GUIDE
How to Set Steam Launch Options — FPS, Windowed, Console & More (2026)
About this guide
Steam launch options guide. Windowed mode, enable console, skip intros, set resolution, force DX11/Vulkan and FPS cap commands.
1 min readReading time
BeginnerDifficulty
UpdatedAug 5, 2026
Customize How Games Launch
Steam Launch Options let you pass command-line parameters to games before they start. This is useful for forcing windowed mode, enabling developer consoles, setting FPS limits, and fixing compatibility issues.
📋 How to Set Launch Options
- Open Steam → Library
- Right-click the game → Properties
- In the General tab, find "Launch Options"
- Type your parameters and close
🔑 Most Useful Launch Options
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
-windowed | Launch in windowed mode |
-fullscreen | Force fullscreen |
-w 1920 -h 1080 | Set resolution |
-console | Enable developer console on launch |
-novid | Skip intro videos (faster startup) |
-high | Set game process to high CPU priority |
-dx11 / -dx12 / -vulkan | Force specific graphics API |
-fps_max 144 | Cap FPS (Source games like CS2) |
-novr | Launch without VR (for HL: Alyx NoVR mod) |
📖 More Tutorials
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