Over ten years after its initial release, CS:GO remains one of the most popular games on the planet. The game still shatters its own player records, with 1.3 million players recently logging on concurrently to break the record. With no signs of slowing down, it’s no wonder new players are taking notice and starting their CS:GO download.
You may be wanting to get involved, but don’t know how. That’s what we’re here to show you – exactly how you can download CS:GO and get fragging on the server, beginning your journey of learning how to get better at CS:GO.
How To Start Your CS:GO Download
There is only one way to download CS:GO, and you must do it through Steam. Valve, the developer of CS:GO, is also the creator of Steam, meaning that it’s the only platform you can find the game. So first things first – you must have a Steam account, and have the Steam client installed on your device.
With Steam installed, the rest of the process is pretty self-explanatory. You simply search for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the Steam store, and hit install to begin your CS:GO free download. That’s right – free. The game used to be paid, however, it adopted a free-to-play model in 2018 to bring new players into the game. Now, all there is to do is wait for the game to download. In the meantime, there’s plenty you can do while you wait. It’s always worth looking up CS:GO pro settings, to give yourself the best chance at getting ahead from the get-go.
Once your CS:GO download has been completed on Steam, it’s just a case of launching the game. From here, your options are endless. You can head straight into the competitive action and challenge yourself, or you could jump into practice. You may not even want to play straight away. It could be worth looking into some of your settings, like your CS:GO rates, to ensure you get the best experience going into it.
If that seemed almost too simple – don’t worry. It’s because it is! Anyone can begin their CS:GO journey, and the game’s low system requirements mean that pretty much any modern PC can handle it at a reasonable frame rate.
Is There Anywhere Else To Download CS:GO?
Sadly not. When CS:GO was first released, it was also released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, however, these versions are long-abandoned with no updates for many years. They almost resemble a completely different game to what can be seen today. If you still have these consoles and are curious, you can technically still pick them up from their respective marketplaces, although it will cost you. And don’t expect to find a game on them, either. They’re completely dead, so you’ll have to settle for bots for company on the server.
As long as you download CS:GO on Windows, Mac, or Linux, you can play the game. It’s a game that massively benefits from a mouse and keyboard, so don’t expect to see it come to any modern consoles any time soon. Honestly, it’s not something we can say many people are asking for anyway.