CS2 Sound Radar

Always-on-top desktop overlay that visualizes stereo direction from your system audio (WASAPI loopback). Built for Counter-Strike 2 practice and awareness — you still hear the game normally while a floating radar shows left/right balance and intensity in real time.

Features

• WASAPI loopback capture — listens to what your speakers/headphones are playing; no mic required and game audio is uninterrupted
• Always-on-top overlay — stays visible over CS2 (use Fullscreen Windowed in-game)
• Live stereo radar — angle, intensity trail, and L/R meters
• Device picker — choose which output’s loopback to capture (handy with headsets or multiple devices)
• System tray — show window, restart capture, or quit
• Drag to move — grab the header to reposition the window

Requirements

• Windows (WASAPI loopback)
• Python 3.10+ on PATH
• Packages listed in requirements.txt:
  • numpy
  • PySide6
  • SoundCard

Quick start

Option A — double-click launcher

1. Double-click START_RADAR.bat or run.bat
2. The script installs missing packages if needed, then opens the overlay

Option B — terminal

cd path\to\CS2 Sound Radar
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python radar_overlay.py

Usage

1. Start the overlay before or while CS2 is running.
2. In CS2, prefer Fullscreen Windowed so the radar stays on top.
3. In the overlay, pick the Audio device that CS2 actually plays on (often your headset or default speakers).
4. Play or listen in-game — footsteps and gunfire with stereo panning should move the radar blob left/right.
5. Restart after switching audio devices; Refresh reloads the loopback list.

Shortcuts

Key / action	Effect
Drag header	Move window
Esc	Close overlay
R	Restart capture
Tray menu	Show / restart / quit

Project layout

audio/
├── radar_overlay.py   # Main application
├── requirements.txt   # Python dependencies
├── run.bat            # Launcher (checks Python, installs deps, runs app)
├── START_RADAR.bat    # Shortcut that calls run.bat
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to try
No window / instant exit	Open radar_log.txt in this folder (created on each run).
Python not found	Install Python from python.org and enable Add python.exe to PATH.
Import / missing package errors	python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
No loopback devices	Confirm Windows desktop audio works; try another output in the combo box.
Radar flat / no movement	Select the same device CS2 uses; ensure game audio is stereo (not mono).
Overlay hidden under game	Set CS2 to Fullscreen Windowed (not exclusive fullscreen).

Logs are written to radar_log.txt each launch (gitignored).

How it works

1. SoundCard opens a stereo WASAPI loopback on the selected output.
2. Each block computes L/R RMS → balance and intensity.
3. PySide6 draws a circular radar with a smoothed angle, trail, and meters on an always-on-top window.

This is direction-of-arrival from stereo balance, not full 360° spatial audio analysis. It helps visualize panning (left vs right) from normal game output.

Is this VAC-safe?

Short answer: From how this app works, it is very unlikely to trigger VAC. It is not a game cheat in the VAC sense — but nobody can promise “VAC-safe forever.”

Why it shouldn’t trip VAC

VAC mainly looks for things that touch the game process or game files, such as:

• DLL / code injection into CS2
• Reading or writing game memory
• Modified game binaries
• Known cheat drivers / signatures

This tool does none of that. It:

1. Runs as a separate Python/Qt process
2. Captures Windows system audio via WASAPI loopback (what you already hear)
3. Draws an always-on-top overlay with PySide6
4. Never attaches to, injects into, or scrapes CS2

Technically it’s closer to a visualizer of your headphones than to a wallhack or aimbot.

What “VAC-safe” does not mean

Concern	Reality
VAC ban	Unlikely for external audio-only tools that don’t touch CS2
Valve ToS / “assists”	Valve can still care about tools that give a competitive edge; enforcement is usually aimed at real cheats, not separate audio meters
Guarantees	No third-party app can honestly say “100% VAC-safe forever” — rules and detection change

Practical takeaway

• Architecture-wise: external, read-only loopback audio → not classic VAC territory.
• Risk level: low for a VAC ban specifically.
• Still: use at your own risk; treat it as a training/awareness helper, not something Valve has “approved.”

Disclaimer

For personal use and training. Respect Valve’s ToS and local laws. This tool only analyzes audio you already hear; it does not inject into CS2, read game memory, or modify game files. Use at your own risk.

License

MIT — free to use, modify, and share.