Your crosshair is the one thing you look at every single second of a match, so it is worth more than a random code copied from a video. Here is how to pick one that actually fits your eyes and your game, how to test it, and how to import or share codes in each shooter.
What makes a good crosshair
Color: contrast first
The only job of the color is to stay visible on every surface of every map. The usual safe picks are:
- Cyan: rarely found in map textures, very readable on warm walls (sand, brick, wood).
- Yellow: bright and visible almost everywhere, but can blend into very light or sunny areas.
- Green: the classic default in many games, easy on the eyes, weaker on grass or foliage.
- Pink or magenta: almost never present in game environments, so it pops on nearly any background.
Avoid white (snow, skyboxes, flashes) and red (blood effects, enemy highlights in some games). If you are colorblind, pick whatever stands out best for you and ignore the usual recommendations.
Outline
A thin black outline keeps the crosshair readable on busy or bright backgrounds. It makes the crosshair look slightly thicker, so if you add one, you may want to reduce the thickness a bit. Some players skip it for a cleaner look on maps they know well.
Size and gap
The crosshair should be small enough to aim precisely at a head at long range, and big enough that you never lose it during a fight or after a flash. The gap (the empty space in the middle) lets you see what you are aiming at: too small and the lines cover the target, too large and it becomes hard to tell where the center is.
Center dot or not
A center dot gives a very precise aim point and works well for players who like to "place" their crosshair on a head. Without a dot, the gap leaves the target visible, which some players find easier for reading small movements. Both work: try each for a few sessions.
Static vs dynamic
A static crosshair never changes size. A dynamic one grows when you move or shoot (in Valorant these are the movement error and firing error options). Dynamic crosshairs show you when your shots will be inaccurate, which helps beginners learn to stop before shooting. Most experienced players in tactical shooters go static so the crosshair stays clean and predictable, and they learn the spread through practice.
Thickness
Thicker lines are easier to see but cover more of the target. On a high resolution screen, a thickness that looks fine at 1080p can feel thin at 1440p, so adjust after changing resolution.
Crosshairs by game style
Tactical shooters (CS2, Valorant, FragPunk)
Fights are decided by one or two precise shots, and you spend a lot of time holding angles. A small, static crosshair with a gap (plus or without a dot) is the standard. It lets you place your aim exactly at head height and keep it there.
Tracking-heavy games (Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Apex style shooters)
You follow moving targets for long periods, often with automatic weapons or beams. Many players prefer a simple dot or a small circle: it blocks less of the target, and a circle can help you judge the spread or the hitbox you are tracking. Heroes with projectiles sometimes benefit from a crosshair with longer lines to estimate lead.
Battle royales (PUBG and others)
Engagements happen at very different ranges and with scopes, so your hip-fire crosshair matters less. A clear, medium sized crosshair that stays readable on open terrain is usually enough.
How to test a crosshair properly
- Check it on several maps and lighting: dark corridors, bright outdoor areas, colored walls. A crosshair that disappears on one spot will cost you rounds there.
- Play deathmatch, not just the range: practice maps have clean backgrounds. Real fights add smoke, flashes, effects and moving players.
- Give it time: play at least a few sessions before judging. Any new crosshair feels odd for the first matches.
- Change one thing at a time: color, then size, then gap. If you change everything at once, you will not know what helped.
Importing and sharing crosshair codes in each game
CS2
CS2 uses share codes that start with CSGO-. In the crosshair section of the game settings, there is an option to share or import a crosshair: paste the code there and your crosshair updates instantly. The same menu lets you copy your own code to send to a friend.
Valorant
Valorant uses crosshair profile codes that start with 0;. In the crosshair settings, use the import profile code option and paste it. It creates a profile you can rename and switch to, so you can keep your old crosshair saved next to the new one.
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals has crosshair (reticle) codes that can be imported on PC from the crosshair settings. Since settings can be set per hero, check which hero or profile the code applies to after importing.
Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 has no crosshair codes. You copy someone's crosshair by entering each setting by hand in the controls or crosshair options: type, color, thickness, length, center gap, opacity, outline opacity, dot size and so on. Write the values down somewhere so you can reapply them later.
Deadlock
Deadlock has crosshair settings that can be changed through console commands starting with citadel_crosshair_ (color, gap, length, thickness and similar). You can type them in the console or put them in a config file so they load every time.
Other games (PUBG, FragPunk and more)
When a game has no code system, the reliable approach is to note your settings: write down every value (color, size, gap, thickness, outline, dot) so you can rebuild your crosshair after a reinstall, on a new PC, or in another game.
Converting a crosshair between games
Moving a crosshair from one game to another is always approximate. Each game has its own settings and units: one game measures length in pixels, another uses a scale; one offers a circle or a round dot, another only has lines and a square dot. Some options simply have no equivalent, like a circle crosshair in a game that only supports a cross, or an outline in a game that has none.
A converted crosshair is a starting point, not a perfect copy. Load it, then check it in game and adjust the small details by eye.
The crosshair vault stores crosshairs with their codes for many games and converts them for you, warning you when a part of the crosshair cannot be reproduced in the target game. If you are switching games, convert your sensitivity at the same time with the sensitivity converter so your aim and your crosshair both feel familiar.
Quick summary
- Pick a high contrast color: cyan, yellow, green, or pink/magenta.
- Add an outline if you lose the crosshair on busy or bright backgrounds.
- Small enough for precision, big enough to never lose it; the gap should leave the target visible.
- Tactical shooters: small static crosshair. Tracking games: often a dot or small circle.
- Test on several maps and in deathmatch, and change one setting at a time.
- CS2 codes start with
CSGO-, Valorant codes with0;, Marvel Rivals has codes on PC, Overwatch 2 is manual, Deadlock usescitadel_crosshair_commands. - Converting between games is approximate: always check the result in game.