Nvidia’s Reflex technology is coming to Counter Strike 2. It’s the sequel to the popular multiplayer game Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Fans have been eagerly waiting for this addition. Reflex reduces latency in games. In addition, it lowers the delay between clicking the mouse and seeing the action on screen. This makes gameplay feel more responsive. This feature is particularly important in Counter Strike 2 and Escape from tarkov competitive games like Counter Strike. Where split second reactions can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Valve, the game‘s developer, has worked with Nvidia to integrate Reflex into Counter Strike 2. According to Nvidia, the technology can reduce system latency by up to 35%, making it easier for players to react quickly to in-game events. The feature will be available on GeForce GTX 900 series and newer graphics cards. With the most significant improvements expected on older GPUs.
To demonstrate the benefits of Reflex, Nvidia provided a slide showing the latency improvements that players can expect. So, a machine with an Intel Core i9 12900K and running at 1440p has a latency drop. With Reflex enabled, latency on a GTX 1060 graphics card goes down from 26ms to 17ms. On an RTX 3060, latency drops from 16ms to 11ms. And on the unannounced RTX 4070, the latency drops to just 8ms.
So, for years, Counter Strike: Global Offensive fans have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Nvidia Reflex support. Until now, they had to rely on driver level features to reduce latency, which was not always effective. The addition of Reflex to Counter Strike 2 means that nine out of the top ten competitive shooters now support the technology. With only PUBG lacking support. Games like Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, Destiny 2, Escape from Tarkov, Fortnite, Overwatch 2, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant all have Nvidia Reflex support.
Nvidia Reflex in Counter Strike 2 is great news for players who want responsive gameplay. Its ability to reduce latency gives players a competitive edge. This could make the game even more fun to play.
The current UI of Counter-Strike: GO is one of its most maligned features. Despite being one of the worst games to play with a controller, the current UI is often criticized for seeming as though it was designed with controller play in mind. For many, the UI feels clunky, convoluted, and generally confusing. For inspiration, Valve may want to look back into their own catalog of titles like Counter-Strike 1.6 or Source – while those titles boast dated UI that looks obsolete, it functions in a far more intuitive, player-friendly manner.
Since pleasing a broad player base with a UI revamp can be a tall order, Valve should take the opportunity during the Counter-Strike 2 beta to experiment. A strong option could be to allow players to greater customize their own UI settings and create an individual layout. Regardless of how players feel about the current UI, it’s doubtlessly in need of a revamp, as it has remained largely unchanged since Counter-Strike: GO was released over a decade ago.