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CS2’s crosshair thickness and length now use pixels, but those pixel values are not fixed when you change resolution. Valve’s September update automatically rescales the crosshair to preserve its proportions. That explains why copying a number without the accompanying resolution can produce a confusing comparison.
This guide covers the system Valve documented on 23 September 2026 and expanded on 30 September. These are existing changes, not a newly announced October patch.
Pixels are the starting point
Valve gives a concrete example: for a one-pixel-wide crosshair with eight-pixel bars and a four-pixel gap, set thickness to 1, length to 8 and gap to 4. The earlier system used an arbitrary scale that was converted according to display resolution.
The new values are easier to interpret at the resolution where you configure them. But the game also tries to keep the crosshair visually proportional when that resolution changes.
Doubling resolution also scales the crosshair
Valve’s example starts at 1280×720, with a thickness of 2 pixels. Change the display resolution to 2560×1440 and CS2 automatically rescales the thickness to 4 pixels.
If you switch resolution while comparing a professional player’s settings, check the resulting values after the switch. A two-pixel and a four-pixel crosshair can represent the same proportional thickness in Valve’s example; the numbers alone do not tell you how large the crosshair looks.
A share code now carries more information
The 30 September notes say scope-dot scale and colour preferences are included in the new crosshair share code. Valve changed the code format to accommodate the additional settings. That update also added crosshair-outline colour and a Static Quadrant style.
For scoped weapons, inspect the scope dot as well as the normal crosshair after importing a code. A screenshot of the unscoped crosshair does not show everything the code now carries.
Grenade crosshairs work during freeze time
The same update enabled grenade crosshairs in freeze time: hold a grenade attack button to display one. This gives players access to that aiming reference before the round begins, including for instant smoke lineups.
Valve also distinguishes dynamic spread from a static aiming mark. Its 23 September notes say the new dynamic styles display weapon spread and inaccuracy, while Dynamic Spread Limit caps how far the crosshair expands. Choose the behaviour you want to read first, then adjust its size; a static shape and a dynamic spread display are communicating different information.