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If you want to play Counter-Strike on a Windows PC, the current official Steam listing is for Counter-Strike 2. Valve lists it as free to play, with Windows minimum requirements of Windows 10, 8 GB RAM, four hardware CPU threads, DirectX 11-capable graphics with Shader Model 5.0 support, and 85 GB of available storage. Those minimums are compatibility specifications, not a promise of smooth performance on every PC.
Which Counter-Strike should you install on Windows?
The current official Steam listing for the series is Counter-Strike 2. Valve describes it as a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and says the game is built on Source 2. The listing presents CS2 as the current product; its requirements and features below refer to that version, not to every older Counter-Strike release. See Counter-Strike 2 on Steam.
Valve highlights CS Ratings and an updated Premier mode, global and regional leaderboards, upgraded maps, dynamic smoke grenades, tick-rate-independent gameplay, and redesigned visual effects and audio. These are features described by the publisher, not independent assessments of how they perform in practice. The store page also says CS:GO items move forward to CS2.
What are the Windows minimum requirements?
Valve’s Steam listing, accessed October 8, 2026, publishes these minimum Windows requirements. Check the live store page before installing because specifications can change.
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- Single-elimination, team-based online shooter
- Completely overhauled with better graphics, new characters, items, and environments
- Package includes Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Day of Defeat: Source
- Real-world physics adds depth the gameplay
- Internet connection required for online play
| Component | Published Windows minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Four hardware CPU threads; Intel Core i5 750 or higher |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | At least 1 GB; DirectX 11 compatible, with Shader Model 5.0 support |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Storage | 85 GB available space |
Source for every specification: Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 Steam listing.
Compare your PC against each listed item, including free disk space and the graphics card’s API and shader support. Meeting the minimum does not establish a particular frame rate, resolution, or level of visual quality: the listing gives no performance guarantee or benchmark-based hardware tier.
Rank #2
Is Counter-Strike 2 free on Windows?
Valve lists Counter-Strike 2 as free to play. The Steam page separately offers Prime Status as an account upgrade, so it is not presented as a requirement to download or play the free game. Valve says Prime players are matched with other Prime players and are eligible for Prime-exclusive souvenir items, item drops, and weapon cases. Check the live listing for current pricing and availability; the price can change and may vary by region. Steam listing and Prime Status details.
How should you read the Steam reviews?
The store page says reviews written before September 27, 2023 were for CS:GO, which it identifies as the legacy version of Counter-Strike 2. That cutoff matters when interpreting the page’s review history: older CS:GO reviews should not be treated as reviews written about the current CS2 product without that context. Review context on Steam.
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- Sequel to the hit first-person shooter
- Scientist-with-a-crowbar Gordon Freeman joins a ragtag human resistance fighting extradimensional invaders for the survival of a conquered Earth
- Unnervingly realistic graphics the likes of which have not been witnessed outside of a motion picture or pre-rendered cut scene
- Realistic physics: objects have varied and appropriate mass, density, physical properties
- For 1 player
Online play and content labels
Steam identifies Counter-Strike 2 as an online multiplayer game, lists online interactivity, and names VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat). The storefront’s mature-content description warns of intense violence and blood. These are Steam’s labels for the product; they do not establish additional details about moderation or player experiences. Store listing and content descriptors.
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Rank #4
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