Will your PC still run CSGO after the Source 2 engine update?

Source 2 could mean a whole lot of new features for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but does it also mean there will be a need for new computer parts for CSGO players and fans?

Rumors about CSGO being ported to Source 2 are flaring up again, but this time they seem too real to just be rumors. If Valve finally does transfer CSGO to the Source 2 engine, it will mean a major shakeup for the way the game feels, plays, and looks. The current iteration of CSGO is fairly easy to run even on lower-spec computers, but will that still be true after the move to Source 2?

The truth is that nobody outside of Valve knows for sure what the impact will be, but there’s reason to suspect that CSGO will require more computing power once it transitions to the Source 2 engine. The good news is that it probably won’t be a massive increase in system requirements, and current computers that can run CSGO at a stable frame rate should continue to do so after the update. To understand the potential effects of the change, we can look at Dota 2, which has already been moved to the Source 2 engine.

Will Source 2 CSGO be harder to run?

Based on Dota 2’s generally successful transfer to Source 2, CSGO will likely be mildly harder to run. The real question is if all the features of Source 2 will be part of CSGO’s transition.

Dota 2 Reborn is Valve’s transfer of Dota 2 over to the Source 2 engine. The 2015 update changed nearly everything about the game’s interface to fit with Valve’s vision for Source 2. The game itself barely changed mechanically, but the aesthetics and performance were worsened. Computers that could run the previous version of Dota 2 at a consistent 144 frames per second were suddenly experiencing a 20% decrease in FPS. 

Since that massive port took place almost seven years ago, Valve has hopefully gotten much better at implementing Source 2. Now Dota 2, Artifact, Underlords, Half-Life: Alyx, and more all run on the newer version of the Source 2 engine. 

With this in mind, it’s possible that CSGO will take a hit to its performance shortly after the switch to Source 2. Valve is known for releasing projects in an unfinished state, and deep optimization is probably lower on the list than replicating the exact feel of the current iteration of CSGO. Players who demand peak performance in CSGO should consider upgrading their rigs to prepare.