s1mple's CS:GO settings are the setup he played CS:GO with: 3.09 sensitivity at 400 DPI (1236 eDPI), a stretched 1280x960 resolution in 4:3, minimum graphics, a small static cyan crosshair with a dot, jump bound to the mouse wheel, and the launch options -freq 120 -console +fps_max 301 plus network commands. Below is each group with ready-to-paste commands and notes on what is worth carrying over to CS2.
Copying a famous player's config is a quick way to get well-tuned settings without testing everything yourself. Pros are demanding about performance and comfort because a small detail can decide a match at the top level, so their settings are almost always better than the defaults.
s1mple is one of the best-known players in CS:GO history. For years he played for Natus Vincere, and with him the team regularly placed at the biggest tournaments. He has outstanding personal stats, a record number of MVP awards and two player-of-the-year titles, which is why his settings are still studied. The parameters below are from the CS:GO era (as of 2022); in CS2 some commands work the same and some have changed, as noted in each section. For the skins he uses now, see s1mple's skin loadout.
What settings should you pay attention to
New players rarely realize how flexibly the game can be configured. They treat the defaults as a given and adapt to them, while it is far more productive to adjust the game to yourself. Your needs also change as you gain experience, so it is worth revisiting your settings from time to time.
When people talk about s1mple's settings, they usually mean these groups:
mouse sensitivity;
crosshair settings;
screen resolution and graphics settings;
interface settings;
console settings;
radar settings;
launch options;
viewmodel (hand) position;
personal key bindings.
Below we go through each group and explain what the values actually do.
s1mple's display settings
The graphical parameters of the game largely depend on the type of monitor that is used. Like most pros, s1mple plays on a ZOWIE esports monitor, the kind used at major events, so it makes sense to practice on the same.
He also uses a 4:3 screen aspect ratio, which makes the picture slightly stretched. The screen resolution is 1280x960. This may seem unusual, but after a few rounds the eye stops paying attention to this change. The advantage in this case is quite noticeable: due to the change in proportions, enemy models become wider, which means they are a little easier to notice and hit.
s1mple's graphics quality
His quality settings are minimal. Like many pros, s1mple chooses low levels of detail, shadows, models and textures, prioritizing performance and high FPS. The shadow settings can be considered controversial, as some advise setting the parameter to "Low" rather than "Very Low", since the difference in performance is negligible, and "Low" shadows increase the chance of spotting an enemy in some situations. Either way, this is a matter of habit and personal preference.
Mouse sensitivity
As s1mple himself says, he has not changed the mouse sensitivity settings since 2013. This parameter is 3.09, which is quite a lot. Otherwise, the mouse parameters do not differ from the standard ones.
Indeed, changing the sensitivity after you have already gotten used to it does not make much sense. Since experienced players have highly automated shooting skills, it may take a lot of time to retrain to a different mouse sensitivity, during which the performance will drop.
This is where sensitivity differs from other settings: his launch options changed over the years, but on sensitivity he, like most pros, stays conservative.
His full mouse settings:
DPI: 400
Sensitivity: 3.09
eDPI: 1236
HZ: 1000
Sensitivity in zoom: 1.00
Mouse acceleration: 0
Sensitivity in Windows: 6
Raw input: 1
Crosshair settings
s1mple's crosshair is designed primarily for playing with AWP, but it may also be convenient for those who prefer other types of weapons. It is small and compact, in a contrasting color that stays visible against any background.
You will need these commands (most crosshair commands carry over to CS2; more in our article on s1mple's crosshair):
cl_crosshair_drawoutline "0";
cl_crosshair_dynamic_maxdist_splitratio "0.35";
cl_crosshair_dynamic_splitalpha_innermod "1";
cl_crosshair_dynamic_splitalpha_outermod "0.5";
cl_crosshair_dynamic_splitdist "7";
cl_crosshair_outlinethickness "1";
cl_crosshairalpha "355";
cl_crosshaircolor "4";
cl_crosshaircolor_b "250";
cl_crosshaircolor_g "250";
cl_crosshaircolor_r "250";
cl_crosshairdot "1";
cl_crosshairgap "-1";
cl_crosshairgap_useweaponvalue "0";
cl_crosshairscale "0";
cl_crosshairsize "2";
cl_crosshairstyle "4";
cl_crosshairthickness "1";
cl_crosshairusealpha "1";
Binds
His config also has two binds. The first is jump on the mouse wheel. This control option may seem unusual to those unaccustomed to it, but many eSports players use it because it simplifies the coordination of movements while moving and shooting at the same time. The command is bind "MWHEELDOWN" "+jump"; how to set up this bind in CS2 is covered in how to bind jump in CS2.
The second is bind "c" "incrementvar cl_radar_scale 0.45 0.8 0.35", which reduces the size of the radar. This improves visibility and generally helps you navigate the map faster.
Interface settings
Another group of commands controls how the HUD looks: it sets the default radar scale and its options and keeps the player centered on the radar. These settings are covered in detail in s1mple's radar.
cl_radar_always_centered "1";
cl_radar_icon_scale_min "0.6";
cl_radar_rotate "1";
cl_radar_scale "0.5";
cl_radar_square_with_scoreboard "1";
The interface and hand model settings do not contain anything fundamentally unusual.
Launch options
Launch options control lower-level settings that can affect FPS and other aspects of the game. In 2022, s1mple's CS:GO launch options were: -freq 120 -console +cl_interp 0 +cl_interp_ratio 1 +cl_cmdrate 128 +cl_updaterate 128 +rate 128000 +fps_max 301 -procesheap -threads 8.
Most of these are network parameters plus options for faster startup and stable FPS: one caps the frame rate, another sets how many CPU threads to use. On modern hardware their effect is small. In CS2, network commands such as cl_interp, cl_cmdrate and cl_updaterate no longer work the way they did, so do not copy this line into the new game as is.
How to apply s1mple's settings
The easiest way to apply s1mple's settings is the console. Make sure that the "Enable developer console" option is activated in the game settings. Then press ~ to enter commands (see how to open the console in CS2). There is no need to retype them: copy and paste each section separately, because the console limits how many characters you can paste at once.
In CS:GO all game settings were stored in config.cfg under Program Files (x86) > Steam > userdata > [your ID] > 730 > local > cfg; where the settings files live in CS2 is explained in where the CS2 config is located. Back up the original file before experimenting so you can roll back. Avoid downloading ready-made "s1mple config" files from third-party sites: entering the commands yourself is simpler and safer. If you only want part of the setup, such as the crosshair or the launch options, apply it manually and then save the result as a separate config to switch to later.
Remember that some settings also live outside the game, in your monitor and mouse software, for example display mode and DPI.
All of s1mple's settings covered here are fully legitimate options set through the game menu or console, so there is no ban risk in using them, and most players get used to them within a few matches.
