Best TF2 Launch Options

TF2 Features a variety of different settings that players can enable via CS commands, which can radically improve performance and make the game smoother and less resource-intensive. Just like in any other Source 2 engine game, players who are savvy with commands have access to a plethora of different settings that aren’t available in the standard game menus, but which can be a complete game changer and can greatly improve various quality of life features.

Do you have some performance issues in TF2, or simply want to play like a pro? Here are the best TF2 launch options you probably don’t know about, that can completely change your game experience!

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What Are the TF2 Launch Options?

Like any other Source engine game, Team Fortress 2 includes a feature that allows you to input certain commands, which will be executed immediately upon starting the game. These options can give you a real advantage over other players, since an optimized game client can make your game more efficient and make it easier to dominate online matches.

Tweaking the launch options is also a great fix if you’re having issues starting up the game. The various launch options available in the client can disable some features of the game which often cause it to crash, as well as let you start up the game with lowered settings, making it easier to load up the game client on lower-end specs. Additionally, there are other commands that can enhance gameplay and improve performance. These commands, while often conditionally useful, can cater to individual player needs and optimize overall game performance.

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How to Use TF2 Launch Options?

Launch options in TF2 are fairly straightforward, you don’t even need to start up the game to enter them. Here is how to enter launch commands in TF2:

1. Open your Steam library
2. Find the game in your Steam library and right-click Team Fortress 2
3. Select ‘properties’ from the drop-down menu
4. Go to the ‘general’ tab, you should see the Launch Options window just below the Steam cloud options
5. Enter TF2 launch options you want to use in the text box

If you’ve done all of the above steps correctly, the launch commands you’ve entered in the game settings should instantly execute upon starting the game’s exe.

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What Are the Best TF2 Launch Options?

Now that you know how to use launch options in TF2, here are some of our suggestions that you can add to the command box that will significantly improve your gameplay and the game’s performance:

For those who prefer different display settings, you can enable windowed mode by adding -windowed to the launch options. If you want a borderless windowed mode, use -windowed -noborder.

Performance Optimization Console Commands

One of the most common uses for launch options in TF2 is the optimization of the game’s startup process. Here are some of the most important commands you can use to disable various unnecessary features that could clutter your PC’s RAM and make the game run slower:

• -novid: This command completely disables the intro video that plays upon starting the client. While most players choose to disable it simply because they’ve already seen it countless times in their gaming career, loading up the video each time takes up some of the computer’s memory, and can cause issues when starting up the game, particularly on older specs.
• -nojoy: This command disables the joystick system support in TF2. While you can play the game with a joystick, virtually every player prefers the mouse and keyboard combo, as it’s much better suited for competitive online shooters. However, the joystick options can take up some of the game’s memory, even if they aren’t enabled, so you’re much better off disabling them completely.
• -nosteamcontroller: This command functions pretty much the same as -nojoy, except it disables support for the Steam controller system specifically. While it works the same, you need to input a separate launch command to disable it.
• -nohltv: Briefly put, SourceTV and HLTV are the integrated streaming features meant for players who want to broadcast their gameplay. Most TF2 players aren’t even aware that this function exists, yet it still eats up the games’s memory. Make sure you disable it with launch commands if you don’t plan on streaming your game.
• -noipx: The ipx is an obscure protocol, which is not longer commonly in use. You can safely disable it with launch options without any connection issues, while at the same time improving its performance and reducing unnecessary memory usage.
• -precachefontchars: This command precaches font rendering and makes your game client pre-load some of the font files, instead of loading them up during the match, which can significantly improve your performance, particularly on custom TF2 maps which include a lot of text.

Best Graphics Launch Options

You can also use the best launch options to modify the game’s graphics and display, allowing you to immediately start up your game with an optimized set-up, instead of having to bother with console commands and main menu tweaks. Here are some of the best launch options for graphics and display in TF2:

• -width and -heigth: The two commands allow you to modify the game’s resolution beyond what’s available in the game settings. Furthermore, by using this command you can instantly start the game in a different resolution, allowing you to customize the game to your computer’s capabilities. It’s also a great and fast method to play around with different resolution settings, allowing you to easily test what’s best for your build.
• -nod3d9ex: The 3d9ex features is responsible for maintaining the game’s performance while you’re alt-tabbed. While it can be a useful tool, if you’re not planning on alt-tabbing from te game too much, you can safely disable this command to free up some memory and improve the game’s performance.
• -softparticlesdefaultoff: Particles are a common issue in the game, especially on older PCs. The game features a lot of particles that are heavy on the system’s resources, and on some occasions cause the game client to crash immediately upon loading into the match. This command will disable some of them, with minimal visual change to the game, which can significantly improve performance. While this can make some of the best TF2 hats look less flashy, it’s still an improvement over not being able to start up the game.
• -limitvsconst: This command functions similarly to the one above, except it limits the in-game shadows. Just like particles, the game features many entities on every map, each casting its separate shadow. This often causes issues on lower-end PCs, causing the game to crash immediately upon connecting. With this launch option the in-game shadows will be severely limited.
• -no_texture_stream: This command is only for more powerful PCs that can handle a slightly bigger graphical load. With this launch option, you can disable texture streaming completely, instead forcing your PC to immediately load up all of the textures in a game. While this can put significant strain on your system, the streaming option itself can cause performance issues, so it’s worth disabling it, if your computer can handle it.

In Conclusion

Here are some of the most popular choices for launch options in TF2. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out the rest of our blog, where we regularly post more tips, tricks, and TF2 news, as well as the rest of our website, where you can sell Steam items for real money!