diff --git a/fastanime/cli/app_updater.py b/fastanime/cli/app_updater.py
index e9962f8..c5def9a 100644
--- a/fastanime/cli/app_updater.py
+++ b/fastanime/cli/app_updater.py
@@ -133,10 +133,14 @@ def update_app(force=False):
             if sys.prefix == sys.base_prefix:
                 # ensure NOT in a venv, where --user flag can cause an error.
                 # TODO: Get value of 'include-system-site-packages' in pyenv.cfg.
-                args.append('--user')
+                args.append("--user")
 
             process = subprocess.run(args)
     if process.returncode == 0:
+        print(
+            "[green]Its recommended to run the following after updating:\n\tfastanime config --update (to get the latest config docs)\n\tfastanime cache --clean (to get rid of any potential issues)[/]",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
         return True, release_json
     else:
         return False, release_json
diff --git a/fastanime/cli/config.py b/fastanime/cli/config.py
index 9e5aeb1..f074d03 100644
--- a/fastanime/cli/config.py
+++ b/fastanime/cli/config.py
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import sys
+import time
 from configparser import ConfigParser
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+from rich import print
+
 from ..constants import (
     ASSETS_DIR,
     S_PLATFORM,
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@ class Config(object):
         "normalize_titles": "True",
         "notification_duration": "120",
         "max_cache_lifetime": "03:00:00",
+        "mpv_args": "",
+        "mpv_pre_args": "",
         "per_page": "15",
         "player": "mpv",
         "preferred_history": "local",
@@ -96,8 +102,16 @@ class Config(object):
         self.configparser.add_section("anilist")
 
         # --- set config values from file or using defaults ---
-        if os.path.exists(USER_CONFIG_PATH) and not no_config:
-            self.configparser.read(USER_CONFIG_PATH, encoding="utf-8")
+        try:
+            if os.path.exists(USER_CONFIG_PATH) and not no_config:
+                self.configparser.read(USER_CONFIG_PATH, encoding="utf-8")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(
+                "[yellow]Warning[/]: Failed to read config file using default configuration",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
+            logger.error(f"Failed to read config file: {e}")
+            time.sleep(5)
 
         # get the configuration
         self.auto_next = self.configparser.getboolean("stream", "auto_next")
@@ -149,6 +163,8 @@ class Config(object):
             + max_cache_lifetime[1] * 3600
             + max_cache_lifetime[2] * 60
         )
+        self.mpv_args = self.configparser.get("general", "mpv_args")
+        self.mpv_pre_args = self.configparser.get("general", "mpv_pre_args")
         self.per_page = self.configparser.get("anilist", "per_page")
         self.player = self.configparser.get("stream", "player")
         self.preferred_history = self.configparser.get("stream", "preferred_history")
@@ -198,7 +214,10 @@ class Config(object):
     def set_fastanime_config_environs(self):
         current_config = []
         for key in self.default_config:
-            current_config.append((f"FASTANIME_{key.upper()}", str(getattr(self, key))))
+            if not os.environ.get(f"FASTANIME_{key.upper()}"):
+                current_config.append(
+                    (f"FASTANIME_{key.upper()}", str(getattr(self, key)))
+                )
         os.environ.update(current_config)
 
     def update_user(self, user):
@@ -448,6 +467,14 @@ recent = {self.recent}
 # https://discord.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=1292070065583165512
 discord = {self.discord}
 
+# comma separated list of args that will be passed to mpv
+# example: --vo=kitty,--fullscreen,--volume=50
+mpv_args = {self.mpv_args}
+
+# command line options passed before the mpv command
+# example: kitty
+# useful incase of wanting to run sth like: kitty mpv --vo=kitty <url>
+mpv_pre_args = {self.mpv_pre_args}
 
 [stream]
 # the quality of the stream [1080,720,480,360]
diff --git a/fastanime/cli/utils/mpv.py b/fastanime/cli/utils/mpv.py
index 25cd253..7da4b41 100644
--- a/fastanime/cli/utils/mpv.py
+++ b/fastanime/cli/utils/mpv.py
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 mpv_av_time_pattern = re.compile(r"AV: ([0-9:]*) / ([0-9:]*) \(([0-9]*)%\)")
 
 
-def stream_video(MPV, url, mpv_args, custom_args):
+def stream_video(MPV, url, mpv_args, custom_args, pre_args=[]):
     last_time = "0"
     total_time = "0"
     if os.environ.get("FASTANIME_DISABLE_MPV_POPEN", "False") == "False":
         process = subprocess.Popen(
-            [
+            pre_args
+            + [
                 MPV,
                 url,
                 *mpv_args,
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ def stream_video(MPV, url, mpv_args, custom_args):
             process.wait()
     else:
         proc = subprocess.run(
-            [MPV, url, *mpv_args, *custom_args],
+            pre_args + [MPV, url, *mpv_args, *custom_args],
             capture_output=True,
             text=True,
             encoding="utf-8",
@@ -208,5 +209,14 @@ def run_mpv(
                 mpv_args.append(f"--title={title}")
             if ytdl_format:
                 mpv_args.append(f"--ytdl-format={ytdl_format}")
-            stop_time, total_time = stream_video(MPV, link, mpv_args, custom_args)
+
+            if user_args := os.environ.get("FASTANIME_MPV_ARGS"):
+                mpv_args.extend(user_args.split(","))
+
+            pre_args = []
+            if user_args := os.environ.get("FASTANIME_MPV_PRE_ARGS"):
+                pre_args = user_args.split(",")
+            stop_time, total_time = stream_video(
+                MPV, link, mpv_args, custom_args, pre_args
+            )
             return stop_time, total_time