Best startup parameters for KS2

After the shooter was upgraded to Counter-Strike 2, the PC requirements have increased dramatically, so now special KS2 launch options are required. Additional customizations will help eliminate performance issues and bugs so that the player can fully enjoy the process of participating in the shooter.

Hardware and system requirements

Before we discuss KC2 launch settings, it's worth familiarizing ourselves with the hardware requirements. The fact is that Counter-Strike 2 is more demanding on iron and system requirements compared to the previous version. Let's sound out the minimum requirements:

1. Operating system – at least Windows 10.

2. Processor – quad-threaded, Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher.

3. RAM – 8 GB RAM.

4. Graphics card – with 1 GB or more of memory that is DirectX 11 compatible and supports Shader Model 5.0 DirectX: version 11.

5. Free disk space – at least 85 GB.

With the above requirements should not expect too comfortable and fairy game: at the lowest parameters to run KS2 for graphics you will get no more than 30 FPS (below we will tell you what this parameter, what impact it has on the game and what its values are optimal).

Consider the optimal build for a good and smooth game in KS2:

1. Processor – six-core, AMD Ryzen 5 5600 (3.5-4.4 GHz). Even better if it's an Intel Core i7-11700KF (3.6–5.0 GHz) with 8 cores.

2. Video card – 12GB, RTX 3060.

3. RAM – 16GB, 3200MHz (DDR4).

4. Internal storage – SSD, 500 GB.

What is FPS in KS2 and why do I need to increase it?

FPS (from Frames Per Second)– is a special indicator that denotes the number of frames displayed on the PC screen per second. The higher it is, the better the game works. Let's say, if your FPS is 50, then you see 50 frames per second, which is not a very high value (but not the worst, by the way).

If your FPS is too low (less than 30), it is impossible to play: the picture will constantly freeze, and you will not get any pleasure from the game. If this parameter is 60 or more, everything will be fine, you will not be hampered by slowdowns and other troubles in the game.

Why are parameters of KS2 startup so important? FPS does not affect your qualities as a player, but it determines the conditions in which you will train and fight. If the indicator is constantly low, you will not be able to fully engage, and, therefore, you will not gain experience.

The optimal value of FPS for everyone is different. Usually the level you are comfortable playing at is considered the best. In general terms, the values can be described as follows:

1. Up to 30. That's a very poor indicator. The picture will constantly slow down, it will be almost impossible to play – you will constantly lose. It is not recommended to play with these parameters.

2. 30 to 40. More acceptable indicator, but it is not recommended to play with such FPS as well. KC2 launch parameters should be such that you can beat your opponent in time, and with low values the reaction will be slow.

3. From 40 to 55. This is a decent score with which to participate in competitive rounds. Nevertheless, on high ranks, where grenades are often used, the current FPS may drop to 20-30, which is very low.

4. From 55 to 60 and above. This is the optimal value that makes KS2 startup parameters suitable for efficient game play.

How to find out your FPS in KS2There are

many ways to find out this value, but we suggest 2 main options: it is a console command and the function provided by Steam.

So, you can view FPS using the CQ_NETGRAPH command

.

To do this, you need to enter the game and press the Shift + Tab combination. This will open a part of the interface (overlay). Here you need to:

• click on the settings icon;

• select in the settings list «Frame Rate Display»;

• select a position;

• check «Contrast frame rate display»;

• close the settings window.

After returning to the game, you will see your FPS value in the corner. The method is suitable for quite correct display of the current parameter.

KS2 launch parameters are very important for the result, so many players are interested in the ability to customize the graphics in the shooter using the developer console. In this case, you can make changes only through a special settings menu: you cannot do it through the console.

Topical ways to increase FSP

You can use some startup commands to improve this indicator. We recommend doing the following:

• open Steam, go into your game library and find KS2;

• right-click directly on this game and go to the menu item «Properties»;

• after the window with the menu on the right side opens, scroll down and click on the empty line – here you will enter commands.

Further actions will depend on whether your PC – is weak or more productive. With the help of certain

commands

For not too productive PCs, you can enter the following commands:

+cl_showfps 1 -novid -threads 6 -high -freq 60 -refresh 60 -tickrate 128 -noforcemparms -dxlevel 81 -noaafonts -heapsize 1048576

These disable certain actions so that the PC doesn't waste its working resource on them.

There are other effective, albeit non-obvious, ways to boost your FSP. This is:

1. Reinstalling Windows on a PC. Use version 11 or 12, no lower. The game automatically banned players who were playing on version 7. This is likely to be expected in the near future for those sitting on «eight». If possible, after reinstalling the system, install an SSD drive on the computer instead of HDD.

2. Properly configuring Windows to optimize KC2 startup parameters. It is recommended to remove unnecessary programs from autorun, disable Xbox Game Bar, which in the tenth version of Windows starts automatically, and set the high performance mode.

3. Regularly update drivers for the video card.

4. Periodically clean the computer from dust. If dust builds up inside, it also reduces the performance of the PC. It is ideal if it is possible to remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner. If this is not possible, wipe the surfaces with a dry cloth (do not use wet ones).

Other KS2 launch parameters: change and optimize

FSP – is not the only value that affects the comfort of the game and the ability to show yourself in it. There are a number of other parameters that require customization. Their selection depends on the player's characteristics and preferences.

The launch parameters in this shooter are certain characteristics that are entered into the game before it is launched. They affect the flow of the game and your abilities and capabilities in it. These are performance improvements, skipping intro videos, resolution settings, improving the quality of the audio and video elements of the game.

To change KS2 launch parameters, you need to know how and where to add values. Do the following:

• open Steam, then go to your library;

• find the item that refers to the Counter-Strike 2 game, right-click on it;

• click on «Properties»;

• go to «General», select the window where you can enter startup options (it is at the very bottom);

• enter the appropriate commands for a better startup.

If you enter more than one command, you should put a space between them.

Basic KS2 startup parameters for your PC:

• -nojoy – disabling joystick support to free up some PC RAM;

• -novid – skipping the initial video clip to speed up the game launch;

• -noaafonts – removing the ability to smooth fonts;

• -console – launching the default developer console (it will be useful for those who prefer to customize settings directly during the game);

• -autoconfig – launch the game with default settings;

• +mat_queue_mode 2 – activate multicore processing;

• + r_dynamic 0 – disable dynamic lighting;

• +cl_forcepreload 1 – load temporary files until joining the server;

• -soft – start game session in «software mode»;

• -softparticlesdefaultoff – disabling soft particles (this gives a performance boost on some PCs);

• -nosync – disable vertical synchronization;

• -fullscreen – automatically start game session in fullscreen mode (such parameter of KS2 startup positively affects FPS value);

• +violence_hblood 0 – removal of blood, which reduces the vertical load on the PC.

To accurately determine with which KS2 launch parameters are easier and more comfortable for you to play, play a few competitive matches. After testing, you will realize which ones you will use in the future and which ones – you will not.

Video settings in the game

Standard video settings in KS2 look like this:

• brightness – 100%

• aspect ratio – 4:3;

• screen resolution – 1280x960;

• screen type – Fullscreen;

• refresh rate – 360Hz.

Advanced players use additional settings:

• Boost Player Contrast – enabled;

• Wait For Vertical Sync (synchronization with vertical scan of the monitor) – prohibited;

• Current Video Values Preset (Current Video Values Preset) – standard;

• Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode – 4x MSAA;

• Global Shadow Quality (shadow quality) – low;

• Model / Texture Detail (model and texture quality) – low;

• Texture Filtering Mode (texture filtering mode, processing to make textures realistic without distortion) – bi-linear;

• Shader Detail (shader detail) – high;

• Particle Detail (particle detail) – low;

• Ambient Occlusion – prohibited;

• High Dynamic Range (high dynamic range) – quality;

• Fidelity FX Super Resolution (programmatically scaling the image to the highest quality) – disallowed;

• NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency (input latency reduction technology)– enable.

How do I customize performance?

Once you've made the settings, you need to test them. If everything is to your liking, you can leave it as it is. Otherwise, adjust the values.

We recommend doing the following:

1. Check the FPS value before changing the KS2 startup parameters and after. The best way to do this is through Steam (the method was described above). Measure the number of frames at idle, during shooting and in other modes. After setting the new values, repeat the steps and draw conclusions.

2. Use MSI AfterBurner to monitor the temperature values of the video card CPU. Here you can configure automatic saving of FPS values to compare them in the future.