Over ten years after its initial release, CS:GO remains one of the most popular games on the planet. The game still shatters its own player records, with 1.3 million players recently logging on concurrently to break the record. With no signs of slowing down, it’s no wonder new players are taking notice and starting their CS:GO download.
You may be wanting to get involved, but don’t know how. That’s what we’re here to show you – exactly how you can download CS:GO and get fragging on the server, beginning your journey of learning how to get better at Counter-Strike.
Image source: Steam Community
There is only one way to download CS:GO, and you must do it through Steam. Valve, the developer of CS:GO, is also the creator of Steam, meaning that it’s the only platform you can find the game. So first things first – you must have a Steam account, and have the Steam client installed on your device.
With Steam installed, the rest of the process is pretty self-explanatory. You simply search for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the Steam store, and hit install to begin your CS:GO free download. That’s right – free. The game used to be paid, however, it adopted a free-to-play model in 2018 to bring new players into the game. Now, all there is to do is wait for the game to download. In the meantime, there’s plenty you can do while you wait. It’s always worth looking up CS2 pro settings, to give yourself the best chance at getting ahead from the get-go.
Once your CS:GO download has been completed on Steam, it’s just a case of launching the game. From here, your options are endless. You can head straight into the competitive action and challenge yourself, or you could jump into practice. You may not even want to play straight away. It could be worth looking into some of your settings, like your CS2 rates, to ensure you get the best experience going into it.
If that seemed almost too simple – don’t worry. It’s because it is! Anyone can begin their CS:GO journey, and the game’s low system requirements mean that pretty much any modern PC can handle it at a reasonable frame rate.
Sadly not. When CS:GO was first released, it was also released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, however, these versions are long-abandoned with no updates for many years. They almost resemble a completely different game to what can be seen today. If you still have these consoles and are curious, you can technically still pick them up from their respective marketplaces, although it will cost you. And don’t expect to find a game on them, either. They’re completely dead, so you’ll have to settle for bots for company on the server.
As long as you download CS:GO on Windows, Mac, or Linux, you can play the game. It’s a game that massively benefits from a mouse and keyboard, so don’t expect to see it come to any modern consoles any time soon. Honestly, it’s not something we can say many people are asking for anyway.
CS:GO is only available on Steam as Valve is the developer of both. The game is undoubtedly a huge draw to the platform, so having it on something such as the Epic Games Stores doesn’t make sense for the studio. It also allows Valve more control over who has access to the game, being able to issue VAC bans through Steam. Even with CS2’s release, the game is not expected to make any move in regards to platform, with no Xbox or PlayStation release currently planned for either.
Why can I only get CS:GO on Steam?
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, the main one being your own internet speed. CS:GO currently takes up 30GB of storage on Steam. For some players, that’s a couple-of-minute-long download, whereas for others it can take hours. Your CS:GO download speed will also depend on whether you use Wi-Fi or ethernet. You can be connected to the same internet connection, but a wired ethernet connection will always be faster than a Wi-Fi connection.
How long does CS:GO take to download?
By default, Steam should automatically download the latest CS:GO update for you whenever it releases to the public. Just to be sure, you should ensure you have automatic updates turned on in your CS:GO “Properties” menu on Steam. This could help to avoid any potential confusion when a new update does release.
How do I download CS:GO updates?
CS:GO moved to a free-to-play model back in 2018, and hasn’t looked back ever since. The decision brought with it a huge new player base, that contributes to the health of the game to this day. Once players were in for free, they even felt more comfortable spending money on in-game skins and cases. After all, they hadn’t paid an entry fee, so a few dollars here and there on a fancy new skin felt harmless. Ultimately, it was a business decision from Valve, especially as at that point, many had already bought the game anyway. It has certainly proven to be the right one.
Why is the CS:GO download free?
LOL
CS2
Dota 2
Valorant
Fortnite
Call of Duty
Mobile Games
Gaming
EN Global 
JP 日本語