How to disable LOD in any Source engine game

The engine dynamically replaces 3D models with lower poly versions as you move away from them. This is usually completely unnecessary when playing on modern hardware.

What is Level of Detail (LOD)

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/LOD

Level of Detail (LOD) is the principle of having lower-detail versions of models in memory and switching to them when the object is small/distant. This saves a lot of unneeded processing power at the cost of a not too big memory/disk size increase.

How to disable it

Right-click on the game in your Steam library, choose Properties, then Set launch options..., type +r_lod 0.

[WUZ'S-UP]

btw its also console command i think

[Cereg]

Thanks for answering 6 months later xd

[Melody]

@Croissant (Cereg) It's often not needed on modern hardware, and is more noticeable on high resolution displays

[Cereg]

Why would you disable lod?

[iriyap]

Negative values can be cheat protected which e.g. interferes with achievements in Half-Life 2.

[D' MEZH]

i can also set it to -2.

[Purrspctiv]

quick note: there is a reason for lod! source engine games normally don't need lod due to how old they are, but most modern games do need lod!

[oswardtw]

@TyrannoWright That is a prop_detail in hammer (the program valve uses to make maps) meaning there is no way of fixing Fading props.

[Crimson Fork]

Thank you!

[eric]

Thank you for this.