How to Change FOV in CS2

Field of view (FOV) determines how much of the game world you can see at any given moment. A wider FOV shows more of the environment but makes objects appear smaller. A narrower FOV shows less but makes things appear larger and closer.

In many FPS games, you can freely adjust the world FOV. CS2, however, locks the world FOV at a fixed value to maintain competitive integrity -- no player can gain a wider field of vision than another. The aspect ratio of your resolution does affect horizontal FOV (wider resolutions see slightly more), but the vertical FOV remains fixed. Learn more about Source engine conventions at the Valve Developer Community.

These are two completely different things, and the distinction is important:

• World FOV: Determines how much of the game environment you can see. This is fixed in CS2 and cannot be changed. Your resolution's aspect ratio has a minor influence, but the base value is locked.
• Viewmodel FOV: Controls the rendering of your weapon model, arms, and gloves on screen. A higher viewmodel FOV pushes your weapon further away from the camera, giving you a wider view of the model. A lower value pulls it closer.

Changing viewmodel FOV is purely cosmetic. It does not change what enemies or map geometry you can see -- it only changes how much screen space your weapon occupies. Most players prefer a higher viewmodel FOV because it feels less cluttered.

You can change viewmodel FOV through the in-game settings menu or with console commands:

• In-game menu: Go to Settings, then Game, then scroll to the Viewmodel section. You will find a slider for "Viewmodel Field of View" that ranges from 54 to 68.
• Console command: Open the developer console and type viewmodel_fov 68 (or any value between 54 and 68). The change takes effect immediately.
• Save it permanently: Add viewmodel_fov 68 to your autoexec.cfg file so it loads automatically every time you start CS2.

The allowed range is 54 to 68. Values outside this range will be clamped by the game. Most competitive players set this to 68 for maximum weapon model distance. For help setting up your autoexec, see our config guide.

While FOV is ultimately personal preference, here are the most common competitive choices:

• Viewmodel FOV 68: The most popular setting among competitive players. Pushes the weapon model as far back as possible, giving the cleanest view.
• Viewmodel FOV 60: The default setting. Some players prefer this because the weapon feels more centred and prominent on screen.
• Viewmodel FOV 54: Rarely used in competitive play. The weapon model is very close and takes up significant screen space.

Pair your viewmodel FOV with appropriate viewmodel offset settings (x, y, z positions) for a fully customised weapon position. Our viewmodel settings guide covers all the offset commands and popular presets.

The vast majority of professional CS2 players use a viewmodel FOV of 68. This is such a common choice that it is essentially the standard at the competitive level. However, the weapon positioning (offsets) varies more widely.

Some pros prefer a "classic" viewmodel that resembles the CS 1.6 weapon position, while others use the default CS2 positioning. The viewmodel FOV itself is almost universally set to the maximum. You can browse specific pro player configurations on our pro player settings page to see exactly what the best players use.

For a deeper dive into how pros customise their crosshairs alongside viewmodel settings, visit our crosshair generator.