How to fix stutter issues and tick rate in Counter-Strike 2

After months of watching a select few enjoy the Limited Test of Counter-Strike 2, players with Prime Status now have access to the game.

Many players have reported a few issues so far in CS2 (which is to be expected in a Limited Test). The game stutters, doesn’t seem to be fully optimised yet.

It's time to change the default settings.

Fortunately, players have already figured out some pretty handy tips to get around some of these issues, including this excellent guide by reddit user u/Vincentmrl.

Before we get into the fixes though, what are some of the issues that users face in Counter-Strike 2?

Issues in Counter-Strike 2

There’s much to be excited about in the new game, such as the changes to smokes and the new Map Rating system, as well as things to be happy with such as visual overhauls to maps.

But that doesn’t mean the game is fully polished yet (but it's pretty impressive).

Here are some of players’ most frequent complaints with Counter-Strike 2 so far:

• Low FPS and stuttering
• Rubber-banding when running into teammates
• Counter-strafing feeling ‘off’
• Inconsistent recoil and gunplay
• Input lag on grenades
• Lag compensation
• NVIDIA Reflex causing lag
• No cl_righthand & viewmodel_recoil

Of course, many of the complaints above must expect to be caused by the simple fact that it's... a new game. New things to get used to, new habits and ways to play the game.

While the guide can’t fix some of these issues, as they’re engine-related or simply a choice made by the developer to leave things that were previously in CS:GO, we can aid you in fixing some of the issues you may be experiencing.

Recommended settings to fix stuttering in CS2

Now, let’s get into some of those settings recommended to fix some of the issues you may be facing with stuttering in CS2.

Please note, however, that all PCs are different, and there may be some tinkering needed to get the best results.

• Disable NVIDIA Reflex and enable ‘Low Latency Mode’
• The game defaults to a windowed borderless setting, so ensure to change that to regular fullscreen.
• The command ‘FPS_max’ isn’t working, however, there is a program called RivaTuner that can help to lock FPS. Set the framerate to 300 or lower, whatever works on your PC, and make sure that you have ‘allow_third_party_software’ as a Launch Option before you start the game.
• MSAA may be bugged, so change it to CMAA2 just to be safe.
• Disable V-sync
• Launch CS2 and open Task Manager, once there, right click to access the properties and find ‘Compatibility’. Then click ‘Disable fullscreen optimisations’.

Hopefully, with these fixes, many of your issues should be sorted, but if not, there is more to try.

Fixing shader stuttering in Counter-Strike 2

Another issue that players are facing is stuttering when playing a map for the first time. It can be really annoying to lose a gunfight or miss an important grenade because of these stutters, and they’re caused by the fact that there are no precompiled shaders downloaded with CS2.

Luckily, there is a fix, but unfortunately, it is one you will have to do manually and can be a little time-consuming. Here is how:

• Load up a practice with bots on and select unranked and infinite ammo.
• Open the console and input the following commands: sv_cheats 1, sv_infinite_ammo 1, mp_buy_anywhere 1, noclip, god
• From here, allow the bots in the server to shoot you so that anything with a third person effect is now compiled.
• Take a little bit of time to enjoy your ears now bleeding from repeatedly being shot by the bots, and then type ‘bot_kick’ in the console to enjoy the difference in-game.
• Finally, walk around each map and throw as many different grenades as possible in as many different places, this will continue to compile the effects.
• Rinse and repeat for every map you hope to get Global Elite in.

Tick rate issues in CS2

Although fans of CS:GO had long been clamouring for 128 tick rate matchmaking servers like the ones found on FACEIT and not the 64 tick servers found in CS:GO MM, Valve instead decided to throw a curveball.

Opting to go for a subtick system instead, they claimed to have found an even better solution than 128 tick.

However, users seem to have found an issue with this, in that the game defaults to around 20 tick. Which for context, is the equivalent of Call of Duty (no CS player wants to feel like they’re playing that).

Once again, though, CS players have found a possible:

Just like with jump throw binds, first you need to find your local files. On most PCs, that will be found here:

C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg,

However, you can also find it by right-clicking on the game in your Steam library and going to ‘Manage’, ‘Properties’, and then ‘Browse Local Files’.

Once there, copy a .cfg file and rename it to ‘autoexec’. Open the new file in Notepad and input these commands:

• cl_updaterate 128
• cl_interp_ratio 1
• cl_interp "0.015625" (if you have a stable, wired connection)
• cl_interp 0.03125 (for wireless or ping above 60)
• Save the file, and the next time you open Counter-Strike 2, you should be ready for action.

Hopefully, these fixes lead you to less stutter issues in Counter-Strike 2 and give you the best chance of becoming the demon you were born to be. Happy fragging.