Forces the game to start at the given vertical resolution instead of the saved or auto-detected one.
Example
-w 1920 -h 1080
Display
UniversalAdded Jun 27, 2026Last checked Sep 24, 2026
Safe
-wCopy
Set the window width in pixels
Effect
Forces the game to start at the given horizontal resolution instead of the saved or auto-detected one. Pass -h as well to set height explicitly; on its own, height is derived from the aspect ratio.
Example
-w 1920 -h 1080
Display
UniversalAdded Jun 27, 2026Last checked Sep 24, 2026
Safe
+fps_maxCopy
Cap the frame rate (GoldSrc, Source and Source 2 games)
Effect
Default 300 (400 in CS:GO and the TF2 branch). Match your refresh rate, or a little above it. Do NOT use 0 on GoldSrc — it uncaps Source and Source 2 but runs GoldSrc at 1 FPS. Above ~1000 (100 on GoldSrc) the engine develops timing bugs.
On the General tab, find the Launch Options field.
Type or paste the option (e.g. -windowed) into the field. To use several at once, separate them with spaces (e.g. -windowed -novid).
Close Properties. Steam saves automatically, and the option applies next time you launch the game.
To remove one, reopen the same field and delete the text. Options are game-specific; an option that helps one game may do nothing (or misbehave) in another.
Worth knowing: a launch option can break a game's rendering, reset local settings, or trip anti-cheat in multiplayer. Read the description first, add one at a time, and treat anything rated above Safe as a deliberate experiment.
