How to change your CS2 FOV in three steps

Counter-Strike
February 22, 2024
Daniel Morris

Your CS2 FOV can make a big difference to how good you are in-game. It changes how much of your surroundings you’re able to see at once. Your FOV should also depend on how close you sit to your monitor, as it can affect eyesight. It’s about finding the balance that works for you, which can only be done through experimentation.

You can change you CS2 FOV in 2 ways and we’ll show you them both.

CS2 FOV

Image source: Playerassist

CS2 FOV Console Commands

Both of the methods involved use CS2 console commands to change your FOV. Unfortunately, CS2 doesn’t have an extended FOV slider in its Settings Menu like many other shooters. The game has many customization options, like allowing you to find your best CS2 crosshair, but giving too much leeway with FOV could put many players at a competitive disadvantage.

Enable in-game console

The in-game console must first be enabled before console commands can be used and you change FOV CS2 .

  1. Opening the in-game Settings Menu, under the Game category.
  2. Ensure that the ‘Enable Developer Console’ option is selected ‘Yes’.
  3. You’re ready to use the first CS2 FOV command once this is complete.

Change CS2 viewmodel FOV

  1. Open the in-game console
  2. Change your CS2 FOV by using code ‘viewmodel_fov [54 to 68]‘
  3. The default for this command is 60, although we’d recommend setting this at the highest of 68.

This is the primary CS2 FOV command that you’ll find being edited in most CS2 pro settings, as it is allowed for use in competitive play. It only changes the field of view of your viewmodel, so your weapon will be closer or further away from you. Because of competitive restrictions, it won’t give you too much of an advantage but every little helps.

Change overall FOV in CS2

The next command changes your overall field of view. Competitive play doesn’t allow this, although it’s perfect for private matches.

  1. Open the in-game console.
  2. Enter ‘sv_cheats 1‘ into the console
  3. Then enter the command ‘fov_cs_debug [x]‘

The value of x can be whatever you want, although 150 is about the max CS2 FOV. Anything above begins to have unintended side effects. For context, going much higher than 150 can turn the game world upside down.

CS2 FOV

CS2 with 200 field of view turns the world upside down.

While it’s disappointing that this setting isn’t available in competitive play, it’s understandable. CS2 should be about a level playing field, and ultimately field of view can really affect that. It would be massive Counter-Strike news if Valve figured out a solution that allows a field of view slider that didn’t disadvantage some players, although we’re not holding out hope for it. For now, these solutions work.

FAQs

Can changing my CS2 field of view help me get better at Counter-Strike?

Absolutely – for the majority of players, being good at CS2 is about feeling comfortable with your own setup. Your field of view is a massive part of that. If it’s off, you’ll know it. If you want to test it out without going into a competitive game, we’d recommend trying out different field of view settings in a game of Deathmatch. That way, you can see how it affects your fragging ability before fully committing to a permanent CS2 field of view.

Why is there no official field of view slider in CS2?

Valve wants to limit how far players are able to change their field of view, as at certain ranges it can provide an unfair advantage on the server. It’s understandably frustrating to be limited in terms of what you can do, however CS2 is a game about fairness, where the best player wins. It should also be noted that at higher FOVs, some players will experience frame rate drops as the game has to render more objects. This gives players with better PCs an unfair advantage, which is totally against the spirit of the game.

Why can I change my CS2 FOV more in private matches?

The reason you’re able to change your CS2 FOV more in private matches, is because ultimately it doesn’t matter what you do in a game with your friends. Valve is only interested in maintaining a fair competitive scene, and doesn’t take it upon itself to be the fun police in private lobbies. The only place you’re restricted with your field of view is in competitive matches.

Why do games other than CS2 let me change my FOV?

That depends on the developers of those games. Some games don’t prioritize a strong competitive scene, and as a result, give players full FOV customization. Other competitive games just don’t feel it gives enough of an advantage to justify restricting it. The answer is different for every game. It’s currently unknown if CS2 will change anything in this regard.

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