To enable bullet tracers in CS2, open the console and type r_drawtracers_firstperson 1; to turn them off, use r_drawtracers_firstperson 0. If you want to see exactly where each bullet lands, type sv_cheats 1 and then sv_showimpacts 1 on your own server or in practice mode. The same commands worked in CS:GO. Below we cover what tracers are for, how to bind them to a key and which other commands help you set up and practice your shooting.
What tracers are for
Tracers are useful both in practice and in regular matches. They are the bullet trails in the air that look like bright sparks and show the flight path. Since the line a bullet travels does not always match your crosshair exactly, spending some time with tracers helps you understand how spread differs between weapons, which means you learn to aim better and find good shooting positions.
How to enable tracers
Turning on bullet tracers in CS2 is very simple and is done through the console. First make sure the console is enabled: open the Game tab in the settings and check the "Enable Developer Console" option. This step is covered in detail in our guide on how to open the console in CS2.
Then you can use the following commands:
r_drawtracers_firstperson 1: shows the trails of your own bullets;
r_drawtracers_firstperson 0: hides bullet trails;
sv_showimpacts 1: shows bullet impact points as colored boxes (works only with sv_cheats 1, so on your own server or in practice); sv_showimpacts 0 turns them off.
Once tracers are on, it is convenient to bind the commands to keys for quick switching, so you don't have to type a long string into the console every time. This is done with the bind command:
bind key "command".
For example, to bind tracers on to the Z key, enter this in the console:
bind z "r_drawtracers_firstperson 1"
Pick a convenient pair of keys and bind the commands above to them so you can quickly show or hide bullet trajectories mid-game. The skill pays off elsewhere too, since binds save a lot of time on settings; see our guide on how to make a bind in CS2.
Should you keep tracers on or off?
Opinions differ on whether to keep tracers on outside of practice. Some pro players leave them active, saying it helps them play more efficiently. Others turn them off, believing extra visual elements on the screen only get in the way. Sometimes the best option is to bind tracers on and off to hotkeys and enable them only when it matters, for example when aiming from a difficult position. When deciding what suits you, consider these factors:
On weaker PCs any extra on-screen effects can lower FPS slightly; you can check how your frame rate changes with our guide on how to show FPS in CS2.
Tracers help you see where a spray is going and correct your aim in time during long-range fights.
It takes some practice to work out which way of using tracers fits your playstyle. Either way, the feature is indispensable in training: it shows in detail how each weapon fires, helps you adapt to spread and lets you rehearse shots from key spots on the map. Whether you use a sniper rifle or a shotgun, understanding the shot trajectory helps you hit your targets.
Commands for practicing your shooting
Once you know how to show bullet trajectories, it is worth looking at other commands for practice. Keep in mind that commands which change weapon behavior are considered cheat commands and work only with sv_cheats 1, meaning on a local server with friends or when you practice alone. In that setting, temporarily disabling recoil is useful for watching how your chosen weapon's spread behaves.
Start by entering sv_cheats 1 in the console. After that, these parameters can come in handy:
weapon_recoil_scale 0: removes recoil (the default value is 2);
weapon_accuracy_nospread 1: disables spread;
sv_infinite_ammo 1: unlimited ammo for long spray practice sessions.
Why recoil works the way it does and how to control it in a real match is covered in our guide on how to remove recoil in CS2.
Many players also ask whether they can enable "fast bullets," meaning a higher rate of fire. There is no allowed command that changes fire rate directly: every weapon has its own. Other factors can still get in the way, though; with constant lag, for example, you won't be able to shoot as fast as possible. So it is worth checking your ping, graphics settings and mouse settings to make sure they don't slow you down.
Bullet hole settings
Another setting concerns bullet marks. Every shot leaves marks on the walls around you, so holes and blood splatter build up on them. Some players find these details too distracting while they add no useful information.
In CS:GO the command for this was r_cleardecals: entering it removed shot marks from surfaces, and players often bound it to a handy key such as Shift. The command comes from CS:GO and is not guaranteed to work in CS2, so test it in your game before you bind it.
In short, commands that control how bullets and their marks are displayed make the game more comfortable, and on weaker PCs turning off extra effects can ease the load a little.
Other useful settings
Similar commands exist for grenades. In CS:GO this was sv_grenade_trajectory 1, while in CS2 the practice command sv_grenade_trajectory_prac_pipreview 1 shows a grenade's path and landing point (also with sv_cheats 1). Our guide on how to practice grenade lineups explains how to use it, and the full list of useful commands is in our overview of CS2 console commands.
Knowing how to show bullets and using other console commands lets you set up the game optimally for each situation. The range of options allows you to drill specific skills in practice and improve faster, and some of them, like tracers, are useful in regular matches too.
