Engine:Source

Source

Developers
Valve Corporation
First release date
1 June 2004
Predecessor
GoldSrc
Successor
Source 2

Other information

Source Dedicated Server

Works with multiple Source-based games.

See the "Source Dedicated Server", "SteamCMD" (for most Source games), or "HLDUSUpdateTool" (for games which haven't received updates for a while) articles on the Valve Developer Community Wiki for more information.

See also the the Steam Support article for setting up a Source Dedicated Server through Steam and the article on setting one up stand-alone.

Command line arguments

Can be used to increase performance in Source-based games and fix various problems.

Longer launch options can be stored in autoexec.cfg (without the - prefix and with every command on its own line) in the game's config folder for easier readability and editing. Starting the game with the -autoexec command is required.

See the Command Line Options article on the Valve Developer Community Wiki for more information.

Issues fixed

Game launches in an unsupported or unusable resolution

Add your resolution to the game's launch options[citation needed]
Navigate through your Steam library and open the game's properties. Add -width X -height Y to the game's launch options. Where X is your horizontal resolution and Y your vertical resolution. Press OK.

Console doesn't open

Make sure developer console is enabled. This can usually be toggled in the Advanced Settings under Keyboard/Controls.

You can't use the button above Tab ↹ and to the left of 1 to open the console, this is because the game only recognizes ~, which is not present on non-US keyboard layouts. There are two possible solutions:

Bind another key[citation needed]
Navigate through your Steam library and open the game's properties. Add -console to the game's launch options. Start the game. Type in the console bind x toggleconsole (where x is the button you want permanently assign to this). Notes You can then remove the -console switch.

Bind console key with autoexec[citation needed]
Navigate to the configuration file location. Create or open your autoexec.cfg file with your text file editor of choice. Make a new line and write bind x toggleconsole where x is the button you'll press to open up the console. Save and exit the text editor. Notes You might need add exec autoexec to your launch parameters if it doesn't get executed automatically by the game.

Change keyboard layout[citation needed]
Open Language and Country settings in Windows's the control panel. Select Change keyboard into Language and Keyboard tab. Add English (US) keyboard to the list of the available. Make sure you are using it and save.

Some maps are way too dark on Intel HD Graphics GPUs

Games and maps using ambient occlusion can be very dark on Intel HD Graphics. Upstream issue here.

Modify configuration file

If the console mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil is available (e.g. in Garry's Mod): Set mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil to 1 Notes If the setting does not save, add it to the game's autoexec.cfg If the console variable is not available (e.g. in CS:GO or Left 4 Dead 2): Edit <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\<appid>\local\cfg\video.txt Add "setting.mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil" "1" Save and set the file to read-only. Notes Not setting the file permissions to read-only will revert the change on the next game launch.

"High" shadow detail option is missing

The setting is only shown if Shadow Depth Textures are supported. However the Source Engine has always only checked this feature against a hardcoded selection of known GPU vendors. This notably excluded everything from Intel in the past.

Launch the game with the -force_vendor_id 0x10DE -force_device_id 0xFFFF command line arguments
These parameters were not supported before some 2012~2013 engine update.

Fake your GPU vendor ID in the system properties

Open regedit. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum Open the key of the interested GPU (use the wmic PATH Win32_VideoController GET PNPDeviceID command for a clue) Take its ownership to the current user (Permissions > Advanced > Owner) Make sure at least a group between Administrators, Users, Everyone or Owner Rights has Full Control permissions. Add the spoofed details at the top of the HardwareID string (e.g. PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_FFFF) Notes This doesn't work from Windows 8 onwards. The last step has to be repeated after every reboot (though a .reg file could be created to expedite the changes)

Spoof your GPU vendor ID through custom dll
Download the Intel bypass pack or Alternate D3D9 fix for ATI Extract d3d9.dll into <path-to-game>\bin\. Notes It's not advised to play in VAC protected servers with this solution.

Enabling 7.1 Output (Windows Vista and later)

Even when 7.1 speaker option is selected, game may still output to only 5 speakers, leaving the side surround speakers void of sound.

This issue is typically present in Source engine games that use Miles Sound System.

Enable 7.1 Speaker Output In Source Engine Games[citation needed]

Refer to Restoring Legacy Audio Effects (DirectSound 3D) and enable DirectSound 3D based on the audio device you have. Run the game and open the console (~). In the console, type: snd_legacy_surround 1 Restart the game. Select 7.1 speaker output from the game's options. Notes If only up to 5.1 is available, select 5.1 and the game will discretely output to 7 speakers. If using Creative's ALchemy, Source engine games typically need Buffers set to 5 and Duration set to 10.

Games

Game	Developer	Publisher	First release	Available on
Age of Chivalry	Team Chivalry		September 10, 2007
Alien Swarm	Valve Corporation		July 19, 2010
Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop	Reactive Drop Team		April 20, 2017
Amalgam	Troiz		November 10, 2020
Anarchy Arcade	Elijah Newman-Gomez
Aperture Tag: The Paint Gun Testing Initiative	Aperture Tag Team		July 15, 2014
Apex Legends	Respawn Entertainment	Electronic Arts	February 4, 2019
Bear Party: Adventure	Klems		April 22, 2020
Black Mesa	Crowbar Collective		March 6, 2020
Blade Symphony	Puny Human		May 7, 2014
Bloody Good Time	Outerlight	Ubisoft	October 29, 2010
BrainBread 2	Reperio Studios		March 9, 2022
Consortium	Interdimensional Games		January 6, 2014
Consortium Remastered	Interdimensional Games
Contagion	Monochrome LLC		April 11, 2014
Counter-Strike Online 2	Nexon	Nexon, TianCity, Beanfun	November 28, 2013
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	Valve Corporation, Hidden Path Entertainment		August 21, 2012
Counter-Strike: Source	Valve Corporation, Turtle Rock Studios, Hidden Path Entertainment	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment	October 7, 2004
D.I.P.R.I.P. Warm Up	EXOR Studios		March 18, 2008
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic	Arkane Studios, Floodgate Entertainment, Kuju Entertainment	Ubisoft	October 24, 2006
Day of Defeat: Source	Valve Corporation		September 26, 2005
Day of Infamy	New World Interactive		March 23, 2017
Dear Esther	The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe		February 14, 2012
Dino D-Day	800 North, Digital Ranch		April 8, 2011
Divinia Chronicles: Relics of Gan-Ti	Team Monkey		September 18, 2022
Dota 2	Valve Corporation		July 9, 2013
Dystopia	Puny Human		September 10, 2005
E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy	Streum On Studio		July 29, 2011
Empires	Empires		March 4, 2006
Entropy: Zero	Breadmen		October 10, 2017
Entropy: Zero 2	Breadmen		August 20, 2022
Estranged: Act I	Alan Edwardes		January 16, 2014
Evacuation	Evac Dev. Team	SMRC	January 6, 2023
Fast Detect	Phosphorus Games		October 7, 2016
Firefight Reloaded	Bitl	Cobalt-57	November 5, 2015
Fistful of Frags	Fistful of Frags Team		May 9, 2014
Fortress Forever	Fortress Forever Development Team		September 13, 2007
G String	Eyaura	LunchHouse Software	October 16, 2020
Garry's Mod	Facepunch Studios	Valve Corporation	December 24, 2004
GoldenEye: Source	GESHL2 Team		February 7, 2009
Half-Life 2	Valve Corporation	Sierra Entertainment, Valve Corporation, 1C-SoftClub, Buka Entertainment	November 16, 2004
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch	Valve Corporation		November 30, 2004
Half-Life 2: DownFall	Marnamai		April 17, 2017
Half-Life 2: Episode One	Valve Corporation	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment	June 1, 2006
Half-Life 2: Episode Two	Valve Corporation	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment	October 9, 2007
Half-Life 2: Genry's Great Escape from City 13	Kirill Bulavintsev	Razgilday Production	June 23, 2020
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast	Valve Corporation		October 27, 2005
Half-Life 2: VR Mod	Source VR Mod Team		September 16, 2022
Half-Life 2: VR Mod - Episode One	Source VR Mod Team		March 17, 2023
Half-Life 2: VR Mod - Episode Two	Source VR Mod Team		April 6, 2023
Half-Life 2: Year Long Alarm	Chuck Wilson		April 4, 2012
Half-Life Deathmatch: Source	Valve Corporation		May 1, 2006
Half-Life: Source	Valve Corporation		November 16, 2004
Hunt Down the Freeman	Royal Rudius Entertainment		February 24, 2018
INFRA	Loiste Interactive		January 15, 2016
Insurgency	New World Interactive		January 22, 2014
Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat	Insurgency Development Team	New World Interactive	October 23, 2007
IOSoccer	IOSoccer Team
Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3	Team Jabroni		November 11, 2022
JBMod	Team JBMod		December 1, 2004
Kreedz Climbing	ObsessionSoft		June 15, 2017
Lambda Wars	Vortal Storm		December 5, 2014
Left 4 Dead	Valve South, Valve Corporation	Valve Corporation, Akella	November 17, 2008
Left 4 Dead 2	Valve Corporation	Valve Corporation, Akella	November 19, 2009
Lost Squad	Oak Gear
Military Conflict: Vietnam	Dustfade
MINERVA	Adam Foster		April 28, 2013
NeoTokyo	STUDIO RADI-8		July 3, 2009
No More Room in Hell	No More Room in Hell Team	Lever Games	October 31, 2011
Nuclear Dawn	InterWave Studios, GameConnect	Iceberg Interactive	September 26, 2011
Operation: Black Mesa	Tripmine Studios
Pirates, Vikings, and Knights II	Octoshark Studios		February 12, 2010
Portal	Valve Corporation, Lightspeed Studios	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment, Nvidia	October 9, 2007
Portal 2	Valve Corporation	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment	April 19, 2011
Portal 2 Sixense Perceptual Pack	Sixense Studios	Sixense Entertainment	September 20, 2013
Portal Reloaded	Portanis		April 19, 2021
Portal Stories: Mel	Prism Studios		June 25, 2015
Portal: Revolution	Second Face Software		January 1, 2023
Postal III	Trashmasters	Akella	November 23, 2011
Prospekt	SCT		February 18, 2016
Requiem of Science	Kirill Bulavintsev		January 7, 2022
Revelations 2012	Dark Artz Entertainment		April 23, 2012
Rexaura	Benjamin Bryant		December 10, 2014
SiN Episodes: Emergence	Ritual Entertainment		May 10, 2006
Smashball	Smashball Labs		June 18, 2009
Snowdrop Escape	SnowDropEscape Development Team	Eduard Rostovtsev	January 20, 2021
Swelter	SnowDropEscape Development Team	Eduard Rostovtsev	June 26, 2023
Synergy	Synergy Team		September 1, 2005
Tactical Intervention	FIX Korea		October 8, 2013
Team Fortress 2	Valve Corporation, Escalation Studios	Valve Corporation, Buka Entertainment	October 9, 2007
The Beginner's Guide	Everything Unlimited		October 1, 2015
The Forgotten Ones	Bernt Andreas Eide		July 16, 2014
The Hidden: Source	Hidden Team		June 13, 2005
The Ship	Outerlight	Blazing Griffin	July 30, 2006
The Stanley Parable	Galactic Cafe		October 17, 2013
Thinking with Time Machine	Stridemann	SignHead Studio	April 18, 2014
Titanfall	Respawn Entertainment	Electronic Arts	March 11, 2014
Titanfall 2	Respawn Entertainment	Electronic Arts	October 28, 2016
Transmissions: Element 120	Shokunin, Thomas M. Visser, Vincent Thiele		June 16, 2016
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines	Troika Games	Activision	November 16, 2004

More...