t make you play any better, but trying his crosshair or mouse sensitivity might help you establish your own preferences.
We’ve compiled basic crosshair and video settings of top CSGO pros that you can manually feed into your system by pressing the tilde key (~) to open the console. If you’re after CS2 crosshair codes, don’t forget to check out our guide.
s1mple CSGO settings
- Crosshair: cl_crosshairalpha 255; cl_crosshaircolor 0; cl_crosshairdot 1; cl_crosshairgap -999; cl_crosshairsize 1; cl_crosshairstyle 4; cl_crosshairusealpha 1; cl_crosshairthickness 1; cl_crosshair_drawoutline 0; cl_crosshair_sniper_width 1; cl_crosshaircolor_b 0; cl_crosshaircolor_g 255; cl_crosshaircolor_r 0.
- Sensitivity: sensitivity 3.09; zoom_sensitivity_ratio_mouse 1 (400 DPI).
- Viewmodel: viewmodel_fov 68; viewmodel_offset_x 2.5; viewmodel_offset_y 0; viewmodel_offset_z -1.5; viewmodel_presetpos 3; cl_viewmodel_shift_left_amt 1.5; cl_viewmodel_shift_right_amt 0.75; viewmodel_recoil 0; cl_righthand 1.
- Hud: cl_hide_avatar_images “”; cl_hud_background_alpha “0.5; cl_hud_bomb_under_radar “0”; cl_hud_color “2”; cl_hud_healthammo_style “0”; cl_hud_playercount_pos “0”; cl_hud_playercount_showcount “0”; cl_hud_radar_scale “0.83”; cl_radar_always_centered “1”; cl_radar_icon_scale_min “0.6”; cl_radar_rotate “1”; cl_radar_scale “0.450000”; cl_radar_square_with_scoreboard “1”; cl_teammate_colors_show “1”.
Zywoo CSGO settings
- Crosshair: cl_crosshair_drawoutline 0; cl_crosshairalpha 200; cl_crosshaircolor 1; cl_crosshaircolor_b 50; cl_crosshaircolor_g 250; cl_crosshaircolor_r 50; cl_crosshairdot 0; cl_crosshairgap -3; cl_crosshairsize 1; cl_crosshairstyle 4; cl_crosshairthickness 0; cl_crosshair_sniper_width 1.
- Sensitivity: sensitivity 2; zoom_sensitivity_ratio_mouse 0.8 (400 DPI).
- Viewmodel: viewmodel_fov 68; viewmodel_offset_x 2.5; viewmodel_offset_y 0; viewmodel_offset_z -1.5; viewmodel_presetpos 3; cl_viewmodel_shift_left_amt 1.5; cl_viewmodel_shift_right_amt 0.75; viewmodel_recoil 1; cl_righthand 1.
- Hud: cl_hud_background_alpha “0.5”; cl_hud_bomb_under_radar “1”; cl_hud_color “0”; cl_hud_healthammo_style “0”; cl_hud_playercount_pos “0”; cl_hud_playercount_showcount “0”; cl_hud_radar_scale “1”; cl_radar_always_centered “1”; cl_radar_icon_scale_min “0.6”; cl_radar_rotate “1”; cl_radar_scale “0.7”; cl_radar_square_with_scoreboard “1”.
Twistzz CSGO settings
- Crosshair: cl_crosshairalpha 200; cl_crosshaircolor 1; cl_crosshairdot 0; cl_crosshairgap -3; cl_crosshairsize 3; cl_crosshairstyle 4; cl_crosshairusealpha 1; cl_crosshairthickness 1; cl_crosshair_drawoutline 0; cl_crosshaircolor_b 0; cl_crosshaircolor_g 0; cl_crosshaircolor_r 255.
- Sensitivity: sensitivity 1.7; zoom_sensitivity_ratio_mouse 1 (400 DPI).
- Viewmodel: viewmodel_fov 68; viewmodel_offset_x 2.5; viewmodel_offset_y 0; viewmodel_offset_z -1.5; viewmodel_presetpos 3; cl_viewmodel_shift_left_amt 1.5; cl_viewmodel_shift_right_amt 0.75; viewmodel_recoil 0; cl_righthand 1.
- Hud: cl_hud_background_alpha “0.5”; cl_hud_bomb_under_radar “1”; cl_hud_color “5”; cl_hud_healthammo_style “0”; cl_hud_playercount_pos “0”; cl_hud_playercount_showcount “0”; cl_hud_radar_scale “1; cl_hud_bomb_under_radar “1”; cl_hud_color “5”; cl_hud_healthammo_style “0”; cl_hud_playercount_pos “0”; cl_hud_playercount_showcount “0”; cl_hud_radar_scale “1”.
This is the best method if you’re new to CSGO. But, if you want to customize your setting in-depth and take your game to a new level, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with advanced config commands.
What is a CSGO config file?
A CSGO config is a text file that contains a collection of console commands that customize various aspects of the game. Config files allow players to save their preferred settings, key bindings, and other customizations, so they don’t have to enter them manually each time they start the game. An autoexec also comes in handy if you’re travelling for LAN events, or if you play in gaming cafes. With an online config, you could carry your CSGO settings anywhere you go.
CSGO config file location
The default location of the CSGO config in Windows is as follows:
- Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata<YOUR STEAM ID>\730\local\cfg.
Replace “<YOUR STEAM ID>” with your actual Steam ID, which can be found in the Steam client by clicking on your profile name. If you can’t find your Steam folder on your C drive, there’s a chance it may be located on a different hard drive.
Creating a config file for CSGO
To create a config file for CSGO, follow these steps:
- Open a text editor such as Notepad or Notepad++.
- Add the console commands you want to include in your config file, each on a separate line. You may copy commands from above to create your autoexec.
- Save the file with a name that ends in “.cfg”. For example, you might save the file as “myconfig.cfg”. Be sure to select “All Files” as the file type when saving so the file isn’t saved with a “.txt” extension.
- Move the config file to the appropriate folder, depending on your operating system.
- Launch CSGO and open the console by pressing the tilde (~) key. Type “exec myconfig” (without the quotes) and press Enter to execute the config file. If you named your config file something else, replace “myconfig” with the name of your file.
What should be in my CSGO autoexec?
You may add quotation marks to the CSGO pro settings above and create a config out of it. Typically, an autoexec includes the following:
- Crosshair settings
- Graphics settings
- Hud settings
- Settings to boost fps
We have compiled all the best console commands for each category in one place so you can create your own autoexec in CSGO.
Note: If you’re typing directly into the console, then quotes aren’t needed around values. We are adding quotes so you can easily create a one-time autoexec by pasting them into a notepad.
CSGO crosshair autoexec
Here are some console commands to set the crosshair in CSGO:
cl_crosshairalpha “[value]”
Sets the transparency of the crosshair. Values range from 0 (completely transparent) to 255 (completely opaque).
cl_crosshaircolor “[value]”
Sets the colour of the crosshair. Values range from 0 to 5, with 0 being green, 1 being red, 2 being light blue, 3 being yellow, 4 being dark blue, and 5 being purple.
cl_crosshairdot “[value]”
Toggles the dot in the centre of the crosshair. A value of 0 disables the dot, while a value of 1 enables it.
cl_crosshairgap “[value]”
Sets the size of the gap between the lines of the crosshair. A value of 0 makes the lines touch, while larger values increase the gap.
cl_crosshairsize “[value]”
Sets the size of the crosshair.
cl_crosshairstyle “[value]”
Sets the style of the crosshair. Values range from 0 to 5, with 0 being the default style, and 1-5 being various dynamic styles.
cl_crosshairthickness “[value]”
Sets the thickness of the lines of the crosshair.
Best CSGO graphics settings
You want the lowest settings possible when playing CSGO competitively because it maximizes your FPS and removes flashy effects. Here are some commands to help you customize your graphics:
View brightness
mat_monitorgamma “[value]”
This alters how bright the game world is. Most autoexecs I’ve seen have it set to between 1.6 and 2.1. Helpful in picking enemies out of darker corners, like dust_2 tunnels.
Multi-core rendering
mat_queue_mode “-1”
Tells your computer how to deal with CSGO. Don’t change this from “-1” unless you know what you’re doing more than we do.
Maximum FPS lock
fps_max [value]
Sets the in-game maximum FPS. Naturally, you want this as high as possible and over the server’s tickrate at the very least (again, that’s 64 for matchmaking, 128 for custom competitive). fps_max_menu does the same for, surprisingly, menus.
Disable dynamic lighting
r_dynamic “0”
Turns off dynamic lighting, which some players find distracting.
Disable particles
r_drawparticles “0”
Turns off engine particles.
Disable tracer fire
r_drawtracers_firstperson “0”
Removes the light tracers from your weapons when firing. AKA the worst part of CSGO. If someone had told us about this command when the game launched, we’d probably be on NiP by now.
Save graphics options
mat_savechanges
This saves your graphics options, so they’ll be the same the next time you start up the game. Important.
Best CSGO HUD settings
This section covers some vital components – the radar, the rest of the HUD, and how to reduce weapon bob in CSGO.
The radar
Adding this set of commands to your autoexec file will make the whole map appear on the radar the entire time, making it easier to spot enemies.
cl_radar_always_centered “0”
cl_radar_scale “0.3”
cl_hud_radar_scale “1.15”
cl_radar_icon_scale_min “1”
cl_radar_rotate “1”
HUD Scale
hud_scaling “[value]”
Changes the size of the HUD as a whole. 0.8 seems to be the accepted best standard.
Toggle target names
hud_showtargetid “[value]”
Controls whether names show up when hovering over players.
Adjust HUD Alpha
cl_hud_background_alpha “[value]”
Changes the opacity of the HUD background. 0.1 is standard.
Position bomb display
cl_hud_bomb_under_radar “[value]”
Changes the position of the bomb indicator for when you have the bomb. 1 is under the radar, 0 is in inventory.
Adjust HUD colour
cl_hud_color “[value]”
Corresponds to the menu in-game that selects your HUD’s color, zero through ten.
Toggle avatars on mini-scoreboard
cl_hud_playercount_showcount “0”
Whether to simply show the number of players or all of their avatars on the top of the screen scoreboard.
Move View Model
This set of commands will move the model of your weapon a little out of your way and disable the bob that occurs while running.
cl_righthand “1”
viewmodel_offset_x “0”
viewmodel_offset_y “-2”
viewmodel_offset_z “-2”
viewmodel_fov “54”
cl_bobamt_lat “0.1”
cl_bobamt_vert “0.1”
cl_bobcycle “0.1”
cl_viewmodel_shift_left_amt “0.5”
cl_viewmodel_shift_right_amt “0.5”
You can change the first command here to “0” if you prefer a left-handed weapon. This set is useful for maximizing your viewing area and removing distracting animation.
Best CSGO HUD settings
The holy grail of config edits, these are what you’re here for. You won’t notice a massive boost from enabling this set of commands, but it will smooth things out on 128-tick servers.
rate “128000”
cl_cmdrate “128”
cl_updaterate “128”
cl_interp “0”
cl_interp_ratio “1”
cl_lagcompensation “1”
Sound
Sound is ludicrously essential if you want to avoid getting sneaked up on in Counter-Strike. So here’s what the console lets you do in that area.
Adjust main volume
volume “[value]”
Scales from 0 to 1 with a couple of decimal places.
Toggle voice chat
voice_enable “[value]”
0 for off, 1 for on. Some players bind a key to toggle between the two options for when they want to mute their team during clutch moments:
bind “[key]” “toggle voice_enable 1 0”
Voice receive volume
voice_scale “[value]”
Adjusts the volume at which you receive voice communication from other players.
Adjust speaker configuration
windows_speaker_config “[value]”
Corresponds to the menu in-game that lets you select between headphones, 5.1 surround, and so on. -1 will auto-pick, while 1 is headset, 3 is four speakers, 4 is two speakers, and 5 is surround.
Adjust music volume
snd_musicvolume “[value]”
Changes the music volume. Many set this to 0 to avoid distractions.
Sound delay
snd_mixahead “[value]”
Determines how much sound is buffered by the engine. The default is 0.1z, while many players prefer 0.05 or lower. This can come with serious performance issues but it’s worth putting it as low as possible to get more instant reactions.
Adjust volume of distant sound
snd_headphone_pan_exponent “[value]”
Changes how loud distant sounds are. Higher means more distant map awareness, but makes it more difficult to tell when enemies are closer. Scales 0-100.
How to enable practice mode in CSGO
One of the most useful tools the console gives you access to is a custom-made practice mode. You can track where bullets are landing, how grenades are being thrown, play on maps that don’t end, and position bots to your liking. You even have infinite ammo and can buy guns map-wide.
Again, practice commands can be used individually, but you can also create an autoexec. Just open a notepad and create a separate practice cfg, following the guidelines mentioned above. Add the best console commands into a notepad and add a custom name tag. Now, each time you want to create a practice server, you can just write “exec [your filename]” into the console.
Enable cheats
sv_cheats “1”
Enables cheats on local servers. Obviously, this doesn’t work while playing on a server you don’t have admin access to, which will be most of them.
No team restrictions
mp_limitteams “0”
Turns off the balancing of teams, allowing unbalanced teams of players and bots.
No autobalance
mp_autoteambalance “0”
Turns off auto-balancing, a must with the above.
Hour-long rounds
mp_roundtime “60”
mp_roundtime_defuse “60”
Sets round times to 60 minutes so you can mess about for as long as you like.
Infinite money
mp_maxmoney “60000”
mp_startmoney “60000”
While not technically infinite, this sets your money to enough to buy as much as you like for testing purposes.
No freeze on round start
mp_freezetime “0”
Removes the no-movement time at the start of a round.
Buy anywhere, anytime
mp_buytime “9999”
mp_buy_anywhere “1”
Allows you to buy anywhere on the map at any point in the round.
Infinite ammo
sv_infinite_ammo “1”
Gives guns infinite ammo.
Five grenade slots
ammo_grenade_limit_total “5”
Allows you to carry five grenades in total.
End warmup on start
mp_warmup_end
Takes the game out of warm up.
Restart the server
mp_restartgame “1”
Useful either as an end-of-autoexec clean slate or a command to restart whenever you need to.
Show grenade trajectory
sv_grenade_trajectory “1”
sv_grenade_trajectory_time “10”
Enable to show where grenades have traveled after release, good for testing smoke placements.
Show bullet impacts
sv_showimpacts “1”
sv_showimpacts_time “10”
Shows where bullets landed as well as how much penetration they achieved.
Kick bots
bot_kick
Kicks a bot.
Add bots
bot_add_t
bot_add_ct
Useful for target practice.
Stop bots
bot_stop “1”
Prevents bots from moving.
Make bots mimic player
bot_mimic “1”
Makes bots mimic the movements of the player, allowing them to be positioned when combined with bot_stop.
No clip
noclip
Turns on no clipping mode. Useful for exploring levels quickly. Requires sv_cheats.
God mode
god
Makes you invulnerable. May be useful in bot games or for practising jumps that damage you if you fail. Requires sv_cheats.
Suicide
kill
Kills you for the round. May be needed if you get into a weird spot or want to reset a solo round.
CSGO key bindings
You can also use the autoexec file to set your bindings. Beyond the obvious shooting and jumping, it’s good for setting up buttons that’ll quickly buy the most common items required – the various sorts of grenades, the most used guns, and armour.
Here’s how the command works:
bind “[key]” “[action]”
Aliasing
Aliasing is where you define new commands for the console by combining others. This is most useful in combination with bindings to let one keypress execute a large number of console commands.
alias [new command] “[command]; [command]; [command]”
A popular example is of jump-throw bind. Save this command because this one will come in handy:
alias “+jumpthrow” “+jump;-attack”; alias “-jumpthrow” “-jump”; bind alt “+jumpthrow”
There’s a lot of complicated stuff you can do with aliasing. Experiment with it and look around the net for other people’s autoexecs, or see our list of links at the bottom to see what you can get up to.
Enable console
con_enable “1”
Allows access to the console. This can be switched on from in-game, but bung this in your autoexec if you never want to have to worry about it.
Enable developer mode
developer “[value]”
Changes how much output is displayed in the console. 0 is normal, while 1 will give you a little more info. Enabling it is also required for some commands.
Highest ping for matchmaking
mm_dedicated_search_maxping “[value]”
This limits which servers you can join via matchmaking based on their ping. Roughly, anything over 100 isn’t really playable, and most people prefer to play at sub-80.
Disable weapon switch on pickup
cl_autowepswitch “0”
This means you won’t switch to any gun you pick up from the ground. You don’t want to walk over an AK while shooting somebody with a pistol and suddenly be going through a weapon change animation.
Turn off freezecam on death
cl_disablefreezecam “1”
Disables the smash-zoom and freeze onto your killer when you die.
Save settings to config
host_writeconfig
This makes sure that all these settings are enabled and saved. Always a good idea to have this as the last command in your autoexec.
Third-person mode
thirdperson
Moves the viewpoint to third-person. Requires sv_cheats. firstperson puts you back.
How to use a CSGO config generator
Are you too lazy to copy each command into a notepad? Fortunately, there’s an easy way to find your best CSGO settings while creating autoexec in the background.
- Go to Steam community workshop and subscribe to “crashz’ config generator” map
- Start CSGO and load up the workshop map
- You can pick the best crosshair, viewmodel, binds, hud, and more here.
- Click on ‘save/load cfg’ on one of the boards.
- Next, select ‘show cfg’ on the same board.
- Your new cfg will appear on the console.
- Copy the commands into a notepad file and upload it online or create a copy.
That’s all you need to get started with CSGO console commands. It’s also worth taking a look at our CSGO launch options to optimize your game. If you want to discover what’s coming up in the future, take a look at everything we’ve managed to dig up concerning the Counter-Strike 2 release date and whether it’s shaping up to be a worthy successor.