How to show FPS in CS2: Counter-Strike 2 FPS command and settings

Ensuring you have the highest possible frames per second in Counter-Strike 2 is important to make sure you’re not at a disadvantage. Here’s how to show FPS in-game while you play, using a variety of methods, including the show fps command.

In CS2, it cannot be overstated how important FPS is. To start, you will want to optimize for the maximum FPS possible using our best CS2 settings guide.

To check how many frames per second you’re getting as you play, there are number of methods, depending on what exactly you want to see. We will explain all three main methods here.

Show FPS setting

The simplest way to show FPS in CS2, and one that will work for everyone, is to turn on the HUD telemetry in Game Settings.

1. Press ESC and then click the settings cog
2. Go to Game Settings
3. Go to Telemetry
4. Change “Show frame time and FPS” to “ALWAYS“
5. The FPS will now show in the top right of your HUD

Open settings and navigate to Game

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Go to Telemetry

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On “Show frame time and FPS” select “ALWAYS”

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View FPS in top right corner of your HUD

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You will now see your frame time and average FPS in small green text in the top right-hand corner of your HUD. There is no way to move it from this location, so you’ll always see it here. However, this isn’t the only way to see your FPS in-game – you can also use the command.

Show FPS command in CS2

To use the show FPS command in CS2, you will first need to enable the developer console, which is then activated by pressing the ~ key.

1. Press ~ to open the in-game console
2. Type “cl_showfps 1” and press Enter
3. Large red text will now display your live FPS, rather than average

This will enable the in-game FPS count on the left side of the screen. You can disable it again by typing cl_showfps 0.

You can also get other information by using cl_showfps 2, cl_showfps 3, and cl_showfps 4:

• cl_showfps 1: Frames per second only
• cl_showfps 2: FPS, FPS min, FPS Max, Frame time
• cl_showfps 3: Server ms delay, ticks per second
• cl_showfps 4: Average FPS

If you’re looking for more commands to use in the console, we have a handy list of the best CS2 commands here.

Use Steam Overlay to show FPS

Another simple method to show FPS while playing CS2 is to use the Steam Overlay. This is also useful if you would rather have the FPS counter somewhere other than the top right corner. To do this, follow these steps while playing CS2.

1. Press Shift + Tab while in-game
2. In the bottom right of the menu, select the settings cog
3. Under ‘In Game’, find ‘In-game FPS counter’
4. Select where you would like the FPS counter to display
5. Turn on In-game FPS counter high contrast color

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This will display your current FPS in a bright green in the location of your choosing.

Why FPS matters in CS2

So, now you can see your average or live FPS while playing Counter-Strike 2 – but, what’s the point?

CS2 is a fast-paced competitive shooter, where split seconds are the difference between a kill or a death, a round win or loss, and potentially a map win or loss.

A player with higher FPS will have an inherent advantage, allowing them to react faster to action on screen. On lower FPS, your gameplay will appear stuttery and you could miss key information. For example, if a player ‘jiggle peeks’ around a corner, a player on 60 FPS or lower may not even see their jiggle, as it could fall between frames.

This is why maximizing your FPS, and playing on a monitor with a high refresh rate, is so vital.

What FPS should I aim for?

In CS2, you should aim to have at least 250 FPS when playing competitive matches. Ideally, you want your FPS to be at least as fast as your monitor’s refresh rate, but more is always better.

For example, if you have a 144Hz monitor, you want to achieve 144 FPS at a minimum. Most pro players will aim for much higher though, generally over 300 FPS.

To achieve this, you will need a capable graphics card and CPU, as well as likely tweaking with the game’s visual settings to improve performance.

How to improve FPS in CS2

There are a few steps to take if you want to achieve higher average FPS in Counter-Strike.

The first is to tweak your in-game settings. We have a full guide on the best CS2 settings here to improve your frames per second and gain a competitive advantage. Many of these changes will come at the cost of visual fidelity, but will not compromise on vital gameplay components such as shadows.

You should also close other applications that are running on your PC if they are not necessary. Common memory hogs include browsers like Google Chrome, or music applications like Apple Music or Spotify. You can use the Task Manager to identify and close applications that are using significant resource on your PC while you play.

The next step is to improve your hardware. A GPU upgrade can instantly increase your FPS by as much as 100 frames. You may need to pair it with improved CPU and RAM to get the most out of a GPU upgrade, however.