Crosshair, viewmodel and the settings that survived the move to CS2

Crosshair Settings: What Moved, What Remained

While much of the menu has been updated with new settings, many familiar crosshair options from CS:GO remain available under the Crosshair section in the new interface. According to Valve's Developer Community, console variables like cl_crosshairstyle, cl_crosshairsize, cl_crosshairgap, and cl_crosshairthickness still control the crosshair's appearance as they did in CS:GO.

However, their practical effect may have changed or become redundant. The cl_crosshairdrawoutline and cl_crosshair_outlinethickness settings, which control the outline around the crosshair, are another example of an option that still exists but may have been overshadowed by equivalent visual tuning in the menu. Even the cl_crosshairalpha setting, which changes crosshair opacity, lives on - though it's unclear if the in-game slider no longer applies.

Some crosshair options have been completely removed or no longer function like they did in CS:GO. For instance, while the center dot's visibility can still be toggled with cl_crosshairdot, its size and color settings have vanished, leaving only the gun's outlines as a visual cue to aim. Hand-side control, which let players pick whether the crosshair rotated with their dominant or non-dominant hand, is another lost setting for a more streamlined experience. It is not yet verifiable if this is now purely a menu option or if Valve still respect a set console variable.

Viewmodel Position: The Old Config Language That Still Matters

On the other hand, the viewmodel position settings that define how the gun and hand occupy the screen are virtually unchanged. The viewmodel_fov and viewmodel_offset variables still dictate field of view and 3D position as they always did. The viewmodel_presetpos command, which sets the hand's default pose, remains too - important to note that it interacts with the custom offset controls, meaning manually setting position can sometimes require changing preset values as well.

For serious players, these tiny tweaks to FOV and 3D position make a significant difference. Depending on sensitivity and monitor size, even a small change on any axis can noticeably alter how the gun occupies a player's screen-space vision. Valve clearly still understands and documents this, so if command-line configs are necessary, weapon tuning remains an area to get granular.

Cosmetic Settings That Change Visibility

Beyond crosshair and viewmodel, some previously labeled "cosmetic" settings still affect what the player sees, and therefore, what they can act on. Bob, which describes the up-and-down motion of the weapon as the player moves, is controlled by cl_bob_lower_amt, cl_bobamt_lat, and cl_bobamt_vert. While this wasn't notable in CS:GO, many players have found that disabling bob completely can mean a steadier aimpoint. Many players have said they turn this off to maximize their visual clarity and consistency from shot to shot.

Crosshair opacity and outline settings are another area that might seem superficial but can change a CS2 player's look at the action. As ranges get longer, discerning crosshair from background becomes ever more necessary for differentiating M4A1 from enemy dots. Tuning dot/pixel count with cl_crosshairthickness or enabling a more distinct center-dot outline with cl_crosshairalpha and cl_crosshair_outlinethickness can mean faster, clearer visibility and reaction time. But these options remain underdocumented, and menu positioning appears to lack clarity. This is an area where keeping a physical reference to a preferred look is advisable.

What No Longer Ports Cleanly from CS:GO

While the in-game menu addresses many former console variables, education about what Valve has hidden, ignored, or changed becomes necessary. Valve’s CS2 settings documentation says crosshair and viewmodel settings are now centrally located in the menu, but a vast set of commands and behaviors no longer port from the CS:GO days. viewmodel_bobsway, crosshairstyle, bobcycle, and countless more CS:GO commands don't exist, don't justify documentation, or no longer have real effects. It's not just a matter of bringing an old config. In CS2, players have to pick and choose - a choice complicated by Valve's mixed documentation.

For instance, hand-side style, which let players pick which hand their opponent knows they carried as their weapon, is not a setting at all. Hand side is purely menu or map controller in CS2, unless the server owner enforces left or righthanded. Weapon outlines and bobbing are another area. While Valve still mentions them in community documents, their behavior in different scenarios has never been spelled out by Valve. Blending outlines with more graphical elements or changing default bob speed can be a serious competitive advantage, but will require experimentation to tune to a personal advantage.

Rebuilding Old Feel Without Dead Configs

In a nutshell, rebuilding an old feel in depth won't just be a matter of copying an old autoexec. Instead, players should use the in-game menu for basic visual tuning, relying on the documented console variables for more specific adjustments. The good news is most perspectives and playstyles can still be precisely rebuilt, with clear guidelines on the ones that won't be needed.

Expect to replace old scripts and builds, explore less-expected console options, and rely on Valve's menu more. The experience of tweaking a CS:GO config for maximum aim and action clarity is still available, but it requires placing the CS2 menu as the foundation rather than the migration landing pad.