How to Talk in CS:GO & CS2

Communicating with teammates can often mean the difference between winning and losing a game. This is why talking is vital when it comes to teamplay - it can help you call out enemies, ask for drops, and discuss strategies as quickly as possible. Although using chat can sometimes be useful, there often isn’t enough time to type out individual messages when you’re stuck in a tight situation.

How to Set Microphone Device (CS2 & CS:GO)

To talk in CS2 or CS:GO, you’ll first need to choose the microphone you want to use in Steam. To do this, first open Steam, and then click on the FRIENDS & CHAT button at the bottom right corner of the screen:

Next, click on the settings icon:

Next, click on the VOICE button:

Next, select the microphone you want to use in the VOICE INPUT DEVICE section:

CS:GO: Enable Mic and Set Key

The below steps are for CS:GO. See "CS2: Enable Mic and Set Key" below for Counter-Strike 2.

With your microphone device set, you just need to assign a key to activate your microphone in CS:GO. Launch CS:GO and follow these steps:

1. Click on the settings icon at the left side of the main menu
2. Click on the Audio button at the top of the settings menu
3. On the Enable Voice line, make sure that the Press to Use Mic option is selected.

Here's a screenshot of where those options are located:

To set a the microphone key, stay in the settings menu and follow these steps:

1. Click on the Keyboard / Mouse button at the top of the settings menu
2. Click on Communication Options
3. On the Use Mic line, click on the box at the right end of the line (where the arrow points to "K" in the screenshot below)
4. Finally, press the key you want to enable your mic with.

Here's a screenshot of where the set microphone key options for CS:GO are located:

Now to use your microphone in game, all you need to do is hold the key you just set (example: K) and speak!

CS2: Enable Mic and Set Key

The steps to enable push to talk and to set a microphone key are very similar in CS2 to how they were in CS:GO. Open CS and follow these steps:

1. Open CS2 settings by clicking on the cog in the top left hand corner of the game
2. Click on the Audio tab
3. Select Press to Use Mic from the "Enable Voice" dropdown.

Here's an image of the audio settings menu in CS2 with the options you need to change highlighted:

To set your push to talk key in CS2, stay in the settings menu and follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Keyboard / Mouse" tab at the top of the settings menu
2. Click "Communication Options" (under the "Keyboard / Mouse" tab)
3. Click on the box to the right of the "Use Mic" option (where the arrow is pointing to in the below screenshot) and press the key you want to assign to your microphone.

Here's an image that highlights what the above steps are referring to:

With your mic enabled and key set, all you need to do now is join a game, hold that key and voila, your teammates will be able to hear you!