Warnings
- The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.
This page is for the original game. For the Source engine port, see Half-Life: Source. For the unofficial remake, see Black Mesa.
General information
- Unofficial Half-Life Wiki
- GitHub Issue Tracker for Half-Life and other GoldSrc-based games
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
Retail |
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Disc only needed to play CD music, and in previous versions; authenticate. |
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Steam |
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- All non-Steam releases can be redeemed on Steam.
- Soundtrack is available for free here.
- Steam Edition has been updated to have full OpenGL support with texture filtering and smooth dynamic lighting.
Demos
- The official public demo that includes an exclusive chapter (and a training level) with content not found in the full release. It can be downloaded here.
- The demo uses an older version of GoldSrc and may have compatibility issues with modern systems. For full compatibility, the SteamLink mod reworks the demo as a Half-Life mod.
Half-Life: Day One
- A pre-release demo exclusive to OEMs. It contains the chapters from the full release up to and including "We've Got Hostiles" (5 chapters and a training level). It can be downloaded here.
- Note that the demo uses an older version of GoldSrc and may have compatibility issues with modern systems.
Version differences
- Half-Life: Game of the Year Edition comes with both the base game and Team Fortress Classic.
- Half-Life: Dreamcast is an unreleased port of Half-Life to the Sega Dreamcast. It includes various differences from the PC release (ex. modified levels, new models, adjusted difficulty, etc.). A mod that ports the Dreamcast version as a Half-Life mod is available on Mod DB.
Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
- Steam release already skips intro videos.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
-
*.cfg
store the configuration.
- This game does not follow the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.
Save game data location
Video settings
In-game video settings (Steam version)
Template:Video settings
- For a list of console commands, see here.
- Capped at 100 fps or 72 fps if VSync off.
Use +developer 1 +fps_override 1 +fps_max ### command line argument[1]
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- Disabling the cap affects enemy turn speed and has other side effects.[2]
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- FOV adjustment may be necessary at widescreen resolutions.
Field of view[citation needed]
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- While in game, open the console (~).
- Type
default_fov 106.270273206 and press ↵ Enter.
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OpenGL texture filtering
- By default the filtering is enabled (not in Software rendering mode).
Disable OpenGL texture filtering[3]
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- Go to
<path-to-game> .
- Create a file called
autoexec.cfg .
- Add new line
gl_texturemode gl_nearest .
- Save the file.
Notes
- Using the line
gl_texturemode gl_nearest_mipmap_linear instead will prevent some textures from flickering at a distance.
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OpenGL overbright lighting
- Overbright lighting increases the rendering dynamic range, resulting in a primitive "bloom" effect.
- Overbright lighting normally only works on the Direct3D and software renderers.[4]
Nvidia cards: Enable the GL extension limiter[5]
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- Download and run Nvidia Profile Inspector.
- On the Half-Life profile, set
Extension limit to On . Apply changes.
- Go to
<path-to-game> .
- Create a file called
autoexec.cfg .
- Add new line
gl_overbright "1" .
- Save the file.
Notes
- Doing this will disable multi-texturing, which has the side-effect of disabling detail textures, which may effect the appearance of user levels and mods.
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Input settings
In-game key map settings (Steam version)
In-game mouse/joystick settings (Steam version)
Template:Input settings
Audio settings
In-game audio settings (Steam version)
Template:Audio settings
Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
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French |
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German |
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Censored (enemy soldiers replaced with robots, gore removed). Uncut on the Steam version after April 29, 2017. |
Italian |
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Korean |
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Spanish |
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Simplified Chinese |
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Traditional Chinese |
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Russian |
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Network
In-game multiplayer settings (Steam version)
- For more information, see the "Half-Life Dedicated Server" section of our GoldSrc article.
- Steam Edition actively supported via Steamworks with a small but dedicated community.
Multiplayer types
Connection types
Type |
Native |
Notes |
Matchmaking |
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Peer-to-peer |
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Dedicated |
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Servers are hosted using a separate "hlds.exe," which can be downloaded with SteamCMD. |
Self-hosting |
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Only LAN, by default. Use sv_lan 0 in the main menu and, if you have port forwarding set up, others can connect with the connect "ip address" command. |
Direct IP |
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Open the console (~) and use connect followed by the IP and port. |
Ports
Protocol |
Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
UDP |
6003, 7002, 27010, 27015, 27025 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
VR support
Install Half-Life-VR Mod[6]
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- Install Half-Life VR Mod into game root.
- Add
-game vr -dev -env -insecure -nomouse -nojoy +sv_lan 1 +sv_maxspeed 125 to launch options.
- Set
opengl32.dll to Read-Only in the installation folder.
- Set game to windowed.
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Issues fixed
Missing Blood & Gore on Steam Version
- There is an issue with the current Steam release of Half Life, put short you can end up downloading the censored version regardless of your location.
Input Lag in Direct3D
- On certain graphics cards, using the D3D renderer can result in severe input lag, even with disabled VSync.
Missing Decals in Direct3D
Use gl_polyoffset -0.01 [citation needed]
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Color depth in the retail version
- The retail version defaults to 16-bit color depth.
Run game with -32bpp argument[citation needed]
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Fatal Error - Available memory less than 15MB
Run the game in compatibility mode for Windows XP [citation needed]
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Windows 7/Vista Performance Fix
- In Windows 7 or Vista, some users may experience extremely low frame rates during gameplay, even if their PC can run modern games perfectly.
Set HL.exe to high priority[citation needed]
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- Open Half-Life.
- Press Ctrl+Esc+⇧ Shift in order to open the Task Manager.
- Under the
Processes tab, find HL.exe and right click it.
- Set its priority to high.
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Missing Voice and Multiplayer Tabs under Options
Replace the liblist.gam file[8]
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- Make sure you've exited out of Half-Life
- Download the replacement
liblist.gam file from here (Download starts immediately).
- Extract into the
valve folder in the installation folder, replacing the existing file when prompted.
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Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
Direct3D |
7 |
Lost with Linux update.[9] |
OpenGL |
2.1 |
3DFX MiniGL included (retail version only). |
Software renderer |
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Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows |
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macOS (OS X) | |
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Linux | |
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Middleware
Mods
- Xash3D is a custom GoldSrc build made to overcome the limit of the GoldSrc engine and fix compatibility issues on modern systems.
- It also brings back features that were removed from the recent update for Half Life through alternative means such as using OpenAL Soft for the 3D sound.
- Alternative audio pipeline for GoldSrc. Re-implements 3D audio without replacing entire rendering pipeline. Combines A3D’s HRTF and Occlusion with EAX’s reverb.[11]
- Not compatible with software renderer.[12]
- Must use
-insecure
command line argument. Do not use on VAC secured server.
Higher definition models
- The High Definition Pack replaces most weapon and player/enemy models with higher polygon versions. For other options follow this guide.
- The option to enable the pack in-game is in the options menu, and the game must be restarted for it to take effect.
- The effect changes the art style dramatically, and whether or not it's desirable is up to personal preference.
- Half-Life's main menu was changed with the game's transition from the WON (World Opponent Network) system to Steam. This mod restores the look of the original menus and adds the PlayStation 2 version of the menu music. An alternate GameBanana download link can be found here.
- Menus are 4:3 by default and cannot be stretched to fullscreen. In-game is untouched.
Crosshair
- See Half-Life Crosshair Changer to customize the crosshairs.
Enabling developer mode
- Enabling developer mode will allow use of in-game cheats and various console commands.
Use the developer 1 in console[citation needed]
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Notes
- The developer console can be opened by pressing ~. You may have to turn it on in the in-game settings first.
- You can use the console command
sv_cheats 1 to allow the usage of console commands such as god and noclip .
- You might have to reload a save-game after enabling cheat-mode for certain commands to work.
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Console commands
- Games running on the GoldSrc engine can utilize GoldSrc Engine Console Commands for various tasks.
- The console is enabled by default in GoldSrc games, press ~ to open it.
System requirements
Windows |
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Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
95 |
98, NT |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 133 MHz
| Intel Pentium 166 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
24 MB |
32 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
400 MB | |
Video card (GPU) |
SVGA, high color (16-bit) | |
Sound (audio device) |
Windows-compatible sound card | |
macOS (OS X) |
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Minimum |
Operating system (OS) |
10.6.3 |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Core 2 Duo |
System memory (RAM) |
1 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
4 GB |
Video card (GPU) |
Nvidia GeForce 8xxx series ATI Radeon X1600 Intel HD 3000 |
Linux |
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Minimum |
Operating system (OS) |
Ubuntu 12.04 |
Processor (CPU) |
2.8 GHz Dual Core |
System memory (RAM) |
1 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
4 GB |
Video card (GPU) |
Nvidia GeForce 8600/9600 GT ATI/AMD Radeon HD 2600/3600 OpenGL 2.1 compatible |
Sound (audio device) |
OpenAL Compatible Sound Card |
Other |
Graphic Drivers: Nvidia 310, AMD 12.11 |
Notes
References