Four years ago, Valve introduced a new skin creation feature: the opportunity to apply a pearlescent effect, also known as the iridescent effect, to the entire skin. To date, Counter-Strike 2 has no more than a dozen pearlescent skins. But what are these skins and how are they different from others? CS.MONEY Blog explains how pearlescent skins work in CS2, and shows all pearlescent skins in one place.
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What are pearlescent (irridescent) skins?
Pearlescent skins change color depending on the lighting. this color shift can be either very noticeable or subtle. The Pearlescent Effect is somewhat similar to the Holographic Effect of stickers, but not as bright. Pearlescent skins in CS2 is not a separate category like StatTrak or Souvenir, but just an additional visual effect on certain skins that make them shimmer like holo stickers.
How pearlescent skins differ from others?
If you want to add pearlescent to a skin, you have to apply this special effect during the creation stage/process. Let’s call it “Pearl Coating”. You can also set how intense should the pearlescent effect be on your skin: ranging -100 to 100, where 0 is default (your skin won’t receive the pearlescent effect).
How do pearlescent skins work?
The pearlescent/iridescent effect on CS2 skins works through a special shader. It manipulates light reflection on your skin’s surface. As a result, skin parts or the entire skin can shimmer like a rainbow when the surrounding lighting changes.
All Pearlescent Skins in CS2
The first pearlescent skins appeared in CS:GO four years ago: MP9 Stained Glass, AWP Gungnir, P90 Astral Jörmungandr, and AUG Midnight Lily. At the moment, this list has grown to include:
USP-S Printstream
M4A1-S Printstream
Desert Eagle Printstream
AK-47 Nightwish
AWP Gungnir
MAG-7 Prism Terrace
AUG Midnight Lily
MAC-10 Disco Tech
Negev Ultralight
M4A4 Tooth Fairy
AWP Exoskeleton
FAMAS Prime Conspiracy
Glock-18 Clear Polymer
M4A4 In Living Color
USP-S Monster Mashup
MP9 Stained Glass
P90 Astral Jörmungandr
Note that this effect can be not that noticeable on most pearlescent skins. But, if you want to see the best pearlescent skin, take a look at the Printstream family or AUG Midnight Lily. The color changes on these skins are easy to notice.
Are pearlescent skins more expensive than regular skins?
No. The pearlescent effect does not affect a skin’s cost compared to other criteria. Rare skins for meta weapons are still more expensive than any rarities for non-meta guns, regardless of whether they have a pearlescent effect or not.
However, we recommend taking a closer look at these pearlescent skins in CS2: they all look stunning are use all the technology Source 2 can provide. You can update your inventory with pearlescent skins at CS.MONEY Market: 10,000 new lots daily, handy filters and low prices!
