Articles on: ggLeap

Understanding and Using Additional Launch Parameters in ggLeap (Steam Example)

What are Additional Launch Parameters?

Launch parameters are command-line options that modify a game’s settings before it runs. These options can override in-game settings, helping to recover from incompatible video configurations or troubleshoot various issues.

For example, to force a game to start in windowed mode regardless of in-game settings (such as with Counter-Strike), add -windowed to the Additional Launch Parameters field in ggLeap.

Setting Game Launch Options in Steam

Launch options can be configured through:

Steam’s Library (right-click the game > Properties > Launch Options)
Creating a custom game shortcut with specified options
ggLeap’s Additional Launch Parameters field for games on client PCs

⚠️ Note: The launch options listed below apply only to Valve's GoldSrc and Source engine games. Most third-party titles do not support these.

Refer to Valve's game list to confirm compatibility.

🔧 Common Launch Options

Launch Option	Description
`-autoconfig`	Resets video/performance settings to default based on current hardware. Ignores config files until removed.
`-dev`	Enables developer mode and disables certain UI elements like the quit dialog.
`-condebug`	Logs console output to `console.log`.
`-console`	Opens the game with the developer console enabled.
`-toconsole`	Starts the game directly in console mode.
`-dxlevel <level>`	Forces a specific DirectX version (e.g., `-dxlevel 90`). Useful for compatibility/performance. Supported levels: 80, 81, 90, 95, 98.
`-fullscreen`	Starts the game in fullscreen mode.
`-windowed` or `-sw`	Starts the game in windowed mode.
`-16bpp` / `-32bpp`	Sets color depth. (GoldSrc only)
`-w <width>`	Sets the screen width (e.g., `-w 1280`).
`-h <height>`	Sets the screen height. If omitted, height is determined automatically.
`-refresh <rate>`	Sets a specific screen refresh rate.
`-heapsize <kilobytes>`	Specifies memory allocation for the game.
`-nocrashdialog`	Suppresses certain crash dialog messages.
`-novid` / `-novideo`	Skips the Valve intro video.
`-lv`	Enables low-violence mode (Left 4 Dead only).
`-sillygibs`	Enables low-violence mode (Team Fortress 2 only).

🎮 Launch Options for Graphics & Performance Tuning

Command	Description
`+r_rootlod #`	Model detail (0 = High, 1 = Medium, 2 = Low)
`+mat_picmip #`	Texture detail (0 = High, 1 = Medium, 2 = Low)
`+mat_reducefillrate #`	Shader detail (0 = High, 1 = Low)
`+r_waterforceexpensive #`	Water quality (0 = Low, 1 = High)
`+r_waterforcereflectentities #`	Water reflectiveness (0 = Low, 1 = High)
`+r_shadowrendertotexture #`	Shadow quality (0 = Low, 1 = High)
`+mat_colorcorrection #`	Color correction (0 = Low, 1 = High)

🔍 Filtering Modes

Command	Description
`+mat_trilinear 0`	Use bilinear filtering (least intensive)
`+mat_trilinear 1`	Use trilinear filtering
`+mat_forceaniso #`	Anisotropic filtering (`#` = 2, 4, 8, or 16)
`+mat_hdr_level #`	HDR lighting (0 = Off, 2 = Full)

🧰 Useful Steam Client Launch Options

Option	Function
`-login <user> <password>`	Bypasses the login window with credentials.
`-tcp`	Forces Steam to use the TCP protocol instead of UDP.
`-clearbeta`	Opts out of any Steam beta participation.
`-silent`	Starts Steam minimized to the system tray.

⚠️ Warning:Steam no longer supports DirectX 7 ( -dxlevel 70 ). Using it can cause crashes. Be sure to remove it from your launch options if present.

Updated on: 17/12/2025

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