How to Change FOV in CS2 (and What You Actually Can't)
The honest answer to a common search: you can resize your weapon, but you can't widen the actual camera in matchmaking. Here's the difference and every command
CS2 lets you change viewmodel FOV — the size of your gun on screen — up to a maximum of viewmodel_fov 68 (min 54, default 60). The true camera FOV that widens your view of the world is locked in matchmaking and can't be changed with any command. Paste viewmodel_fov 68 in console to shrink the weapon; that's the FOV setting almost everyone actually wants.
"How do I change FOV in CS2?" usually hides two different questions, and the confusion between them is why so many config tutorials give wrong answers. There's viewmodel FOV — how big your weapon model looks — which you can absolutely change. And there's true camera FOV — how wide your view of the world is — which, in CS2, you cannot change in any competitive mode. Sort out which one you mean and the rest is easy.
This is the "how to change it" page. If you want the full breakdown of the best offset values and the pro standard, that lives in the best viewmodel guide — this one is about what FOV commands exist, what they do, and where the hard limits are.
Viewmodel FOV vs camera FOV
This is the whole article in two lines, so it's worth being blunt:
- Viewmodel FOV (
viewmodel_fov) scales your weapon model. A higher value pushes the gun smaller and further into the corner, uncovering screen space. It changes nothing about your aim, hitboxes, or how much of the map you see. You can set this freely, between 54 and 68. - Camera FOV is your actual field of view — how wide a slice of the world the screen shows. In many games you can crank this to 100+ to see more. CS2 locks it in matchmaking. There is no working
fov_desiredin ranked play; the competitive camera FOV is fixed for everyone, on purpose.
So when someone says they want a "wider FOV" in CS2 to see more of the map, the honest answer is: you can't, and neither can the pros. What you cando is make the weapon smaller so it blocks less of the view you already have — and that's what the vast majority of people are actually after.
How to change your viewmodel FOV
You'll need the developer console enabled (Settings → Game, or follow the console guide). Open it with ~ and type:
viewmodel_fov 68
That's it — the change is instant and persists. The values that matter:
viewmodel_fov 68— the maximum, and the competitive default. Smallest, most out-of-the-way weapon.viewmodel_fov 60— the game default. A middle-ground, slightly larger weapon.viewmodel_fov 54— the minimum. A large, close weapon model.
68 is a hard cap: enter viewmodel_fov 90and the game silently clamps it back to 68. Those 90+ values you see in copied configs are leftovers from other Source engine games and simply don't apply here.
Viewmodel presets and offsets
FOV is only half of the weapon's position — the three offset commands move it along each axis. The community-standard "pro" preset is the smallest, most tucked-away weapon:
viewmodel_fov 68viewmodel_offset_x 2.5viewmodel_offset_y 0viewmodel_offset_z -1.5
You can paste all four on one line separated by semicolons. offset_x moves the gun left/right, offset_y forward/back, and offset_z up/down. If the standard tiny weapon feels disconnected from your aim — some players genuinely rely on the model as a subconscious reference — try viewmodel_fov 60 with offsets around 1 / 1 / -1 for a closer, more classic feel. The best viewmodel guide covers the full reasoning and the exact pro setups.
A note on left-handed viewmodels
While you're editing the weapon position: the old CS:GO command cl_righthand for switching hands doesn't exist in CS2. Left-handed viewmodels returned with new syntax — cl_prefer_lefthanded true sets it permanently, and the switchhands command (bound to Hby default) toggles hands on the fly. Some players flip to left-handed when holding a right-side angle so the weapon model doesn't cover the corner they're watching.
The bottom line
If you came here to see more of the map, that lever doesn't exist in CS2 matchmaking and never will while Valve keeps the competitive camera locked. If you came here to get the gun out of your way — which is what nearly everyone actually means — then viewmodel_fov 68 plus the pro offsets is the answer, and it takes about five seconds to apply. Set it once and it's done. For where FOV fits alongside every other setting, see the complete settings guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you change FOV in CS2?
- You can only change the viewmodel FOV, which controls the size of your weapon on screen: viewmodel_fov 68 is the maximum. The true camera field of view is locked in CS2 matchmaking and cannot be widened with any command. Commands that change camera FOV only work on private servers with sv_cheats 1.
- What is the maximum viewmodel_fov in CS2?
- 68. The game clamps any higher value back to 68. The minimum is 54 and the default is 60. Old configs with values like 90 are from other Source games and simply clamp to 68 in CS2.
- Can you increase the camera FOV in CS2 like in CS:GO?
- Not in matchmaking. Unlike some games, CS2 fixes the world/camera field of view for competitive integrity. There is no fov_desired command that works in ranked play. Only viewmodel_fov, which scales the weapon model, can be changed.
- What is the best viewmodel_fov setting?
- Most competitive players use the maximum, viewmodel_fov 68, because it pushes the weapon model down and to the side, uncovering more of the screen. It is purely visual and does not affect your aim or hitboxes. If a tiny weapon feels disconnected, drop to 60 with closer offsets.