CS:GO and CS2 on Xbox or PS5

Having reigned for more than a decade, CS:GO was one of the most revered and admired multiplayer PC games of all time, yet Valve went out of their way to extend its presence within seventh-gen consoles. 

However, being the most popular first-person shooter game was not enough to convince Valve to develop a console version of CS2. Many console players feel left out due to not being able to play the latest iteration of Counter-Strike. Now that Valve finally moved Counter-Strike to Source 2 engine, some start speculating whether the game will migrate to current-generation consoles anytime soon. More details in today’s blog post. 

CS:GO on Xbox or PS5 Console

Some newer players may not know that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, commonly known as CS:GO, was available for a number of operating systems and consoles. Initially released in 2012, it was available not only for Windows, but also for macOS, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. By the way, check out our guide on how to play CS2 on macOS if you struggle with the changes that Valve had made. 

As one would expect, the console versions received significantly fewer updates and were kind of neglected. Loading up CS:GO on a seventh-gen console would feel like a time capsule right now, since the last time the game was updated is somewhere in 2016. Jumping from PC to an Xbox 360/PS3 would feel like playing Dark Souls for the first time, as the aim assist and other gameplay mechanics are truly bizarre to say the least. And the problem of poor performance was also present, given that CS:GO was a relatively new game running on the two consoles on their last leg. While the PC version of CS:GO basked in glory for a good decade, the console versions of the very same CS:GO never took off.

Is CS2 Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X Consoles?

Some players hoped for a return of Counter-Strike to the current-gen consoles. To no one’s surprise, Valve decided to drop the idea of bringing CS2 to other platforms, along with other operating systems such as macOS. Telling the truth, they’re just being pragmatic, considering the disproportionate ratio of CS:GO players by operating system. 

Valve have chosen to focus solely on the PC version due to a plethora of reasons, including performance issues, input lag, and a small console player base. Let’s be honest, Source 2 engine is not something new, yet it is still quite demanding and may require more processing power, which current-gen consoles cannot fully provide. Even though technical limitation is not the primary issue, CS2 on a console would feel clunky and run at a lower number of frames-per-second, with a significantly higher input lag. Lastly, the core Counter-Strike user base is centered around Windows-operated machines, which means that there’s no incentive for Valve to develop a separate version of CS2 that very little players would get to enjoy. 

Can You Play Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) on Xbox or PS5 Console?

Unfortunately, there are no official methods to play CS2 on current-gen consoles provided by Valve. You can only get CS2 on a Windows-based or a Linux-based computer. However, you could try a third-party streaming service like GeForce Now that even has a free tier, allowing you to play CS2 on Xbox Series X/S or PS5. Similarly, you could play CS2 on a Mac with a streaming service. Don’t expect crazy FPS numbers or a zippy input speed on a cloud gaming service. 

Will CS2 Be Available on PS5 and Xbox Console?

Given Valve's primary focus on PC gaming and the current trajectory of CS2 and how infrequent content updates are, a full console release is highly unlikely to happen in the near future. For now, if you’re a hardcore Counter-Strike fan, you should probably consider making a switch to PC or enjoy similar console titles. Oh, by the way, you can now play Valorant (boo) on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, since Riot Games decided to port their CS “alternative” to current-gen consoles.