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A counter-terrorist is seen shooting in CS:GO.
Image via Valve

How to open the console in CS:GO

The console is a game changer.

Usually, when you launch a typical first-person shooter, you can change all the necessary settings from the menu. CS:GO isn’t a typical first-person shooter though, as it allows you to tweak each configuration with the help of the console.

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While the game looks pretty easy at the start, its simplified mechanics actually create a perfect setup for the best players to shine. In the end, mastering all the little details in things such as movement, crosshair placement, utility usage, and many more requires a lot of time put into training. You can adjust most gameplay features by the standard HUB, though, it’s often not enough.

That’s when the non-standard configuration and settings come to play, which you can toy around with thanks to the console. With many variables, however, it’s probably going to take you dozens of hours to figure out the perfect settings that work for you.

It’s all more than fine. If you’re looking for a good place to start, you can check out the settings of some renowned pros. G2 Esports’ NiKo and m0NESY, Natus Vincere’s s1mple, and Vitality’s ZywOo are currently some of the greatest individuals in the game, so you may apply their settings.

Even pro players change their crosshairs, launch settings, and so on a regular basis, and we’d be lying if we said we don’t do the same as well. In the end, it’s all about having fun, experimenting, and improving your skill with each game.

Smoke grenade landing on Mirage in CS:GO
With the console, you can start a practice server where you’ll be able to try everything. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Here’s how to activate and open up the console in CS:GO.

How to open console on CS:GO – Step-by-step instructions

To open the console, you first need to enable it through the settings menu. You can do this by clicking Options in the top right corner of the screen from the main menu, selecting Game Settings, and choosing Enable Developer Console. Set it to “yes.”

Related: When is CS2 coming out?

The default key binding for the console is the tilde key (~). But if you want to change it to something else, head to the Keyboard / Mouse settings, scroll down to Toggle Console, and click the right-hand box to choose your binding. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using Tilde, but the F-keys are a sensible alternative.

Related: How to make a jumpthrow bind in CS:GO

Once you’ve enabled the console and bound it to an appropriate key, you’re free to open it in the main menu or throughout a match. Then, you can try all the settings you’ll want.


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Author
Image of Jerome Heath
Jerome Heath
Senior editor at Dot Esports. Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.
Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.