In Counter-Strike 2, new volumetric smoke grenades, updated maps, new server tick rate architecture, and a whole lot more was formally introduced thanks to the Source 2 engine. But of course, with a new game on a newer engine, it meant that system requirements to play Counter-Strike went up drastically for the first time in a decade.
CS2 minimum and recommended system requirements
The requirements for playing Counter-Strike 2 still pale in comparison to a massive AAA new game release, but they are notably higher than the requirements that CS:GO had. Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements for CS2.
CS2 minimum system requirements
Here are the minimum system requirements to run Counter-Strike 2.
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core™ i5 750 or higher (quad-core)
- Memory: 8GB of RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11-compatible card with 1GB of memory or more, with support for Shader Model 5.0
- Storage: Up to 86GB of space
An element of Counter-Strike many forget is the Workshop and community custom servers, which often come with custom maps, models, and configs—all of which take up extra space in a hard drive. But the base game on its own is much less; even with only a couple of warmup Workshop maps installed, CS2 only takes up 34GB on my system.
With these specifications, players can expect to hit the magic 60FPS mark with drop-offs around interactive elements like Molotov fire or smoke grenades. As you can see, the minimum requirements are very easy to meet for most modern rigs.
CS2 recommended system requirements
Counter-Strike 2 does not have official recommended system requirements from Valve. Here are our suggestions for recommended system requirements:
- OS: Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 12GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 1060 or RX 580, with at least 6GB of memory
- Storage: Up to 86GB of space
Pair a more powerful rig with a high refresh rate monitor (at least 144Hz or higher) and play around with graphics settings. You’ll be looking to reach that refresh rate in FPS at the minimum (so 144FPS for 144Hz), which should be easily doable with the above equipment on low to medium settings. CS2
As with any game, you’ll be able to boost the performance of CS2 by decreasing the in-game graphics settings. Reducing settings such as texture quality, particle effects, and shaders can do a lot to help your game run more smoothly.
If you want to support a higher refresh rate, you’ll need to upgrade even further. While Source 2 is a little more efficient in using the GPU to improve performance, ultimately it still relies on the strength of a PC’s CPU, so if you can only upgrade a single part, look into the most powerful CPU within your budget.
Can you play Counter-Strike 2 on Mac?
At the moment, Counter-Strike 2 is not supported on Mac. This isn’t because the latest Macs can’t run CS2, but Valve has yet to release a version of the game that’s compatible with the Mac operating system.
There is the option, however, to use software such as Boot Camp that installs Windows onto your Macintosh. Be aware, however, that you’ll want to make sure you have an Intel chip in your Mac if you plan to use Boot Camp to play CS2 as an Intel processor is necessary to run Boot Camp.
