How to Enable the In-Game Console in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator

To enable the developer console in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS), close the game, edit its config.cfg file, and set both uset g_console and uset g_developer to 1. Save the file, relaunch the game, and press the ~ (tilde/backtick) key, normally the key immediately left of 1. Steam users can alternatively add -developer -console to the game’s Launch Options.

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What the setting changes

ETS2 and ATS include an in-game console that is disabled by default for many installations. The console is controlled by two global configuration variables. The SCS Modding Wiki identifies g_console and g_developer as the required settings, and its configuration reference describes g_developer as a global integer loaded from config.cfg in the game’s user folder.

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Both variables must be enabled. Turning on only one line is not enough for the documented method:

uset g_console "1"
uset g_developer "1"

After the game starts with those values, the default console key is ~. Depending on your keyboard, the key may be labelled with a backtick (`), tilde (~), or both symbols. It is usually positioned to the left of the number 1 key.

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Before changing the file

• Exit ETS2 or ATS completely, not merely to the title screen. The game can rewrite its configuration when it closes, which can overwrite an edit made while it was still running.
• Identify which game’s user folder you are editing. ETS2 and ATS have separate folders and separate config.cfg files.
• Use a plain-text editor. Do not paste the lines into a save-file editor or a word processor that may add formatting.
• Optionally make a copy of config.cfg before editing. That gives you a simple rollback if a typo is introduced.

Enable the console on Windows

ETS2 configuration file

1. Close ETS2 fully.
2. Open File Explorer and go to DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2.
3. Open config.cfg in a plain-text editor.
4. Search for the line beginning uset g_console. Change its value to 1, preserving the quotation marks. The finished line should read uset g_console "1".
5. Find uset g_developer and change it to uset g_developer "1".
6. Save the file without changing its name or adding a second extension such as .txt.
7. Start ETS2 and press the ~/` key to open the console.

ATS configuration file

1. Close ATS fully.
2. Open File Explorer and go to DocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator.
3. Open that folder’s config.cfg in a plain-text editor.
4. Set uset g_console to uset g_console "1".
5. Set uset g_developer to uset g_developer "1".
6. Save the file, launch ATS, and press the ~/` key.

The ETS2 and ATS procedures are identical apart from the user-folder name. Editing the ETS2 file will not enable the console in ATS, and editing the ATS file will not enable it in ETS2.

Finding the file on macOS or Linux

The setting is still stored in the game’s user-folder config.cfg on macOS and Linux. The exact folder location depends on the operating system and installation, so use the current game-specific location for your platform rather than copying the Windows path. Once you have opened the correct file, the edit itself is unchanged:

1. Quit the game completely.
2. Open the ETS2 or ATS user folder for your operating system.
3. Open config.cfg as plain text.
4. Set both uset g_console "1" and uset g_developer "1".
5. Save, relaunch, and press the default ~ key.

If you have more than one copy of a game, make sure you edit the user folder used by the installation you actually launch. A correctly edited file in a different profile or installation will have no effect on the running game.

Steam launch-option method

Current ETS2 and ATS guides document a Steam alternative that avoids manual editing. In Steam, open your Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, stay on the General page, and enter the following in Launch Options:

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-developer -console

Close the Properties window and launch the game from Steam. The switches request the same developer and console modes at startup. If the console does not appear after using the launch options, remove them, close Steam’s game session, and use the config.cfg method instead; do not leave conflicting edits in multiple installations while troubleshooting.

Opening and using the console

Default key

SCS documentation states that the console is accessed with ~ by default. On many keyboards this is the backtick/tilde key immediately left of 1. Keyboard layouts can move the symbol or print it on a different physical key, so use the key that produces the tilde or backtick on your layout. The console key is not the number 1 itself.

Scrolling and message display

The SCS console documentation lists these navigation shortcuts:

These controls are useful when output moves past the visible console area. They do not replace the enablement steps: the two configuration variables or the documented Steam launch options must be active first.

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ETS2 and ATS: what is the same and what differs

The practical difference is the game-specific user-folder name. The variables, default key, and documented Steam switches are the same.

Troubleshooting when the console does not open

The file appears unchanged after saving

Confirm that the game was closed before the edit. If it was still running, it may have written its previous values back to disk when it exited. Close the game, edit both lines again, save, and then relaunch.

Reopen config.cfg after saving and verify the exact text. Each value must be "1", not "0", and the variable names must be g_console and g_developer. Keep the existing uset prefix and quotation marks.

Only one variable was changed

The documented configuration method requires both settings. If g_console is set to 1 but g_developer remains 0, or vice versa, correct the second line and restart the game.

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The wrong game’s file was edited

Check the folder name in the path. ETS2 uses DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2; ATS uses DocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator. Each title reads its own user-folder configuration.

The tilde key produces no console

• Try the physical key that produces ` or ~ on your keyboard rather than relying on the printed position from another layout.
• Press the key after the game has fully loaded, not while Steam is still launching it.
• Verify both variables again and restart after any change.
• If you used Steam, confirm that the Launch Options field contains exactly -developer -console, including the leading hyphens and the space between switches.

The edited file cannot be found

Search the user documents area for config.cfg, then check that the surrounding folder is the ETS2 or ATS user folder rather than a similarly named backup. If several files are returned, use the one inside the folder belonging to the game you are launching.

The change works once, then disappears

Close the game before making the edit and do not overwrite the file with an older backup afterward. A game session that was open during editing can restore its previous configuration on exit, so repeat the procedure with the title completely closed.

Reverting the change

To disable the console through the configuration file, close the game and change both values back to 0:

uset g_console "0"
uset g_developer "0"

Save the file and relaunch. If you enabled the feature through Steam, remove -developer -console from Launch Options. Use one method or the other when checking the result so that a remaining launch switch does not make it appear that the configuration edit was ignored.

A concise checklist

• Game fully closed before editing.
• Correct ETS2 or ATS user folder selected.
• Correct config.cfg opened as plain text.
• uset g_console "1" present.
• uset g_developer "1" present.
• File saved with its original name.
• Game relaunched.
• ~/` key pressed using the active keyboard layout.
• Steam alternative, if used: -developer -console entered exactly in Launch Options.

The Bottom Line

Close the game, set both g_console and g_developer to 1 in the correct ETS2 or ATS config.cfg, save, relaunch, and press ~. Steam users can use -developer -console instead.

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