To watch a CS2 demo, obtain its .dem file and open it with playdemo. Use demoui or Shift+F2 for playback controls. A replay must exist and still be available; CS2 does not automatically save a local demo of every match you play.
For supported Valve matches, check the game’s recent-match or Watch interface and your Counter-Strike personal game data on Steam. Use the replay download where one is offered. Availability and retention depend on the match source.
For FACEIT matches, follow our FACEIT demo download guide. Tournament sites may also publish demos, but not every match has a downloadable recording.
A demo is game data in a .dem file, not an ordinary video. A download may wrap it in compression such as .bz2, .gz or an archive. Extract it until you have the actual .dem; changing a compressed file’s extension does not unpack it.
Open CS2’s installation through Steam Properties > Installed Files > Browse. The game data is under game/csgo/, often inside an installation directory still called Counter-Strike Global Offensive. Downloaded replays commonly use its replays/ subfolder.
game/csgo/replays/.my-match.dem, enter playdemo replays/my-match.demoui or press Shift+F2.demoui: open playback controls.demo_timescale 0.5: half-speed playback.demo_timescale 1: normal speed.demo_timescale 2: faster playback.For manual POV recording in a supported session, record my-practice starts a recording and stop ends it. A POV demo is not the same as a server-wide recording with every player perspective. Test recording in your intended session before depending on it.
Check extraction, file name, relative path and whether the download completed. Older recordings can become incompatible with a newer game build. An expired or unavailable replay cannot be restored by a console command. Do not assume a third-party tool can recover a recording that was never retained.
Review a few rounds for a specific question: your positioning, trade timing or utility. The statistics guide can help choose what to review. References checked on 6 November 2026: demo playback commands and recording command reference.
Obtain an extracted .dem file and open it with playdemo using its path relative to game/csgo. Use demoui for playback controls.
Downloaded replays commonly use game/csgo/replays inside the game installation. Manually downloaded files remain wherever you saved them until moved.
No. The playable recording is a .dem file. A download may be compressed, so extract it before playback.
While a demo is playing, enter demoui in the developer console or press Shift+F2.
No. Server replay availability and local recording are separate. Do not assume every match is automatically saved to your PC.
In a supported session, use record followed by a file name, then stop to finish. Test this before relying on it for an important recording.
Check the extracted file, spelling and relative path. An incomplete download or an incompatible older demo can also prevent playback.
Only if another retained copy exists. A console command cannot restore a replay that the source no longer provides.