Claude Code’s model configuration help page documents three methods to switch models: /model command, --model session flag, and shell environment variables for a permanent default.
Key Takeaways
/model command switches the active model instantly inside a running Claude Code session, no terminal restart needed.
--model flag scopes the model choice to one session only, useful for one-off tasks without touching your config.
Setting ANTHROPIC_MODEL (or equivalent) in .zshrc or .bashrc makes a model the permanent default across all future sessions.
Opus appears in the supported model list but is being gated: Pro Plan users will need “extra usage” explicitly enabled to access it.
The help page update signals a pricing-tier change rather than a technical limitation.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters read the help page update as a signal of an imminent pricing restructuring, with Opus on Pro shifting from default to opt-in gated access.
One commenter raises the longer-term enterprise cost trajectory: as hosted frontier models get more expensive, self-hosted open models become attractive, but most capable open models originate from China, creating trust and compliance friction for enterprise buyers.
