Vortex Gaming

· Use fullscreen mode for the lowest input latency. Windowed fullscreen provides almost the same performance.
· A 4:3 1280x960 widescreen resolution makes models appear larger but makes player movement look faster. Personally, I prefer native resolution.
· It's best to leave the brightness setting at its default.

· Enable 'Player Contrast Highlight' to identify enemies more easily. Especially useful in dark areas, though it may cause a slight FPS drop.
· VSync increases input lag and caps FPS, so it's best to turn it off. Use it only to prevent screen tearing.
· Set NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency to 'On + Boost' to reduce input lag. If it burdens FPS, set it to 'On' only.
· Set the in-game max FPS as desired, but if stuttering occurs, try setting it slightly above your monitor's refresh rate. Keep the menu max FPS low to reduce PC load.

· MSAA (Multisample Anti-Aliasing): On native resolution, setting 2x or off is fine. On widescreen resolutions, set 2x or 4x to increase model sharpness.
· Global shadow quality: Even at low settings you can see most shadows and save FPS. Grenade shadows are only visible at high.
· Dynamic shadows: Set to 'All' to display shadows from all light sources and gain a competitive edge. Setting to 'Sun only' removes shadows from other lights.
· Model and texture detail: Setting to medium has little impact on FPS and can make headshot detection clearer. Low is also acceptable.

· Anisotropic filtering: Set to 16x to boost in-game sharpness while maintaining FPS.
· Shader detail: Set to low to gain a competitive edge.
· Particle detail: Unlike CS:GO, setting it low in CS2 causes no issues.
· Ambient occlusion: Setting to medium lets you see shadows on walls, offering a slight advantage. Turn it off to save more FPS.
· HDR (High Dynamic Range): Set to 'Quality' to prevent in-game noise. Performance impact is minimal.
· FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR): Lower the performance setting to increase FPS. If FPS is sufficient, disabling it is best. Find your preferred settings through personal testing.

· Sensitivity setting: Find a range where a full swipe across the mousepad results in 180°–360° rotation. I personally use 0.8 sensitivity at 800 DPI. As a starting point, try 1.0 at 800 DPI, 2.0 at 400 DPI, or 0.5 at 1600 DPI.
· Sensitivity adjustment: Practice against bots on workshop maps and check if you are over‑flicking or under‑flicking, then fine‑tune your sensitivity. Once you find the optimal setting, keep it to build muscle memory.
· Crosshair: Use the 'crashz's crosshair generator' from the Steam Workshop to find a crosshair that fits you. Referencing pro players' crosshairs can also help.

· M4A1-S and USP silencer separation: Disable this setting to avoid inconvenience from removing the silencer.
· First‑person trajectory tracking: Keep it on at all times to see bullet trajectories.
· Always show inventory: Enable it so you can always see the grenades you currently have.
· Grenade binding: Set keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Z, X, C, F) instead of the scroll wheel to quickly pull out grenades. Choose keys that suit your personal preference.

· EQ profile: Some say 'Crisp' is good for hearing footsteps, but I personally had the best experience with the 'Natural' setting. Test both.
· Stereo separation: This can help you pinpoint sound direction more accurately. Try 50% and revert to 0% if it doesn't help.
· Depth correction: This is enabled by default, but because the sound shifts based on monitor position and can cause confusion, it's recommended to disable it.