CS 1.6 Launch Options: Full List and What They Actually Do
Every key checked against Valve's documentation and the engine's own input code, plus the ones that never worked
Launch options in CS 1.6 are command-line parameters you pass to the game before it starts, setting things like resolution, screen mode, monitor refresh rate, mouse behaviour and other engine settings.
People often treat launch options as some game-specific feature, but there's nothing special about them. They're ordinary parameters that Windows passes to a process at startup, and they work the same way for any program. Run chrome.exe and you get a browser. Run chrome.exe -kiosk and you get the same browser, fullscreen with no interface. Same file, different behaviour.
CS 1.6 works exactly the same way. hl.exe and steam.exe are processes, and -game, -full, -freq, -nomsaa are options the engine reads when the game starts. The engine only responds to the ones it knows. Everything else it silently ignores - which is why parameters that do absolutely nothing keep living in other people's configs for years, half of them borrowed from Source games.
Where to Set Launch Options in CS 1.6
In the Steam version you can add launch options in two places: in the Steam client itself, or in a shortcut to steam.exe. Non-Steam clients launch through a shortcut to hl.exe, and the keys go into that shortcut's properties.
CS 1.6 went through two big engine updates - SteamPipe in 2013 and the Half-Life 25th Anniversary update in 2023 - and some keys changed or were removed along the way. All Steam GoldSrc games share one engine in the Half-Life folder, so on Steam you always have the current build. Non-Steam clients are built on different engine versions, and something from the list below may simply not work there.
How to Set CS 1.6 Launch Options in Steam
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Right-click Counter-Strike and select Properties.
- On the General tab, find the Launch Options field.
- Enter the parameters you need.
Every parameter starts with a hyphen and parameters are separated by a space. To remove launch options, clear the field. For example:
-w 1920 -h 1080 -freq 144
This starts the game at 1920×1080 with the monitor running at 144 Hz. Give width and height together; with width alone the result depends on the build.
Launch Options in a Steam Shortcut
The second method is a shortcut to steam.exe. In most cases Steam sits at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe; if you installed it somewhere else, use that path. Right-click the file → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut), open the shortcut's Properties and add -applaunch 10 plus your keys after the path in the Target field. 10 is the AppID of Counter-Strike.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 10 -w 1920 -h 1080 -freq 144
How to Set CS 1.6 Launch Options in Non-Steam
CS 1.6 is a Half-Life mod, so it runs through hl.exe. The shortcut is built like this: path to hl.exe → the mod → launch options. With the game on drive D in \Games\CS 1.6\:
"D:\Games\CS 1.6\hl.exe" -game cstrike -w 1920 -h 1080 -freq 144
-game cstrike tells the engine which mod to load, without it you get Half-Life. Everything after it is your launch options. The path goes in quotes because of the space in the folder name.
All CS 1.6 Launch Options: Display and Video
Everything below is grouped by what each key handles and checked against the official GoldSrc command-line options page and Valve's public Half-Life SDK, where the mouse and joystick keys are handled. Most of them you'll never need. Each one gets a status:
- USEFUL
- Most players, every day.
- IF CASE
- For a specific problem, testing or an unusual setup.
- FLUFF
- Works as documented, changes nothing you'd notice today.
Display keys sort out the game starting at the wrong resolution, forcing a refresh rate, removing or adding black bars. Almost everything here can also be set in the game's own menu - but a launch option fires earlier and takes priority, which is what makes it useful when the game stubbornly ignores what you picked in the menu.
| Parameter | What it does | Comment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
-full-fullscreen |
Forces fullscreen | Useful if the game keeps starting in a window or remembered the wrong mode. Otherwise the menu setting is enough. | IF CASE |
-window -windowed-sw -startwindowed |
Forces windowed mode | Only if you need a window and it won't stick from the menu. | IF CASE |
-noborder |
Window without a border |
Goes together with
-window
: a window the size of the screen that looks like fullscreen, so Alt+Tab doesn't rebuild the video mode. Handy with two or more monitors. Valve lists a known bug: on some builds it only hides the title-bar buttons and leaves the frame.
|
IF CASE |
-w <x> -width-h <y> -height |
Forces width and height in pixels |
For when the game starts at the wrong resolution or jumps to another monitor, and for custom resolutions like 1080×1080. A custom resolution first has to be created in Nvidia Control Panel or AMD Adrenalin; usually it then shows up in the game menu, and if it doesn't,
-w 1080 -h 1080
forces it. A resolution that doesn't exist is ignored and the game starts normally.
|
IF CASE |
-freq <Hz> |
Refresh rate in fullscreen |
CS 1.6 normally starts at the refresh rate set in Windows (Settings → System → Display → Advanced display). If Windows runs a 240 Hz monitor at 144 Hz, so does the game.
-freq
forces another rate the monitor supports: 60, 75, 100, 120, 144 on a 144 Hz panel. Unsupported values like
-freq 77
or
-freq 240
on that panel are ignored.
|
IF CASE |
-stretchaspect |
Fills the screen instead of black bars | 4:3 resolutions like 640×480, 800×600 and 1024×768 leave black bars on a widescreen monitor. This removes them and stretches the image horizontally, models look wider. Many players find aiming more comfortable this way, others prefer the original aspect. On non-Steam the same is done in the GPU settings: Nvidia Control Panel → Display → Adjust desktop size and position → Aspect ratio (bars) or Full-screen (stretched). | IF CASE |
-nomsaa |
Disables MSAA anti-aliasing |
The Steam version runs 4x MSAA by default. Turning it off does give more frames, but on modern hardware CS 1.6 already hits the
fps_max
cap with MSAA on, so the extra frames have nowhere to go. What you do see is more shimmering on edges. Worth it on old laptops and integrated graphics.
|
IF CASE |
-nofbo |
Turns off the newer rendering path |
Disables framebuffer rendering, and with it the built-in MSAA; the image fills the screen like with
-stretchaspect
. The known real use is a black screen on startup on some drivers. Otherwise prefer
-stretchaspect
, edges get noticeably rougher here.
|
IF CASE |
-gl |
OpenGL renderer | OpenGL is the default. Only needed if the game somehow switched to software rendering. | IF CASE |
-soft |
The software renderer | Renders everything on the CPU without GPU acceleration. In the early 2000s, with bad or missing drivers and drivers passed around LAN clubs on CDs, it was a normal fallback when OpenGL refused to start. Some players used it on purpose: in software mode smoke grenades are see-through, I've checked it myself. The Anniversary update kept the renderer and even fixed it for widescreen, but there's no reason to play in it today unless OpenGL completely fails. | FLUFF IF CASE |
-32bpp |
32-bit colour | On by default in the Steam version. Left over from when you chose between 16 and 32-bit colour; -16bpp is no longer allowed at all. |
FLUFF |
Mouse and Input Launch Options in CS 1.6
This is the one group that matters for aim, and the one most guides get half right. What the keys do is easy to see, because the code is public: Valve's Half-Life SDK has the client input code, and the -noforce* keys are handled right there.
When the game window becomes active, the game replaces your Windows mouse parameters with its own: 0, 0, 1. On any Windows since XP that last 1 means "acceleration on" - the same thing as the Enhance pointer precision box. So without these keys, the game turns Windows mouse acceleration on for as long as you play, even if you switched it off, and puts your settings back when you Alt+Tab out. That's the root of the old "CS 1.6 has mouse acceleration" story.
Two details the usual explanations miss:
-
It only matters without Raw Input.
Since the February 2013 update there is a
Raw Input
checkbox in Options → Mouse (the
m_rawinputcvar), off by default. With it on, the game reads the mouse directly, and no Windows setting - acceleration, pointer speed, the parameters above - touches your crosshair at all. With it off, the game reads the Windows cursor, and everything above applies. -
The names are swapped.
It's inherited from Quake:
-noforcemspdkeeps your Windows acceleration flag, and-noforcemaccelkeeps the two acceleration thresholds. Neither touches pointer speed - the game doesn't change pointer speed in the first place.-noforcemparmskeeps all three values and covers both.
| Parameter | What it does | Comment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
-noforcemparms |
Keeps all Windows mouse parameters | The game stops switching acceleration on. With Raw Input off, this plus Enhance pointer precision unchecked in Windows means no acceleration in the game. The only one of the three you actually need. | USEFUL |
-noforcemaccel |
Keeps the Windows acceleration thresholds | Despite the name it doesn't keep the acceleration on/off flag, that's the next key. Covered by -noforcemparms; harmless next to it. |
FLUFF |
-noforcemspd |
Keeps the Windows acceleration flag | Despite the name it has nothing to do with pointer speed. Covered by -noforcemparms; harmless next to it. |
FLUFF |
-mousethread |
Reads the mouse on a separate thread |
An old method from before raw input, polling the cursor 100 times a second (
m_mousethread_sleep
). In the code it only starts when Raw Input is off. With Raw Input on, it does nothing.
|
FLUFF IF CASE |
-nomouse |
Disables the mouse in-game | A debugging key with no use in normal play. | IF CASE |
-nojoy |
Disables joystick support |
Sits in every "optimization" list as freeing resources. In the code it skips a check for connected controllers that runs at most once a second, and the
joystick
cvar is 0 by default anyway, so a connected gamepad isn't read either. No FPS, no memory.
|
FLUFF |
So for the mouse, in order of importance: turn Raw Input on in Options → Mouse. If you play with it off - by habit, or on a non-Steam build older than 2013 that doesn't have it - use -noforcemparms and uncheck Enhance pointer precision in Windows. More on sensitivity and mouse setup in Best Mouse Settings in CS 1.6.
Performance and Memory Launch Options in CS 1.6
The favourite section of every "booster" guide. You'll find -heapsize with some intimidating number attached, usually far above what the engine accepts, and a promise of more FPS.
| Parameter | What it does | Comment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
-heapsize <KB> |
Size of the engine's main memory pool | Minimum 14336 (14 MB), maximum 131072 (128 MB), default 40960 (40 MB), and the engine adjusts it itself. Too low gives an "Unable to allocate" error on start. More doesn't mean faster. | FLUFF IF CASE |
-zone <bytes> |
Memory for the console system | A separate small area the engine uses for console and config data. Nothing to do with FPS. Only touch it if you get a Z_Malloc error - too low or too high both cause it. | IF CASE |
-num_edicts <n> |
Maximum number of entities | Raised to 1200 by default in the Anniversary update, maximum 2048. Only for custom maps and mods that crash with ED_Alloc: no free edicts ; client and server should match. | IF CASE |
CS 1.6 -heapsize: Why It Doesn't Work
The option is real, it's in the Valve documentation, and it does control engine memory. The problem isn't the key - it's the advice around it.
The parameter caps out at 128 MB. That doesn't stop the boosters: forums are full of advice to set 256, 512, 1024 and even 8 GB. The nonsense spreads from thread to thread, and then the placebo kicks in - someone types in a number, restarts the game, and is convinced it feels better.
Not only does the engine pick the value on its own, the default 40 MB is already plenty for de_dust2 with all its geometry and textures. The game doesn't have memory problems and never did, not even on school PCs back in 2003. The CPU is the one component that actually matters for CS 1.6. Situations that called for stepping in did exist, mostly heavy mods and maps loaded with models and entities, and then the advice was the maximum: -heapsize 131072. Even then the key solves a memory shortage - it doesn't add performance.
Does -high Work in CS 1.6?
The all-time champion of performance advice. -high starts the process with high priority - in Source games. GoldSrc doesn't have it: it's not in Valve's list of GoldSrc options, and community-made replacements for hl.exe add -high as a new feature exactly because the original doesn't read it. Write hl.exe -high and the engine silently skips it.
The idea behind it isn't stupid, though. High priority is worth something not for FPS but for stability: if a video, music or an antivirus scan is running in the background, the system can get distracted for a fraction of a second and you get a brief freeze. Since the key doesn't exist in GoldSrc, priority gets set at the Windows level, through the registry, so the process starts with high priority right away. It works for any .exe, hl.exe included. Step by step with screenshots: Is the "-high" Launch Option Worth It in Counter-Strike 2? - written for CS2, the procedure is identical, you just create a key named hl.exe instead of cs2.exe.
Where the 100 FPS Cap Comes From
No launch option removes it. The Steam version caps the game at 100 FPS on purpose, and Valve's own 2013 notes say how to lift it: the console variable fps_override 1, then fps_max above 100. In GoldSrc frame rate affects movement physics, which is why 100 is the number the community settled on. The full story is in the CS 1.6 FPS guide.
Sound and Network Launch Options in CS 1.6
Five old keys. Two can help with diagnostics, one you'll meet in every "optimization" list.
| Parameter | What it does | Comment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
-nosound |
Disables sound completely | Same as the nosound console command. Useful when the game crashes while initializing sound and you need it to start for troubleshooting. |
IF CASE |
-wavonly |
Disables DirectSound, plays everything as PCM | Worth one try if the game audio crackles, stutters or cuts out. | IF CASE |
-nocdaudio |
Disables CD audio and MP3 playback | From the time when an audio CD in the drive could start playing together with the game. | FLUFF |
-noip |
Disables network support | Turns off the whole network stack, no servers, no multiplayer. The only use is starting the game locally when it freezes during network initialization. Not the same as Steam Offline Mode. | IF CASE |
-noipx |
Disables IPX support | Works, but there's no IPX on a modern system to disable. No resources freed, no performance gained. | FLUFF |
What Is IPX and Does -noipx Help?
IPX is a network protocol from Novell, invented in the 80s and alive and well in local networks through the 90s and early 2000s. Back then TCP/IP wasn't the only option, and games supported both: you played over the internet through IP, and over the LAN at a computer club quite possibly through IPX.
Microsoft dropped IPX from Windows starting with Vista - the protocol simply isn't on your system. No driver, no stack, nothing. When the engine starts, it checks for IPX, doesn't find it, and moves on. One check at startup, fractions of a millisecond, once per session. The key is harmless and its usefulness is exactly zero. It stays in the documentation because there's no reason to remove a line of code that bothers nobody.
Console and Developer Launch Options in CS 1.6
These control the game itself rather than the picture or the hardware: which mod to load, what to run at startup, where to write logs. Most you won't need, a couple are useful for specific tasks.
| Parameter | What it does | Comment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
-game <mod> |
Which game or mod to load | -game cstrike for Counter-Strike. Required in a shortcut to hl.exe, without it the engine loads Half-Life. |
USEFUL non-Steam |
-applaunch <AppID> |
Launches a Steam game by AppID | Only for a shortcut to steam.exe. The AppID of Counter-Strike is 10. This is a Steam key, not an engine one. |
USEFUL Steam |
+<command> <value> |
Runs a console command at startup | Almost anything you can type in the console works with a +. +sv_lan 1 +map de_dust2 starts a local server on de_dust2 right away. |
USEFUL |
-exec <file> |
Runs a config after the engine loads |
Mainly for testing. Configs load in a fixed order, so values from this file can later be overwritten by
config.cfg
: set
net_graph 3
here, and a later
net_graph 0
from config.cfg hides it again. The order is in the
CS 1.6 Config Guide
.
|
IF CASE |
-condebug |
Writes the console to a file |
Everything in the console also goes to
qconsole.log
in the game folder, and stays there after a crash. The
condebug
command toggles the same thing in game.
|
IF CASE |
-dev |
Developer mode | More detailed console output. On old non-Steam builds it also lifts the 100 FPS cap; on Steam that's fps_override 1. |
IF CASE |
-glext |
Lists OpenGL extensions | Works together with -dev, same as the gl_dump command. For investigating graphics driver problems. |
IF CASE |
-nobots |
Disables bots | Prevents the built-in bots from loading. | IF CASE |
-console |
Opens the console at startup |
Valve lists it as deprecated: the console is on by default in the Steam version and opens with the tilde key. Often sold as a performance key, it isn't. If tilde doesn't open the console, the
bind "~" "toggleconsole"
line was changed or removed from your config;
-console
is only a fallback for a seriously broken config.
|
FLUFF IF CASE |
Launch Options That Do Nothing in CS 1.6
The keys below show up in CS 1.6 "best launch options" lists all the time. They are either from Source games (CS:S, CS:GO, CS2) and were never read by GoldSrc, or they were removed from the engine years ago. Writing them is harmless - the engine skips what it doesn't know - but they do exactly nothing.
| Parameter | Where it's from | In CS 1.6 |
|---|---|---|
-high |
Source: process priority | Not read. Set priority through Windows instead |
-novid |
Source: skips intro video | In GoldSrc only Half-Life (after the Anniversary update) and Cry of Fear read it. CS 1.6 has no intro to skip |
-threads |
Source: worker threads | Not read. GoldSrc renders on one thread |
-tickrate |
Source: server tick rate | Not read. In GoldSrc the server rate is sys_ticrate, and it's a server setting anyway |
-refresh |
Source: refresh rate | Not read. The GoldSrc key is -freq |
-nod3d9ex -dxlevel |
Source: Direct3D settings | Not read. CS 1.6 is OpenGL; the old Direct3D mode was removed in 2013 |
-useforcedmparms |
Source: mouse parameters | Not read. The GoldSrc keys are the -noforce* ones |
-d3d |
Old GoldSrc | Removed in the 2013 SteamPipe update |
-16bpp |
Old GoldSrc | Not allowed any more |
-toconsole -particles -numericping |
Old GoldSrc | Deprecated; numeric ping is on by default |
-gldrv -noaff -notopmost |
Old GoldSrc | Deprecated, no longer needed |
If one of these is in your launch line, nothing breaks - but if you copied it hoping for FPS, that's the reason you didn't get any.
CS 1.6 Launch Options Presets
Ready-made sets for specific situations. One honest disclaimer first: launch options won't make the game faster. The exception is -nomsaa, and you'll only see its frames on a weak machine that can't reach your FPS cap on its own. What launch options genuinely do is fix specific things: the refresh rate, the black bars, the mouse.
You'll spot keys marked FLUFF in some sets. They won't do anything noticeable, they don't break anything either, and if having them in your launch line makes you feel better - go ahead. That's why people have been writing them for twenty years.
The Best CS 1.6 Launch Options for Every Player
-noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
The most important thing in a shooter is a predictable crosshair: the same hand movement has to produce the same turn every time. Here's the full setup, in order:
-
Raw Input on:
in game, Options → Mouse → check Raw Input (or
m_rawinput 1in the console). The game now reads the mouse directly, and Windows can't add anything on top. -
The keys above:
-noforcemparmsdoes the work, the other two are covered by it and harmless. With Raw Input on they don't change your aim; they're insurance for the day Raw Input gets switched off, and they stop the game from flipping acceleration on in Windows while it runs. - Enhance pointer precision off in Windows: Control Panel → Mouse → Pointer Options → uncheck Enhance pointer precision → OK. That's Windows mouse acceleration: move 10 cm slowly and you get one angle, flick the same 10 cm and you get a bigger one. Muscle memory can't build on that.
CS 1.6 Stretched Launch Options: Remove Black Bars
-full -w 1024 -h 768 -stretchaspect -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
Classic 4:3 stretched across a widescreen monitor. Swap in the 4:3 resolution you use.
CS 1.6 Stretched Launch Options for 144 Hz
-full -w 1024 -h 768 -stretchaspect -freq 144 -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
The same, with the refresh rate locked in. Use your monitor's rate.
CS 1.6 Launch Options for Low-End PC and Old Laptops
-full -w 640 -h 480 -nomsaa -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
The one set where turning off anti-aliasing means something. On modern hardware -nomsaa gives you frames you'll never see, on an old machine the difference can be noticeable.
CS 1.6 Launch Options for FPS Boost
-full -w 640 -h 480 -nomsaa -noipx -nojoy -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
For anyone who wants to squeeze out everything. Honestly, it's the low-end set plus two FLUFF keys. The 100 FPS cap stays: that's fps_max, not a launch option.
CS 1.6 Launch Options for Crashes and Startup Problems
-dev -condebug -nosound
Everything in the console gets written to qconsole.log. The game crashed, the console vanished - the log is still there. Black screen on start instead of a crash: try -nofbo on its own.
CS 1.6 Non-Steam Launch Options: Best Setup
"D:\Games\CS 1.6\hl.exe" -game cstrike -full -w 800 -h 600 -gl -freq 144 -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
Trickier, since it depends on the build. -game cstrike is mandatory, -gl makes sure an old build doesn't fall back to software rendering. Builds older than 2013 have no Raw Input at all, so here the -noforce* keys and Enhance pointer precision off are the whole mouse fix. If you play on public servers, see also How to Spot and Block Fake Servers in CS 1.6.
CS 1.6 Shortcuts: Launch Options Without Steam Settings
Launch options in Steam have one quirk: whatever you put in there is active every single time. The game keeps crashing, so you go into Properties, add -condebug, play, then go back in and remove it. Every time.
A shortcut solves this once and for all. Clear the launch options field in Steam and make several shortcuts to steam.exe instead, one per task: regular play, diagnostics, practice. Nothing to edit, nothing to forget. It works through -applaunch 10, the AppID of CS 1.6.
Main CS 1.6 Shortcut for Normal Play
Right-click steam.exe → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut), open the shortcut's Properties and add the parameters after the path in the Target field. Rename it to something clear, "CS1.6 Steam", and launch the game only through it.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 10 -noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
CS 1.6 Diagnostic Shortcut for Crashes and Logs
The second shortcut, sitting next to the first one and waiting for its moment. The game crashes, hangs on map load or behaves strangely - launch it from here. -dev turns on verbose output, -condebug writes everything into qconsole.log, -nosound cuts the sound in case that's where the problem is. Name it "CS1.6 test", your normal launch stays clean.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 10 -dev -condebug -nosound
Your Own CS 1.6 Launch Shortcuts
Path to steam.exe, -applaunch 10, then whatever you want. A local server on a specific map: +sv_lan 1 +map de_dust2. A separate config for practice: +exec training.cfg. A weak laptop: a shortcut with a low resolution and -nomsaa. Shortcuts weigh nothing and don't interfere with each other, while Steam sits there with an empty launch options field.
The same approach works for CS2, where there are even more scenarios: CS2 Shortcuts vs. Launch Options: When a Steam Shortcut Is Better.
Conclusion
Launch options in CS 1.6 are ordinary process keys, and that's how you should treat them. They don't speed the game up and they don't give you an edge. They solve specific problems: the refresh rate you want, no black bars, a mouse that behaves the same every time.
If you take one thing away, take this: Raw Input on, -noforcemparms in the launch line, and Enhance pointer precision off in Windows. That's what affects the thing that matters most, how your crosshair behaves. Everything else is situational. Wrong resolution - -w and -h. A 144 Hz monitor running at 60 - -freq. Crashing with no explanation - -condebug and read the log.
As for what you've been seeing in other people's configs for years - -heapsize 512000, -high, -novid, -noipx - you can leave all of it behind. The first is trimmed to the engine's limit, the second and third were never read by GoldSrc, the fourth disables a protocol that isn't on your Windows anyway. For real FPS, go to the game settings and your config.
CS 1.6 Config Guide
Commands and settings for the classic game on a modern PC.
open →
How to Increase FPS
Best settings for a stable 100 FPS.
open →
Best Mouse Settings
Sensitivity, DPI and Raw Input.
open →
How to Lower Ping
Rates and network settings for clean hit registration.
open →
CS 1.6 net_graph
How to enable, read and fix network issues.
open →
CS 1.6 ex_interp Settings
How interpolation works and best values.
open →CS 1.6 Launch Options FAQ
What are the best launch options for CS 1.6?
-noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd
They stop the game from switching Windows mouse acceleration on while it runs. Together with Raw Input checked in Options → Mouse and Enhance pointer precision off in Windows, the mouse behaves the same every time. -noforcemparms alone does the job, the other two are covered by it.
Do -noforcemparms keys matter with raw input on?
Not for your aim. With Raw Input on the game reads the mouse directly and Windows settings don't apply. The keys still stop the game from changing your Windows acceleration setting while it runs, and they cover you if Raw Input is ever switched off.
Do launch options give more FPS?
One does: -nomsaa disables anti-aliasing and takes load off the GPU, but you'll only see it on a weak machine. The 100 FPS cap isn't a launch option at all, it's fps_max with fps_override 1.
Does -high work in CS 1.6?
No. -high is a Source engine key, GoldSrc never read it. If you want high priority, set it at the Windows level, through the registry.
Does -novid work in CS 1.6?
No. In GoldSrc it exists only in Half-Life after the Anniversary update and in Cry of Fear. CS 1.6 has no intro video to skip.
What value should I put in -heapsize?
None. The engine picks the value itself, the default is 40 MB and plenty for any map. The maximum is 131072 (128 MB), so advice like -heapsize 512000 just gets trimmed. More memory doesn't mean more frames.
How do I remove the black bars on the sides?
Add -stretchaspect with a 4:3 resolution and the image stretches to fill the screen. Models get wider, many players find that easier to aim with. If you don't want the stretch, play at your monitor's native resolution. On non-Steam, use your GPU scaling settings.
Why won't the game run at 144 Hz?
Add -freq 144. The key doesn't overclock anything, it asks for that mode in fullscreen and only works if your monitor supports it. Also check that Windows itself runs the monitor at 144 Hz.
How do I set launch options in non-Steam CS 1.6?
Through the shortcut: right-click → Properties → the Target field, add -game cstrike and your keys after the closing quotation mark of the hl.exe path.
