CS2 launch options: the ones Valve confirms, and how to set them

Most CS2 launch option lists online are copied from CS:GO, and many of those options do nothing in CS2. Valve removed support for command line options that were "intended for development purposes only" on 2 October 2024. This guide covers only the launch options Valve itself names in its CS2 update notes, and how to set them.

How to set launch options in CS2

1. Open your Steam Library and right-click Counter-Strike 2.
2. Choose Properties, then the General tab.
3. Type your options in the Launch Options box, separated by spaces, and close the window. They apply the next time you start the game.

Options that start with a dash (-joy) change how the game starts. Anything that starts with a plus runs as a console command when the game loads, so +fps_max 0 works like typing fps_max 0 in the console. Valve noted in November 2023 that some commands given this way now wait until the main menu has loaded before they run.

Launch options Valve has confirmed for CS2

Option	What it does	Valve's note
-joy	Turns joystick and controller input back on. CS2 ignores it by default since 29 May 2024, and Valve says it isn't an officially supported feature.	29 May 2024
-worldwide	Starts the worldwide version of CS2 for players in China, skipping the launch prompt.	29 September 2023
-perfectworld	Starts the Perfect World (China) version, skipping the launch prompt.	29 September 2023
-promptperfectworld	Shows the prompt to choose between the two versions.	29 September 2023
-disable_workshop_command_filtering	Lets community (Workshop) maps run console commands outside the smaller allowed list Valve introduced on 30 January 2026.	30 January 2026

Two more are for running servers, not for playing:

• -dedicated +map de_dust2 is Valve's reference command line for starting a community dedicated server.
• -sv_maxuptimelimit 48-72 makes a server restart itself at a random time between 48 and 72 hours of uptime.

You no longer need -insecure to play Workshop maps on Linux: Valve dropped that requirement on 17 November 2023.

Settings people put in launch options

Many settings that lists add as launch options are console commands, and you can set them in the console or the settings menu instead. Our CS2 console commands page lists them with their defaults and limits, checked against the game's own command list, from fps_max to the viewmodel and radar settings. Any of them works in launch options with a plus in front.

Should you use launch options at all?

For most players, no. CS2's settings menu covers video, audio and input, and the console covers the rest. Use launch options for the few things that only work at startup: controller input with -joy, or picking the China or worldwide version.

If a guide recommends an option that isn't in Valve's notes, test it yourself before trusting it: it may be a leftover from CS:GO that CS2 ignores.