Which Resolution Is The Best For CS:GO

In Counter-Strike, a resolution refers to how many pixels are being displayed on a player’s screen at a time. The format of resolution is described in width x height, for example, 1920×1080. A proper resolution is crucial for optimizing the game’s visual quality, and also plays a key factor in improving the computer’s FPS performance when running Counter-Strike. 

A resolution is always paired with an aspect ratio, which defines the proportions between the resolution’s width and height, for example, 16:9. There aren’t too many aspect ratios to choose from, but each aspect ratio has more than five resolutions to pair with. 

Now that we’ve understood what a resolution is and how aspect ratios also play a factor, let’s learn from the best and figure out what resolutions professional players are using in 2024. 

1st Resolution: 1280×960 (4:3 Aspect Ratio)

By far, the most popular resolution used by professional players is the 1280×960 resolution, which translates to a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most players with these resolution settings will play on a stretched scaling mode.

This resolution is incredibly popular in competitive play, as it allows players to stretch their screen. Stretching the screen will make player models appear wider, making the hitboxes much bigger. Though this might sound like a game-breaking bug, it is a legal feature that is abused by professionals, especially AWPers. 

The 1280×960 resolution is used by the following professional players:

• Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
• Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev 
• Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov 
• Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
• Valerij “b1t” Vakhovsjkyj

As you can see, some of Counter-Strike’s biggest names are all using the 1280×960 resolution. This resolution is used by nearly 50% of professional players, making it an incredibly popular choice. 

Almost every AWPer uses this pairing of aspect ratio and resolution, but some of the world’s best riflers are using it too. The fact that player models appear wider makes an enemy player’s head also bigger, making it easier to shoot headshots. 

It is also worth noting that playing on the 4:3 aspect ratio and the 1280×960 resolution should give every player a boost in performance if they had just converted from the default 16:9 settings. Players should expect around a 20% increase in FPS after using this resolution. 

2nd Resolution: 1024×768 (4:3 Aspect Ratio)

It is not surprising that the second-most popular resolution is also a product of the 4:3 aspect ratio. This time, it is the 1024×768 resolution, which is one of the lowest options for resolutions under this aspect ratio. 

The 1024×768 resolution has a lower number of pixels than the 1280×960. This means there is less stuff being displayed on the screen, forcing the game to stretch out the game more. If the game is stretched out more, the player models will appear even wider than 1280×960, making it even easier to land. Still, the difference is slight and isn’t too noticeable.

The 1024×768 resolution is used by the following professional players:

• Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo
• Kenny “kennyS” Schrub
• Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov 
• Jake “Stewie2K” Yip
• Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş

Based on the trend we’ve figured out earlier, it is not surprising that many AWP players are also using the 1024×768 resolution. AWPers require incredible amounts of precision, so wider player models definitely make the job easier. 

This resolution is highly recommended for players with a low-end setup. Earlier, we discussed that playing on a stretched resolution will increase your FPS performance. Since 1024×768 is one of the lowest resolutions to choose from, there are less pixels on your screen, meaning less load for your computer. 

Players with a potato setup can expect around a 30 to 40% increase when playing in this resolution. However, keep in mind that your game’s graphics will look abysmal, so don’t expect to enjoy any of the visuals in the game. 

3rd Resolution: 1920×1080 (16:9 Aspect Ratio)

It would be unnatural for the default resolution to not make the top-three position on this list, so here it is! Though we have learned that the 4:3 aspect ratio gives players a free advantage in the game, a decent percentage of professional players like to keep it simple and stick to the 1920×1080 resolution, which is supported by a 16:9 aspect ratio. 

When you first download Counter-Strike, you will be greeted with the 1920×1080 resolution, as it is the default value assigned to every player at the start. This resolution allows you to see the entirety of your screen, since it displays the maximum number of pixels on your screen. 

The 1920×1080 resolution is used by the following professional players:

• Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
• Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
• Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis
• Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard
• Dorian “xertioN” Berman

Overall, only around 10% of professional players have decided to stick to the default resolution and aspect ratio. It says a lot that almost 90% of professional players prefer using the 4:3 or 5:4 aspect ratio and their according resolutions, as having wider player models is a massive advantage. 

Generally speaking, playing on 1920×1080 won’t help you improve your FPS performance and in-game skills. However, this resolution is perfect for casual players who want to enjoy the visuals of Counter-Strike while playing the game normally.

Another group of players who would benefit from the 1920×1080 resolution would be streamers. Streamers want to appeal to their audience, and having HD graphics with the default aspect ratio and resolution will help enhance the quality of their live streams.

4th Resolution: 1152×864 (4:3 Aspect Ratio)

Now that the three most-popular resolutions are out of the way, we’ll have to stretch out a little bit. The next resolution on the list is another one from the 4:3 aspect ratio, the 1152×864 resolution. It is only used by approximately 5% of professional players, so it isn’t too popular. 

The 1152×864 resolution is used by the following professional players:

• Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
• Fernando “fer” Alvarenga
• Epitácio “TACO” de Melo
• Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski
• Adam “NEOFRAG” Zouhar

You can say that the 1152×864 resolution is the middle-ground between the 4:3 aspect ratios. It is a good balance between performance and visibility, making it a great choice if you’re looking for a mix of both. 

Players with a mid-ranged computer setup could opt to choose the 1152×864 resolution as their stretched resolution of choice. It will make player models appeal wider, and still give you a decent boost of FPS.

However, it is generally unpopular compared to the other two resolutions because it gives you a bit of both. Most players would rather go all-in on visibility, or go all-in on performance.

Players with good computer setups do not need performance, so they would opt for the 1280×960 resolution. Players with low-end computers need all the FPS they can get, so they would choose the 1024×768 resolution. Choosing the 1152×864 puts you in a pretty awkward position since you’re trying to get both. 

Still, the best rifler in the world, NiKo, is using the 1152×864 resolution. It has been working out for him throughout the years, so maybe a small percentage of players can benefit from it. 

5th Resolution: 1280×1024 (5:4 Aspect Ratio)

The final resolution we’ll cover is only used by a very small percentage of players, but we figured it would be worth pointing out. It is the 1280×1024 resolution, which is supported by a 5:4 aspect ratio – probably the first time you’ve heard of that.

The 5:4 resolution is another option for a stretched resolution, though it feels a little awkward and unnatural. Still, it will display more of the screen compared to any 4:3 resolution since there are more pixels provided. 

The 1280×1024 resolution is used by the following professional players:

• Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin
• William “mezii” Merriman
• Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás
• Chris “chrisJ” de Jong 
• Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro

The 1280×1024 resolution is only used by less than 5% of professional players. From the list of players we’ve provided above, we can conclude that most players who use this resolution are riflers, with the exception of torzsi, who is an AWPer. 

Like the other stretched resolutions, playing on 1280×1024 will guarantee you an FPS boost if you are just converting from the default 1920×1080 resolution. However, this 5:4 resolution has more pixels than other stretched resolutions, so you might not have that large of an FPS boost. 

Overall, the 1280×1024 is pretty unique, and will only appeal to a small portion of players. Still, it is worth testing out as maybe you are one of the few people who would enjoy this resolution. 

Judging by the list of resolutions discussed above, we can conclude that the best aspect ratio for CSGO is is 4:3. There are three variations of resolutions for the 4:3 aspect ratio, with the most popular one being 1280×960, which is used by almost half of professional players in the scene.

Playing on a stretched resolution makes player models wider, making it much easier to land shots, especially with the AWP. This is why you will see almost every AWP player use the 4:3 aspect ratio.

If you find it important to play CSGO with good visuals and graphics, playing on the 16:9 aspect ratio and 1920×1080 resolution would be the best option. It is great for most casual players who just want to enjoy the game. However, we highly recommend trying out the 4:3 aspect ratio at least a couple of times to see if it helps you improve. 

Still, the resolution is just another in-game setting, and we all know that in-game settings come down to personal preference. Changing your resolution and copying professional players will not guarantee that you will get better at the game immediately.