Counter-Strike 2 Best PC Specifications and Minimum Requirements
For over two decades, Counter-Strike has offered an elite competitive experience, one shaped by millions of players from across the globe. And now the next chapter in the CS story is about to begin. This is Counter-Strike 2.
A free upgrade to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2 marks the largest technical leap in Counter-Strike’s history. Built on the Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is modernized with realistic physically-based rendering, state of the art networking, and upgraded Community Workshop tools.
In addition to the classic objective-focused gameplay that Counter-Strike pioneered in 1999, Counter-Strike 2 features:
- All-new CS Ratings with the updated Premier mode
- Global and Regional leaderboards
- Upgraded and overhauled maps
- Game-changing dynamic smoke grenades
- Tick-rate-independent gameplay
- Redesigned visual effects and audio
- All items from CS:GO moving forward to CS2
Our Minimum Recommended Gaming PC for Counter Strike 2
- 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
The requirements strike a balance between performance and accessibility. They are not overly demanding, meaning that a wide range of PCs, including mid-range and some budget systems, can meet these specifications. This inclusivity makes the game accessible to a broader audience.
Windows 10 is a widely adopted and stable operating system. It provides a solid foundation for gaming, offering compatibility with a variety of hardware and software components. Its continued support ensures a smoother gaming experience.
The Intel Core i5 750 or higher processors have multiple hardware CPU threads, enabling efficient multitasking and handling of the game's computational demands. While they may not be the latest and greatest CPUs, they are more than sufficient for running the game smoothly.
8 GB of RAM is a reasonable requirement. It ensures that the game can load assets quickly, reducing load times and preventing performance bottlenecks. This amount of RAM is also common in many modern PCs, making it accessible to a wide user base.
The 1 GB video card with DirectX 11 compatibility and Shader Model 5.0 support strikes a balance between visual quality and accessibility. It's not extremely demanding, allowing players with mid-range graphics cards to enjoy the game's visuals without requiring top-tier hardware.
Leveraging DirectX 11 enables the game to offer advanced graphics and performance optimizations. While not the latest version of DirectX, it strikes a good compromise between visual fidelity and hardware accessibility.
The 85 GB storage requirement accommodates the game's assets, maps, and potential updates. While it may be a larger installation size, it ensures that players won't have to worry about constantly managing their storage space.
What PC do we recommend?
A PC that we'd recommend at this level would be the Horizon Core i5-12400F RTX 4060 Gaming PC.
At the core of this hypothetical gaming rig is the Intel Core i5-12400F processor. Part of Intel's Alder Lake series, this CPU promises impressive gaming performance and multitasking capabilities. With its multiple hardware CPU threads, it's primed to handle the demands of modern games, ensuring smoother gameplay and quicker load times.
The star of the show, the RTX 4060, boasts the ray tracing capabilities NVIDIA is renowned for. This GPU is expected to deliver stunning visuals, real-time ray tracing, and AI-enhanced graphics. Gamers can anticipate immersive experiences with lifelike lighting, shadows, and reflections.
Although this PC is beyound the minimum required specifications, it will take full advantage of the new engine in Counter Strike 2 and will future proof your play when gaming on other titles.
