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Do you want to know how to Fix ‘Games Won’t open in Full Screen Mode’ issue? Even though this isn’t a common problem for PC gamers, it can be very annoying if you really want a bigger monitor to play games on. In this guide, we’ll tell you what you can try to fix if your games won’t run in fullscreen. If the screen has a taskbar or blacked-out edges, it can’t be the same as being in full-screen mode. There are different ways to play a game in full screen under your display.
You can use shortcut keys, change the size of the display, change the settings for the game’s display, and do a lot more. Running your games in full screen mode not only keeps you from being distracted, but also lets you get into the game more. It also makes the game run more smoothly because all of your system’s resources are used to run the game. But what if Windows won’t let you play games in full screen? To help, we’ve put together a list of good ways to Fix ‘Games Won’t open in Full Screen Mode’ issue.
What Causes Games to Not Open in Full Screen Mode?
- Resolution and Display Settings: If the game’s resolution is set to a value that is not supported by your monitor, it may not be able to open in full-screen mode. Additionally, conflicting display settings or multiple monitors with different resolutions can also cause issues.
- Graphics Driver Issues: Outdated or faulty graphics drivers can prevent games from opening in full-screen mode. Graphics drivers are essential for rendering graphics correctly on your system.
- Compatibility Issues: Some games may not be fully compatible with your operating system or hardware configuration, leading to issues when trying to open in full-screen mode.
- Background Applications: Certain background applications or processes might interfere with the game’s ability to enter full-screen mode. This could include third-party software, overlays, or even antivirus programs.
- Corrupted Game Files: If certain game files are corrupted or missing, the game may not be able to launch in full-screen mode.
Fix: ‘Games Won’t open in Full Screen Mode’ issue
Set display scaling up to 100%
- Go to the Display screen from the Settings window. Most of the time, it is the first screen you see.
- Find the drop-down menu that says “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” and set it to 100%.
Update the Graphic card drivers
- First, run a full system scan with the Driver’s talent to find the old Graphic Driver.
- Now click the Update button, and the best Graphics drivers will be updated automatically.
- To make the changes work, you need to restart your computer.
Use the compatibility mode
- Right-click on the app that’s giving you trouble and choose “Properties.”
- Now, click on the “Compatibility” tab and check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for.”
- Choose the version of Windows you want from the drop-down menu, and then click “Apply & OK” to save your changes.
Change the NVIDIA control panel settings
- First, open the “NVIDIA Control panel” by right-clicking anywhere on the main screen.
- Now, expand the “3D settings” option and click on “Manage 3D settings.”
- It will bring up a list of options on the right side of the screen. Here, you can click “Global settings.”
- Now, change “Auto-select” to “High-performance NVIDIA processor” in the box below “Preferred graphics processor.”
- The last step is to click “Apply” to make the changes work.
You can now start playing the game in full-screen mode. But for people who have both “dedicated graphics” and “integrated graphics,” the NVIDIA control panel may also need to be used to change the size and position of the desktop. Follow the steps below to get it done:
- Expand “Display” on the NVIDIA control panel, then click “Adjust desktop size and position.”
- Look for the “Scaling” option on the next menu.
- Now, click on the “No scaling” option and then on the “Apply” tab to save the changes.
Modify Registry
- Firstly, open the Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R key altogether.
- On the blank space, type “Regedit” and click on “OK.”
- Follow the path “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration” to expand the keys.
- Now on the Configuration tab, right-click and select Find.
- On the new box type Scaling and click on “Find Next.”
- On the right-side menu, double click on Scaling and then change the Value data to 3.
- Finally, click on the “OK” button to apply the changed settings.
Change resolution in the Catalyst control center
- First, open the “Catalyst control center” and look for “Graphics/Desktop and Display.”
- In the “Big screen model” section, tap the “Triangle” button and click on “Properties.”
- Now, switch to the lower resolution. Click “Save” to make sure the changes are made.
- Then, go to “Graphics/Desktop and Display” and click on the small triangle icon in the bottom left corner that looks like a laptop.
- Last, click “Fullscreen” from the list of options and then “Save changes.”
Why is Full Screen Mode Important for Games?
- Immersive Experience: Playing in full-screen mode makes the game feel more real. By taking up the whole screen, it makes the desktop environment less distracting and lets players focus only on the game’s content. This makes it feel more like you are in the game world, which makes the experience more interesting and fun.
- Running a game in full-screen mode can help improve performance. When a game is in full-screen mode, the operating system gives it more resources. This improves the way graphics are processed and makes other desktop elements less busy. This makes gameplay smoother, increases frame rates, and cuts down on input lag.
- Reduced Input Lag: Full-screen mode can reduce input lag, which is the time between when a player gives a command (like pressing a key or moving the mouse) and when the action is shown on the screen. Since there are fewer layers between the game and the screen, input commands are processed faster, making the controls more responsive.
- Graphics Rendering at its Best: In full-screen mode, the game can display graphics at the native resolution of the screen, without scaling or letterboxing. This makes sure that the images are sharp and clear, making the most of what the monitor can do.
Questions and Answers
These problems can be as simple as a piece of your browser or desktop showing up in full-screen mode or as serious as not being able to use full-screen mode at all. Most of the time, restarting your browser or computer will fix the issue. If that doesn’t work, you can change some settings to stop the full-screen error from happening again.
Using the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcut is the easiest way to go full screen in an app or game. Most games and apps work with this method, unless they use it to enable other features. You can also use the shortcut to switch from full-screen to windowed mode.
Change the type of window the game is shown in is one way to fix this problem. A window with no borders is kind of like a middle ground between fullscreen and minimized. By changing the window settings to have no borders, gamers can keep the window open while using the second screen.
Start by checking Settings, System, Multi tasking to see if turning off any of those options helps, next check whether the games you are playing use any key combinations you might be using often that coincide with Windows shortcut keys, or maybe you are hitting the Win key by mistake.Feb 5, 2023