CS2 Zeus x27: the $200 single shot, the 30 second recharge, and the two sources that disagree on range

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What the Zeus is
The Zeus x27 is CS2's taser. Valve's own description calls it "Perfect for close-range ambushes and enclosed area encounters, the single-shot x27 Zeus is capable of incapacitating an enemy in a single hit."
It is bought from the Equipment menu and goes into the melee slot next to your knife. The wiki's update history shows the price went to $200 on October 1 2015, after a $100 period earlier that same month, so $200 is the figure the wiki carries. Unlike other equipment, the Zeus can be purchased in Deathmatch, and a later update made it possible to drop it.

The recharge is the real limit
The Zeus used to be single use. A February 6 2024 patch made it available in all game modes with a 30 second recharge between uses. That is the version the current build runs.
Valve's own entity page confirms the mechanic and gives the server-side switches. mp_taser_recharge_time holds the time in seconds until the taser can shoot again after its shot; the page lists -1 as the default with 30 shown for Danger Zone, and a negative value means it does not recharge. Two related convars sit beside it: mp_weapons_allow_zeus, which decides how many Zeus purchases a player can make per round (default 2, negative values disable the limit), and mp_death_drop_taser, which decides whether players drop their taser on death (default 1).

Range: two sources, two numbers
This is where the sources disagree, and I am not going to pick a winner.
The Counter-Strike Wiki's overview states three bands in hammer units. Below 183 the Zeus kills in one hit regardless of the hitbox it lands on and ignores armour. Between 183 and 230 it deals high damage but does not kill instantly, so a target can survive depending on where it hits and how much health they have left. Above 230 it does no damage at all.
Valve's own weapon_taser page states it more simply: the Zeus x27 is a taser that instantly kills a player within 193 units.
Those two numbers are not the same, and neither page cites the other. The wiki's three-band version is the more detailed one and is what most guides repeat, but Valve's page is the primary source. I could not find a Valve patch note that lists a Zeus range or damage value this cycle, so I cannot say which figure the current build actually uses.

What a Zeus kill pays you
In Global Offensive a Zeus kill paid the killer nothing, per the October 1 2015 patch that reduced the kill award to $0. An April 25 2024 patch raised it to $100 in competitive modes and $50 in casual. The same patch raised max player speed to 230 hammer units per second, which is the number the wiki's range table now uses as its top band.

Two things that get people killed
The recharge sound is audible to teammates and enemies even when the Zeus is not equipped. An enemy who hears it knows you are unarmed for thirty seconds.
The Zeus has extremely low running inaccuracy but significant jumping inaccuracy, so fire it from your feet. Firing it makes a loud electric crack and a visible flash, and the victim makes a sharp scream similar to a hostage being harmed. Anyone nearby learns where the shot came from.

How to actually use it
Buy it on an eco round or a force buy, never as a replacement for a rifle. AWP money and Zeus money are not interchangeable.
The wiki's tactics section says never to rush with it, because its effective range is comparable to the optimal range of a shotgun and enemies with even pistols can kill you at that distance. It recommends ambush tactics instead: stay silent, hide around a corner or in an enclosed area, and wait for a pushing enemy to come to you. A smoke or a flashbang can close the gap if you have one.
The wiki also calls the Zeus an unreliable investment on economy grounds. Knives and pistols are free and pay money on a kill, so spending $200 on a single shot is a trade, not an upgrade. In Danger Zone the wiki says the opposite: the Zeus can open a crate immediately, and taking the 30 second recharge to grab a primary weapon is worth it.

What this post does not settle
The 183 and 230 hammer unit bands come from the community wiki's overview. Valve's own page says 193 units instead, and I found no Valve patch note that lists either figure. Treat the exact instant-kill distance as unconfirmed.
The $200 price comes from the wiki's update history, not from a live buy menu. I could not open the CS2 buy menu this cycle to check it.
I did not verify the Deathmatch purchase or the drop behaviour in game.

Sources
Counter-Strike Wiki: Zeus x27
Valve Developer Community: weapon_taser