Topic: Guide CS2 developer console, important commands & the best Launch Options for CS2
The developer console is an important tool in the world of Counter-Strike 2. You want to fly around and explore a map or its skybox? Or take some amazing screenshots? In this guide, we will tell you how to open and enable the console in CS2, how you can change the keybind of the developer console in CS2, along side with many other important Counter-Strike 2 commands that make your life on the server easier. From the most popular commands that boost your FPS in Counter-Strike 2, all the way to the best Launch Options for CS2 in 2026, we've got you covered!
Keep in mind that many of these commands need “sv_cheats 1”, they can NOT be used on a public / competitive or premier game server.
Let us begin!
How to enable the Developer Console in CS2
Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to activate the developer console in Counter-Strike 2:
- First, you have to launch CS2.
- In the Main Menu, go to the “Settings menu” (the gear icon in the top left).
- Click on the “Game” tab.
- At “Game” (second to last from “Hud”), you should see it.
- Set the "Enable Developer Console" to "Yes".
How to change the CS2 console key bind?
To change the keybind of the console in Counter-Strike 2 is quite easy. You simply have to go into your “Settings menu”, navigate to the “Keyboard/Mouse” Tab in the “UI Keys” and change your key bind for ”Toggle Console” to assign it to a key you like.
You can also simply go into the search in your “Settings menu” and type in “Console”, it should instantly show up.
You can also simply go into the search in your “Settings menu” and type in “Console”, it should instantly show up.
How to enable the Developer Console in CS2 with Launch Options?
Instead of going into your settings, you can also simply put a certain line of text in your Counter-Strike 2 Launch settings. Navigate to your “Steam”, right-click on “Counter-Strike 2” in your library.
Now click on “Properties”- from here you can see “General”, and you can see “Launch Options”. Now put in either:
“-dev” or “-console” to activate your console in Counter-Strike 2 via your Launch Options.
“-dev” or “-console” to activate your console in Counter-Strike 2 via your Launch Options.
Why enable the console in CS2?
Enabling the CS2 developer console is a really important quality-of-life feature. It helps you set up your own servers with friends or make some amazing screenshots in CS2. A lot of commands are really helpful, and without them, we would not have the amazing community workshop maps we have. You can also bind a lot of different things in the console- many, like cl_righthand 0 (the “left hand” command), are now found in the normal game settings and options.
You can bind them over the console anyway, or you use the console to bind a specific text with the press of a button. Common examples are “gg”, “get leetify”, or some other more mean-spirited examples that we will not get into…
You can bind them over the console anyway, or you use the console to bind a specific text with the press of a button. Common examples are “gg”, “get leetify”, or some other more mean-spirited examples that we will not get into…
Commands
Now that you know how to access and change the bind of your developer console in CS2 it is time to show you some of the best and most useful CS2 commands! From all the Counter-Strike 2 console commands. Check out our CS2 Command List here:
For most commands, you need to enable ”sv_cheats 1”. (Such as flying, god mode etc.)
Important to note- not all commands work on official Matchmaking servers, some are just for your servers. “sv_cheats 1” is not enabled on Official CS2 servers, and thus all commands that come along with it.
For most commands, you need to enable ”sv_cheats 1”. (Such as flying, god mode etc.)
- To get your HUD disabled, use - “cl_drawhud 0”.
- If you want to fly and reach places that are out of the playable area, use - “noclip”.
- For god mode (you can not be killed) use the command - “god”.
- To remove all bots on your CS2 offline map, you must use - “bot_kick”.
- Removing the FPS cap is advised so type in - “fps_max 0”.
- To show your FPS on screen (not nearly as clean or good as in CS:GO) - “cl_showfps 1”.
- Restarting a custom game is as easy as typing in - “mp_restartgame 1”.
- If you want to disconnect from your current server, use - “disconnect”.
- If you have enough of CS2 or want to ragequit, use - “quit”.
Important to note- not all commands work on official Matchmaking servers, some are just for your servers. “sv_cheats 1” is not enabled on Official CS2 servers, and thus all commands that come along with it.
Commands for FPS boost
One of the most important things for players are their FPS. If you have too little FPS and your game looks like it is lagging or chugging, you definitely need to tweak your settings to get a better experience. Here are some of the best CS2 console commands for FPS boost and to see your FPS in-game:
Removing the FPS cap is advised, so type in - “fps_max 0”.
To show your FPS on screen (not nearly as clean or good as in CS:GO) - “cl_showfps 1”.
Removing the FPS cap is advised, so type in - “fps_max 0”.
To show your FPS on screen (not nearly as clean or good as in CS:GO) - “cl_showfps 1”.
FPS boosts in Launch Option
To further help your FPS, you can put this command in your Launch Options.
-novid -refresh “Monitor Refresh Rate” -fps_max 0 -nojoy
Here are what the commands do:
-novid -refresh “Monitor Refresh Rate” -fps_max 0 -nojoy
Here are what the commands do:
- -novid removes the intro video when launching into Counter-Strike 2; this is said to give a slight memory boost.
- The -refresh command instantly sets CS2 to your monitor's refresh rate, which is measured in Hertz (Hz).
- To uncap your framerate and get the maximum amount of Frames, use -fps_max 0!
- -nojoy removes the ability to play Counter-Strike with a Controller, “no joycon”, and is also said to give a tinsy tiny improvement on overall FPS.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our small guide about how to enable the CS2 dev console and its most important and useful commands. We hope that you now know how to enable your console, change its keybind and use some other fun commands! This guide has now taught you everything you need to know about the Counter-Strike 2 console, its console commands, the best commands for FPS boost and the best Launch Options or Launch Settings for your CS2 experience.
The console is quite an important tool. If you want to see your FPS or set up something nice and fun for your friends on a private offline server, it is quite a powerful tool for the Player. And of course, you can bind keybinds, such as “switch hands” or simply a chat message to “taunt” your enemies.
The console is quite an important tool. If you want to see your FPS or set up something nice and fun for your friends on a private offline server, it is quite a powerful tool for the Player. And of course, you can bind keybinds, such as “switch hands” or simply a chat message to “taunt” your enemies.
