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Counter-Strike 2 crashes or lags to improve performance | Troubleshooting.

By AndroidGreek Team
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Valve has officially announced an upgrade to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2, which brings a significant redesign of maps with lighting, smokes, and other enhancements. It offers a similar experience to CS:GO but uses the advanced Source 2 video game engine for realistic, physically-based rendering.

When upgrading, all your existing inventory will be moved to CS2, and the upgrade will be free—no additional purchases are needed. However, with every new game, performance issues like stuttering and lagging can be expected initially due to the various hardware combinations. It takes some time to stabilise the game for most players.

If you’re encountering issues with Counter-Strike 2, these troubleshooting guides might help. First, ensure your PC is compatible with Counter-Strike 2. Some users have reported the game failing to launch or having non-loading issues, common among Steam users.

Counter-Strike 2 System Requirements

Here are the Counter-Strike 2 system requirements to experience the game as it is expected to run.

RequirementsMinimum
Requires64-Bit processor and OS
OSWindows 10
Processor4 hardware CPU threads – Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher
Memory8GB RAM
Graphics1 GB or more, DirectX 11-compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0
DirectXv11
NetworkBroadband Internet connection
Free Disk Space85GB Available Space

It’s also recommended to ensure the storage and RAM are properly placed in their slots. If you encounter issues with the game not launching on the loading screen, try unplugging the HDD, SSD, and RAM and see if it gets fixed.

Understanding the game’s hardware demands is crucial for optimal performance. The game is quite intensive, and not all systems can handle it at maximum resolution or performance.

Fix the Counter-Strike 2 Troubleshooting Guide

Before proceeding, it is always recommended for users to follow these steps if they encounter the same issue.

  • If you haven’t updated your game to the latest version, try updating it.
  • Use the Launch Option from the Client option to start the game in full-screen mode.
  • Reduce display scaling from the GPU Control Panel.
  • Enable game mode on Windows.
  • Set texture quality to performance in the GPU Control Panel.
  • Set the Power Option to Max Performance in the GPU Control Panel.

Most of the issues often occur due to incorrect PC configurations, which can make Counter-Strike 2 incompatible with the game.

  • Login Issue: Ensure you have the correct login credentials and that the servers are not down.
  • Startup and Not Loading Issues:
    • Black Screen: If you face a black screen issue, it might cause players to get stuck. This can also result in no sound, requiring players to quit the game.
    • Crashing: If your game crashes or doesn’t load, it could be due to firmware issues, incorrect settings, or corrupted game data.
  • Missing or corrupted game files: Verify game file integrity.
  • Outdated Game Version: Ensure your game is updated to the latest version.
  • DirectX Issue: Ensure DirectX is properly installed and updated.
  • Overlay App Issue: Disable any overlay apps that might be interfering with the game.
  • High In-Game Graphics, Low FPS Drop: Various factors could cause frame drops.
  • Bottleneck: Check if your GPU usage is around 95–100% in AAA games but 80–90% in demanding games. Use a bottleneck calculator to check your CPU bottleneck.
  • Payday 84 Low GPU Usage: Fix low GPU usage by downloading the latest driver, setting graphics settings to performance mode, and changing power management to performance/consistency/Nvidia preferred from the NVIDIA Control Panel.
  • Counter-Strike 2 is not working on the Nintendo Switch. This could be due to bugs that need fixing by the developers. It may be caused by system glitches, corrupted or outdated games, cache data issues, low storage space, or other crash triggers.
  • Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing: These issues require a high-performance configuration to run the game in full resolution and at higher FPS.
  • Sound Issues: If audio cuts out during a gaming session, it could be due to in-game sound trouble, outdated drivers, or other issues.

Uninstall or rollback the Windows Update

If you recently updated Windows and are experiencing performance issues, try rolling back the update.

  1. Open Windows Settings (Windows + I).
  2. Go to Windows Update and then uninstall updates.
  3. Click on Update, Security, and Recovery from the left sidebar.
  4. Find the option to go back to the previous version of Windows and click on Get Started.

Note: The rollback Windows update is only available for ten days after the update because the backup of the previous Windows installation remains in the backup. Also, some updates cannot be uninstalled.

Disable Counter-Strike 2 Fullscreen Optimisation

This takes up the whole screen and allows Windows to optimise applications and games.

  1. Open Windows Settings and click on the Gaming option.
  2. Uncheck the checkbox for “Show game bar when I play full-screen games Microsoft has verified.”
  3. Go to the installed directory of Counter-Strike 2.
  4. Right-click on the Counter-Strike 2.exe file and click on Properties.
  5. In the Properties dialogue box, go to Compatibility and uncheck the checkbox for Enable Fullscreen Optimisation.
  6. Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Counter-Strike 2: Login Error

Users must create a Nebula Starbreeze account to immerse themselves in the game. If you encounter the Nebula Login error, it is most likely due to server overload. Try refreshing your browser or checking the server status before checking your network.

Run Counter-Strike 2 as an administrator.

To avoid account controls, run it as an administrator and make it permanent.

  1. Go to the installed directory of Counter-Strike 2, then right-click the Counter-Strike 2.exe file.
  2. Open the Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Check the checkbox for “Run this programme as an administrator.”
  4. Click on Apply, and then select OK to save the changes.

Update Graphics Drivers

Drivers help boost your PC’s performance.

  1. Press Windows + X, then click Device Manager.
  2. Expand the display adapter by double-clicking on it and right-clicking on your GPU.
  3. Click “Update driver” to start searching for the GPU driver.
  4. If an update is available, download it and install it. Restart to apply the changes.

Update the Counter-Strike 2 game.

Check for updates and install them.

Steam

  1. Open Steam and go to the library.
  2. Click on Counter-Strike 2 and check for updates automatically.
  3. If an update is available, click on the Update option and wait for the update process to complete.
  4. Quit the Steam client and reboot your PC to apply the changes.

Epic Game Launcher

  1. Launch Epic Game Launcher and go to the library.
  2. Select the triple-dot menu in Counter-Strike 2 and choose Auto Update to ensure it is enabled.

Xbox

  1. Press the Xbox button on the controllers, choose My Game & App, and then select All.
  2. Choose Manage, and if an update is available, it will automatically start downloading and installing the new patch.

PlayStation

  1. Head to the library and choose the game you want to update.
  2. Press the Option button on the controller, then select Check for Update. Follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Nintendo

  1. Open the Home screen, select Counter-Strike 2, press the plus button, and choose Software Update from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click on “Using the Internet as a source,” and it will start the update process. A reboot may be required.

Check RAM, GPU, and CPU usage.

If you are experiencing slow computer issues, check your hardware usage.

  1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  2. Go to the Process tab and choose tasks such as Counter-Strike 2 or any other task consuming many resources.
  3. Select the task and close the specific app by right-clicking on the task and clicking on End task.
  4. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

After closing the background and running tasks, set the game as a high priority.

  1. From the taskbar, right-click on the game in the Processes tab.
  2. Select Set Priority to High, and then close the Task Manager.

Verify game files and repair

By verifying the integrity of the game, you can check the files on your computer to ensure they are not damaged or corrupted.

Steam

  1. Open Steam and go to the library.
  2. Right-click on the Counter-Strike 2 game and click on Properties.
  3. Go to the Local Files tab and click Verify game file integrity. This process will verify and check the installed game to determine if any missing or corrupted files are located.
  4. Once it finishes, reopen Steam and try relaunching the game.

Epic Game Launcher

  1. Open the Epic Game Launcher and go to the Game Library.
  2. Choose Counter-Strike 2, then select Settings and click on Verify. This will start the verification process.
  3. Close the Launcher and then restart your PC to apply the changes.

Nintendo

  1. Open the menu and choose System Settings from the drop-down menu. Select data management.
  2. Choose Software from the drop-down menu, and then select Counter-Strike 2.
  3. After that, choose Look for Data Error and wait for it to finish. Then, reboot the Switch console to apply the changes.

Reset Console

This will wipe all users’ data and factory reset your console.

PlayStation

  1. Open the PlayStation Settings menu, select the Initialization tab, and choose Initialise PS5.
  2. From the prompt, choose Full, which will automatically start wiping itself to restore factory defaults.
  3. Once it finishes, reboot your system.

Xbox

  1. Press the Xbox button, then from the controller guide menu, choose Profile & System.
  2. Head over to Settings, then choose System. Go to Console Info and reset the console.
  3. Select Reset and Remove Everything, or reset and keep your games and apps.
  4. Wait for the console to finish resetting.

Disable Third-Party Overlay Apps

Overlays are interactive widgets or statistical information. Turn off in-game overlays, especially for low- to mid-end PCs.

Steam

  1. Open Steam, then go to the library.
  2. Right-click on Counter-Strike 2.
  3. Choose Properties, then head to the General section and uncheck the checkbox for Enable Steam Overlay.
  4. Return to the library to relaunch Counter-Strike 2 and fix the issues.

Discord Overlay

  1. Open Discord, then click on the settings icon at the bottom right.
  2. Next, click “Overlay” under “App Settings” and enable the in-game overlay.
  3. Go to the “Game” tab, choose Counter-Strike 2 to turn off the in-game overlay toggle, and restart your PC.

Xbox Game Bar

  1. Open Windows Settings, then go to “Gaming.”.
  2. Click on “Game Bar” and toggle off the “Record Game Clip,” “Screenshots,” and “Broadcast using Game Bar” options.

Nvidia GeForce Experience

  1. Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience, then go to “Settings.”
  2. Choose the “General” tab, then turn off the “In-game Overlay” option.
  3. Restart your PC to apply the changes, and then try relaunching the game.

Check for updates.

To update your Windows to the latest version, sometimes bugs need to be fixed or stability issues need to be addressed.

Windows

  1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I.
  2. Go to Update & Security, then click Check for Updates under the Windows Update section.
  3. If any updates are available, download and install them.
  4. Please wait for the updates to be installed, prompting you to restart your computer.

PlayStation

  1. Open Settings, then go to System Software Update.
  2. Check for updates; if an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
  3. Once the update is finished, reboot the system to apply the changes successfully.

Xbox

  1. Press the Home button on the Xbox to open the Dashboard menu.
  2. Go to Settings and select All Settings. Now choose system, and then select updates.
  3. If an update is available, select Update Console to follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation, then restart.

Nintendo

  1. Ensure that there is enough battery charge. Go to the Home Menu, then select System Settings.
  2. Scroll down to select System and choose System Update.
  3. Perform a check to determine if an update is available. Then download and install it to finish successfully.

Disable mouse acceleration

  1. Search for mouse settings, and then change mouse settings.
  2. Go to Additional Mouse Options and choose the Pointer option tab.
  3. Uncheck the checkbox for Enhanced Pointer Precision.
  4. Save and apply the changes.

Disable Steam Input

If you are still encountering issues like the game not launching or getting stuck:

  1. Launch the Steam client and go to the library.
  2. Right-click on the game, click Controllers, and set “Override for Moral Kombat 1” to “Disable Steam Input.”.
  3. Then, relaunch the game.

Use a Dedicated GPU Instead of an Integrated One

NVIDIA

  • Right-click on your desktop to open the context menu, and then click on the NVIDIA Control Panel.
  • Head to 3D Settings and choose Manage 3D Settings to open the Program Settings tab.
  • Choose Counter-Strike 2 from the drop-down menu, and then select Preferred Graphics Processor for this game. Choose the NVIDIA GPU to show as the high-performance NVIDIA processor. Save the changes and reboot your PC.

Best Settings for CS2 to Get Optimal Graphics

Use these settings to get the best graphics performance and increase FPS.

Video SettingsSettingsSettingsComp Preset (Mid to High-end PCs)Maximum FPS Preset (Low-end PCs)
Aspect RatioWidescreen 16:9Boost Player ContrastEnabledDisabled
ResolutionsHighest, Based on your monitorVertical SyncDisabledDisabled
Display ModeFullscreenMultisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode2X MSAAOff
Refresh RateHighest, Based on your monitorGlobal Shadow QualityMediumLow
Laptop Power SavingDisabledModel/Texture DetailMediumLow
Shader & Particle DetailLowLow
Ambient OcclusionDisabledDisabled
High Dynamic RangePerformancePerformance
FidelityFX Super ResolutionDisabled (Highest Quality)Performance or Balanced
NVIDIA ReflexDisabledDisabled

Limit Your GPU Resources

If your game exceeds the GPU limit (locked at 100% usage), you can limit your GPU resources in the GPU Control Panel. Set the FPS limit to 120 and choose the standard texture quality, or adjust it based on your GPU’s strength. This might help improve your game performance.

Nvidia

  • Open your NVIDIA GPU Control Panel and then go to 3D Settings.
  • Click on the Program tab and search for Counter-Strike 2.
  • Choose Max Per Frame Rate and select 120, 140, or a suitable value based on your GPU strength.

AMD

  • Open the AMD GPU Control Panel.
  • Go to Gaming and select Counter-Strike 2.
  • Enable the Chill settings, and then choose an FPS limit between 80, 120, and 140 or any suitable FPS based on your GPU strength.

Change the High DPI Settings

Enabling high DPI settings could cause frame drops.

  • Open Steam, head to the library, and right-click on the game to manage it.
  • Click Browse Local Files to open File Explorer.
  • Scroll down to Counter-Strike 2.exe, right-click on the file, and go to Properties.
  • Go to the Compatibility tab in the properties to change the high DPI settings.
  • Uncheck the checkbox for Override High DPI Scaling Behavior and Scaling Performed by Application. Apply the changes to save.

Disable Full-Screen Optimization

  • Launch Steam, head to the library, and right-click on Counter-Strike 2.
  • Go to Manage, then Browse Local Files to open File Explorer. Scroll down to find the .exe file.
  • Right-click on the file, then go to Properties, click the Compatibility tab, and turn off full-screen optimization. Then, apply the changes.

Update DirectX

Your DirectX might be outdated and need to be updated to the latest version. Download the DirectX End-User Runtime web installer, install it, and restart your computer.

Alternatively, you can also try disabling DirectX 12.

  • Open Settings, go to Videos, and set Enable DX12 to off. Restart Counter-Strike 2 after making the changes.

Correct Rendering Device

  • Open Steam, then launch Counter-Strike 2.
  • Go to the Video Settings menu and select Rendering Device.
  • Choose your dedicated GPU, and then reboot to save the changes.

Reinstall the MS Visual C++ Runtime

Some apps require Microsoft C and C++ tools. Try reinstalling the MS Visual C++ Runtime.

  • Open Apps and Features from Windows Search.
  • Look for the Microsoft Visual C++ program. Download and install MS Visual C++ if it is not installed.
  • Uninstall the existing MS Visual C++ runtime, then install the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ runtime. Restart the system to apply the changes.

Delete Saved Games

Deleting all data stored in the game. The data will be saved in the cloud, so after clearing the saved data, reinstalling or launching the game will restore the saved game data.

PlayStation

  • Open Settings, then go to Storage.
  • Choose Saved Data, then choose Counter-Strike 2.
  • Press the Option button on the controls, choose saved game data files, and hit delete to clear the saved game data. Restart your game to see the changes.

Xbox

  • Head over to Profile & System, then go to Settings.
  • Choose System, click on Storage, then select Manage Storage Device and Clear Local Save.

Xbox Cloud Saves

  • Head over to My Games & Apps, then press the Menu button on the controller.
  • Choose Manage Game & Add-on, then select Saved Data.
  • Choose Counter-Strike 2 data, confirm the deleting process, and wait for it to finish. Reboot the console to make changes.

Nintendo

  • Go to the Home menu, then select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
  • Choose the System, then select the Formatting option, and choose Delete all content and settings from the browser’s menu.
  • Clear the cache and follow the on-screen instructions to fix it.

Disable Mouse Accelerations

If you have enabled mouse acceleration, it can improve motion and movement. However, deactivating it can reduce motion blur or jitter, helping to reduce in-game shutter.

  • Open Mouse Settings by searching for it from the Windows Logo.
  • Head over to Change your mouse settings, then Additional Mouse options.
  • Select the Pointer Options tab and then uncheck the checkbox for the Enhanced Pointer Precision box.
  • Click Apply, then hit OK to save changes.

Enable Auto Settings in Video

If you still encounter frame drops, try switching to Auto Settings in Video Mode.

  • Open the in-game settings, then head over to the Settings Menu.
  • Go to Video and then choose Auto Settings.
  • Resume gameplay to check if you encounter frame drops or lags.
  • If you still have issues with game-facing frame drops, try lowering the video settings and saving to continue with the game.

Use Task Switcher

If facing a black screen, press the Alt + Tab keys to open the Task Switcher. This will allow you to switch between apps, even if your game is on full-screen Windows.

Turn Off the Windows Firewall or Antivirus Program

You can turn off the Windows firewall for the private network, which sometimes temporarily blocks the game. However, temporarily disable or turn off the real-time protection and firewall.

Windows Firewall

  • Search for firewall in the Windows Start menu, then select Windows Defender Firewall.
  • Click “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on/off” from the left pane, then turn off the Private Network or Public Network settings.
  • Save it, and then restart your computer.

Privacy and Security

  • Open Windows Settings, then head over to Updates & Security.
  • Choose Windows Security from the left pane and click the Windows Security button.
  • Go to Virus & Threat Protection, then click on Manage Settings.
  • Disable the real-time protection and turn off the antivirus. You can also turn off cloud-delivered protection and tamper protection if required.

Set High Performance in Power Options

In the power options, you can choose a power mode that does not run on balance mode. Select the high-performance mode, which will consume more power or battery to enable the performance mode.

  • Go to the Power Options and click on High Performance to select it.
  • Restart your computer to improve performance, and click OK and Save to confirm your action.

Alternatively, from the Windows Settings, you must also put your Windows Power Performance to the best performance.

  • Open Windows Settings, and then head over to power.
  • From the Drop-down menu in Power Mode, select the Best Performance.

Audio Output Device

This issue does not appear often, but some players have reported it. One of the most common issues with the Audio Device Output issue was the sound configuration, which was not correctly set, or a different audio device was selected.

  • Right-click on the sound icon on the taskbar, then click on Open Sound Settings to choose the correct audio device.
  • After making changes, test the audio with the master volume and try relaunching the game.

You should always configure the sound settings option in the sound panel and check whether the correct audio device is selected. Windows 11 has the latest Volume Master, which you can open from the bottom-right corner of the taskbar or use Windows + Ctrl + V to open Volume Mixer.

  • Choose your output device, which is connected under the output section.
  • Test out the change with Master Volume and then launch the Counter-Strike game.
  • Check the sounds, and it should be working.

Update Your Audio Driver

If you are still encountering the audio issue, it might be because of the outdated audio driver on your Windows computer.

  • Open Device Manager by pressing Win + X, which will open the Link Menu.
  • Select Device Manager and then Double-Click on Sounds, Videos, and Game Controllers.
  • Click on it to expand, and then select the correct audio device you want to update the driver.
  • Right-click on it to Search automatically for drivers. After that, it will start scanning for drivers.

Additionally, you can update your audio driver from the manufacturer’s website to ensure you have updated to the latest version. Also, ensure the volume level of the game is high by using apps like Ear Trumpets to ensure you have the volume enabled for the game.

Perform a Clean Boot

Apps and services automatically start during boot, and if you are experiencing issues, perform a clean boot on your computer.

  • Open msconfig by pressing Windows + R, then type “msconfig” and press Enter.
  • In the System Configuration, enable the “Hide all Microsoft Services” checkbox, turn off all other services, and apply the changes.
  • Go to the Startup tab in the Task Manager and turn off all unnecessary startup items.
  • That’s it!

If you are still encountering any issues, it is recommended that users get in touch with official support for further help. Alternatively, you can connect with other users and access additional support resources by visiting their official website or joining the discussion community on Steam.

The game already has much excitement with the release of Counter-Strike 2. What issues have you encountered? Let’s discuss in the comments below!