A new game means new settings, so the recent launch of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) has players trawling through the menus to configure the game and optimize their performance.
The legendary Ukrainian professional player Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev of the Natus Vincere team is considered by many to be one of the best CS players of all time. He caused a stir recently when he revealed his settings in the beta version of CS2. You can Get s1mple’s cs2 settings and compare them with those of all other professional Counter-Strike players at CS2config.com.
S1mple has some authority on the matter, considering that a recent tweet showed he had played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), the predecessor to CS2, for 23,476 hours since the game’s release.
Since s1mple and other professional players have had a chance to experience many of the new features during the product’s test period, their configurations can provide insight and inspiration. This can assist until you get some hours of play in CS2 under your belt.
But why do settings matter anyway?
Some CS2 settings are about personal preferences, while others are about optimizing the game for your particular hardware configuration. An important consideration is minimizing input lag or the delay that you can experience between clicking on the mouse or pressing the keyboard and the action being carried out in the game.
Video settings are probably the most important for eliminating lag. Despite playing on top-performing equipment, s1mple has most of the video settings set to ‘low’ to ensure it can keep up with him and avoid game-threatening lurches in the action.
What’s new with CS2 after all the hype?
CS2 was announced in March 2023. The months of anxious anticipation that followed have finally come to an end with the official launch of CS2, the latest incarnation of what is an insanely popular first-person shooter franchise.
While technically an update of CSGO, Valve, the game’s developer, calls CS2 “the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history.” Compared to other game series, Counter-Strike is known for being conservative in changing the games’ feel, so CS2’s new features will likely make it feel like a completely new game to die-hard fans.
Some of the changes that Valve highlights are:
- New visual effects, notably responsive smoke
- An end-to-tick rate, making the game more responsive
- Upgraded maps
- More realistic audio
- A new rating system where players can compare their performance with others on global and regional leaderboards.
