Gaming · Windows PC

How to Cap or Uncap FPS in CS2

Source-checked About 3 minutes

Answer

From the CS2 main menu, enable the developer console under Settings > Game, open it, and enter fps_max followed by the limit you want. Use fps_max 0 to remove the game-side cap. Valve does not allow this command to be changed while connected to a server, so set it before joining a match.

Guide steps4 steps
  1. Leave the server first
  2. Enable the developer console
  3. Set the frame-rate limit
  4. Verify the result
  5. If it still does not work

Leave the server first

Return to the CS2 main menu before changing the limit. If you are in a match, workshop map, or practice server, disconnect first; Valve blocks fps_max changes while the client is connected to a server.

Enable the developer console

Select Settings > Game, find Enable Developer Console (~), and set it to Yes. Close Settings, then press the console key, normally the key below Esc and left of 1. If the console does not appear, return to this setting and confirm it stayed enabled.

Set the frame-rate limit

In the console, enter fps_max 144, replacing 144 with the limit you want, and press Enter. Use fps_max 0 to remove CS2's game-side cap. Do not add a plus sign in the console; +fps_max is launch-option syntax, not the command used here.

Verify the result

Open Settings > Game > Telemetry and set the frame-rate or frame-time display to Always. Join a private practice session and check that FPS stays at or below the chosen cap. An uncapped setting removes the software limit but cannot guarantee a particular frame rate.

If it does not work

  • If the console reports that fps_max cannot be changed, disconnect from the server and enter the command again from the main menu.
  • If the cap does not survive a restart, remove any conflicting fps_max value from Steam Library > Counter-Strike 2 > Properties > General > Launch Options, then set the value again.
  • If FPS remains below the selected cap, the PC is performance-limited. Lower video settings or use a stable cap the system can actually hold; fps_max does not create additional performance.
Sources and verification

Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows PC.

Source-checked against Valve's current CS2 command restriction and Telemetry guidance. No screenshot is required for final acceptance.

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