A CS2 config is a text file that sets everything at once: sensitivity, crosshair, sound, HUD. Build it once and the game looks and feels the same on any machine. Here is where those files live, how to keep them safe and how to grab someone else's setup.

The simplest way not to lose your settings is to keep the config in the cloud. On the CYBERSHOKE configs page it uploads to your profile and downloads on any PC, together with video settings and launch options.

Where is the CS2 config file located

CS2 keeps settings in Steam\userdata\<your ID>\730\local\cfg\. The two files that matter are cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfg for in-game commands and cs2_user_keys_0_slot0.vcfg for binds. Video settings sit separately in cs2_video.txt, and launch options live in the game properties in Steam.

That split causes most of the confusion. Moving "your config" means moving three different things, and copying the cfg folder alone will not bring the setup back.

Dust2 in CS2, the map players use to test settings after moving a config
After moving a config, check sensitivity and crosshair on a map you know by heart.

How to back up your CS2 settings

A Windows reinstall, a new PC, a gaming café machine — settings disappear in all three cases. Uploading the config to the cloud is the safer route: the file sits in your profile, downloads by link and does not depend on whether Steam Cloud synced in time.

Upload lives in the "Config" tab of your profile on the site. It takes the configuration itself, the video settings and the launch options, so all three parts travel together. Change something later and re-upload — the stored config updates on its own, nothing to clean up manually.

Three parts of CS2 settings: commands, video settings and launch options
CS2 settings live in three places — all three need to travel.

How to download another player's config

The "Config" tab is public, so anyone can open a player's profile and take their setup. The crosshair is rendered as an image, which means you see what you are getting before downloading instead of pasting an unknown code blindly.

The practical use is simple. If a friend's aim looks consistently clean, starting from their sensitivity and crosshair beats building your own from scratch. After that you only tweak two things as a rule: sensitivity value and crosshair size.

The fastest way to test new settings is a server with constant gunfights — half an hour on CYBERSHOKE deathmatch gives you as many duels as a full evening of ranked.

CS2 launch options worth using

Launch options are set in Steam: right-click the game → Properties → Launch Options. The short list of ones that actually do something:

  • -novid — skips the intro movie.
  • -console — opens the developer console on start.
  • -high — raises process priority; helps on some systems, does nothing on others.
  • -language english — English interface regardless of the Steam language.

Everything else from those "100 launch options for FPS" lists either does nothing in CS2 or was a CS:GO thing. The game moved to a different engine on 4 November 2023, and most old advice simply does not apply.

How to move CS2 settings to another computer

  1. Open your profile on the site and download the config from the "Config" tab.
  2. Drop the files into Steam\userdata\<ID>\730\local\cfg\.
  3. Move video settings separately, as cs2_video.txt.
  4. Type the launch options by hand in the game properties.
  5. Launch the game and check sensitivity: if Steam Cloud restores an older version, your settings roll back.

That last point is the usual reason a config "does not work". Turn Steam Cloud sync off for CS2 before copying files, otherwise it hands you back whatever the previous owner of that PC had.

FAQ

Where is the CS2 config file?
In Steam\userdata\<your ID>\730\local\cfg\. Commands live in cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfg, binds in cs2_user_keys_0_slot0.vcfg.

How do I download a pro player's config?
Open their profile on the site and take the file from the "Config" tab. The crosshair is shown as an image, so you can see the setup before downloading.

Why do my settings reset after moving the config?
Usually Steam Cloud: it restores the previous version of the files. Disable cloud sync for CS2 and copy the config again.

Which launch options should I use in CS2?
-novid and -console are enough. Long "FPS boost" lists are mostly CS:GO leftovers and change nothing in CS2.

Source

Upload and download configs on the CYBERSHOKE configs page; service changes are listed in the updates section.