Counter-Strike 2 is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, competitive shooters on the internet right now, and for good reason. The tactical FPS by Valve features intense team-based gameplay, precision gunplay, and a thriving esports scene that continues to attract millions of players from throughout the globe.
If you haven’t had the chance to dip your toes into the world of CS2 yet, then it goes without saying that you’re missing out on some of the best gaming experiences you’ll ever have. Whether you’re a new gamer looking to try out CS2 or a hardcore FPS enthusiast looking to check what the hype around the game is all about, we’ve compiled a quick guide on how to play Counter-Strike 2 on your PC (or your Steam Deck, if you dare).
How To Play Counter-Strike 2: Guide
The first thing you’ll need to do if you’re wondering how to play Counter-Strike 2 is check whether your PC can handle it. Don’t worry, CS2 isn’t a very demanding game and can run on most systems while dishing out decent frame rates. So unless you’re trying to play the game on a potato from 2005, you should be fine.
For your convenience, we’ve included the system requirements for running CS2 below:
Windows
Minimum:
OS: Windows® 10
Processor: 4 hardware CPU threads – Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Video card must be 1 GB or more and should be a DirectX 11-compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 85 GB available space
SteamOS & Linux
Minimum:
OS: Ubuntu 20.04
Processor: 4 hardware CPU threads – Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD GCN+ or NVIDIA Kepler+ with up-to-date Vulkan drivers. Support for VK_EXT_graphics_pipeline_library is highly recommended.
Storage: 85 GB available space
Sound Card: Highly recommended
Once you make sure your PC can handle CS2, you can get to the next step.
Downloading Steam
Before you can install and play CS2 on your PC, you’ll need to download Steam first.
You can download Steam by visiting its official website and creating an account. Once done, simply download the Steam app and log in with the account you just created to get started.
How To Play Counter-Strike 2 on Steam
After launching Steam, head to the Steam Store by clicking on the ‘Store’ tab on the top of your screen.
Now, all you need to do is look up ‘Counter-Strike 2’ on the search bar and download the game.
And that’s it! Now all you need to do is wait for the download to finish and launch CS2 from the Steam Library.
This concludes everything you need to know on how to play Counter-Strike 2 on your PC. Now you’re all set to jump into the game, hone your skills, and experience the intense combat of CS2 first-hand.
