TL;DR
- Determine your dominant eye using the thumb test for optimal viewmodel placement
- Use cl_righthand command to position weapon model opposite your dominant eye
- Optimize viewmodel_offset commands across three axes for maximum visibility
- Adjust viewmodel_fov between 60-68 for better weapon model clarity
- Reduce movement bob and visual recoil for improved aiming consistency

Countless online resources promise the “perfect viewmodel” configuration for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. However, the reality is that optimal viewmodel settings vary significantly between individual players, though certain foundational principles provide reliable guidance. The most detrimental approach involves blindly adopting another player’s complete viewmodel setup without understanding the underlying principles.
While CSGO offers extensive viewmodel customization capabilities, this flexibility doesn’t justify arbitrary positioning choices. Begin your customization journey by internalizing these core guidelines:
- Position weapon models to minimize screen obstruction
- Maintain clear central screen real estate for target tracking
- Align viewmodel placement opposite your dominant eye for enhanced peripheral awareness
Initiate all viewmodel modifications in your autoexec file with this essential command to establish a neutral starting position:
- viewmodel_presetpos 0
CSGO Viewmodel Commands: Finding your dominant eye
Unlike most first-person shooters, Counter-Strike features a dedicated command to toggle the viewmodel between right and left-handed configurations. This functionality proves critically important, as scientific studies demonstrate that increased screen space allocation toward your dominant eye enhances both aiming precision and enemy detection capabilities.
Every individual possesses a dominant eye, similar to hand dominance patterns. By strategically positioning CSGO’s viewmodel on the screen side opposite your dominant eye, players create expanded scanning territory for their primary visual input channel, facilitating accelerated target acquisition on that specific screen region. This physiological principle represents established science rather than gaming mythology, and players can accurately determine their eye dominance using this proven methodology:
- Using your non-dominant hand, position your thumbnail directly on the tip of your nose
- Extend your arm forward while maintaining a thumbs-up gesture, keeping your thumb aligned with your body’s centerline
- Sequentially close each eye while observing thumb alignment
- The eye that maintains thumb alignment represents your dominant eye
While this testing method isn’t flawless, it provides sufficiently accurate results when executed with proper thumb centering. Employing your non-dominant hand during testing increases precision, as dominant hands naturally exhibit directional drift tendencies. For players seeking comprehensive competitive advantages, implement cl_righthand (0, 1) to position the viewmodel opposite your dominant eye.
- If right-eye dominant, use “cl_righthand 0“
- If left-eye dominant, use “cl_righthand 1“
Viewmodel commands in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
In Counter-Strike, the player viewmodel encompasses hands, arms, and weapon models. Players can adjust viewmodel positioning across three distinct movement axes:
- Towards or away from the middle of the screen, or the x-axis
- Towards the player or away from the player, or the y-axis
- Towards the bottom or the top of the screen, or the z-axis
Here’s an example of a viewmodel configuration that likely represents suboptimal positioning:
Generally, competitive players should ensure their viewmodel occupies minimal screen space while maintaining visual comfort. Reduced weapon model coverage directly correlates with improved enemy spotting probability. Utilize these console commands for precise viewmodel adjustment:
- viewmodel_offset_x #
(min. “-2.5” max. “2.5”) lower values position viewmodel closer to screen center - viewmodel_offset_y #
(min. -2.2 max. 2.2) lower values move CSGO’s viewmodel toward the player perspective - viewmodel_offset_z #
(min. -2.2 max. 2.2) – lower values position CSGO’s viewmodel toward screen bottom
Changing CSGO’s FOV using viewmodel_fov
Counter-Strike’s viewmodel technically incorporates a FOV configuration setting, though unlike other shooters, it doesn’t expand actual gameplay visibility. Instead, this parameter controls how much of the weapon model players visually perceive.
Here is the difference between
viewmodel_fov 68
and
50. The maximum FOV value CSGO supports is “68.” The actual gameplay camera FOV at 16:9 aspect ratios remains fixed at 90 degrees across all competitive servers.
This represents the maximum viewmodel field of view that Counter-Strike permits, and the visual distinction between default 60 and maximum 68 settings creates noticeable differences. Expanding the field of view provides players additional visual breathing room, as even the standard 60 setting can create screen congestion effects.
Other CSGO viewmodel commands for bob and recoil
Several additional viewmodel commands in CSGO can influence player aiming performance. Systematic experimentation with these parameters in offline practice environments can produce significant benefits based on individual preference patterns.
CSGO’s viewmodel dynamically responds to player movement, exhibiting directional bobbing corresponding to movement vectors. Players can implement these commands to restrict viewmodel movement during gameplay:
- cl_bobamt_lat #
(default “0.4”)(min. “-0.1” max. “2”) – lower values decrease lateral movement - cl_bob_lower_amt #
(default “21”)(min. “5” max. “30”) lower values reduce viewmodel forward-backward movement away from player perspective - cl_bob_amt_vert #
(default “0.25”)(min. “0.1” max “2”) – lower values minimize CSGO’s viewmodel vertical movement during running animations
This command modifies the visual recoil intensity weapons display during firing sequences. Essentially, it controls how extensively weapon models travel upward on screen. This command exclusively affects visual weapon movement rather than actual recoil patterns.
- viewmodel_recoil # (1, 0)
The most effective approach for understanding these differences involves direct command experimentation. The visual impact remains subtle yet can significantly influence how players interpret weapon recoil behavior. Complete elimination of visual recoil doesn’t necessarily translate to improved performance!
And that concludes our comprehensive guide to CSGO’s essential viewmodel commands, updated for current competitive play and prepared for immediate autoexec implementation.
Action Checklist
- Determine your dominant eye using the thumb alignment test
- Configure cl_righthand based on eye dominance results
- Set viewmodel_presetpos 0 in your autoexec file
- Adjust viewmodel_offset commands across all three axes
- Optimize viewmodel_fov between 60-68 for optimal weapon visibility
- Fine-tune bob and recoil commands for movement clarity
No reproduction without permission:Game Guides Online » You can get a real advantage by customizing your viewmodel in CSGO Master CSGO viewmodel customization to optimize your dominant eye advantage and improve target acquisition
