A Complete Guide to CS2 Demo Controls

To record a demo, follow these steps:

• Open the console by pressing the ~ key.
• Type record <demoname> to start recording.
• To stop recording, open the console again and type stop.

To play a recorded demo:

• Open the console.
• Type playdemo <demoname> to start the playback.

Alternatively, you can use demoui or demoui2 to bring up a more user-friendly interface for demo playback.

Once you have started playing a demo, you can control the playback using various commands and UI elements:

Pause and Play: Use pause and play commands in the console or the pause/play button in the demo UI.

Fast Forward and Rewind: Use the slider in the demo UI or the demoui2 interface for more precise control.

Change Playback Speed: You can change the playback speed with commands like demo_timescale <speed> (e.g., demo_timescale 2 for double speed or demo_timescale 0.5 for half speed).

Efficient navigation is crucial for analyzing specific moments in the demo. Here are some key commands and methods:

Goto Tick: Use goto <ticknumber> to jump to a specific tick in the demo. Ticks are essentially frames, and each demo has thousands of them.

Next/Previous Round: Use nextround and prevrgound to quickly move between rounds.

Player Navigation: You can switch between players using the demo UI or the console command spec_player <playername>.

The demo UIs are graphical interfaces that make navigating and controlling demos easier.

Demoui: The basic demo UI that offers playback controls, a timeline, and player switching options.

Demoui2: An advanced version with more features, including a detailed timeline, round navigation, and more precise playback control.

To bring up these interfaces, type demoui or demoui2 in the console.

For a thorough analysis, consider the following aspects:

Positioning and Movement: Observe player movements and positioning to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Economy Management: Review the buy decisions and their impacts on the game.

Strategy Execution: Analyze how strategies are executed, including smokes, flashes, and other utilities.

Individual Performance: Look at each player’s performance, decision-making, and mechanical skills.

Spec_show_lineup 1: Shows utility lineups, useful for analyzing grenade throws.

Cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1: Hides the HUD except for death notices, useful for creating clean footage.

For content creators, demos are a goldmine for creating highlights and clips. Here are some tips:

Smooth Playback: Use demo_smooth 1 to create smoother transitions in your footage.

Free Camera: Use spec_mode 1 to enable free camera mode for custom angles.

Record with Third-Party Software: Use OBS or other screen recording software to capture the footage.

Demo Not Loading: Ensure the demo file is in the correct directory (typically csgo/replays).

Playback Stuttering: Lower the playback speed or use a powerful computer to handle high tick-rate demos.

Missing UI: If the demo UI is missing, ensure you have typed demoui or demoui2 correctly.