Learning how to full screen pc games is a fundamental skill for any PC gamer. Many PC games can be set to a true fullscreen mode through their in-game video options for an immersive, distraction-free experience. This guide will walk you through every method, from the simple in-game settings to more advanced troubleshooting for when things don’t work as expected.
A game running in full screen dedicates all of your system’s graphical resources to the game, minimizing input lag and often boosting performance. It hides your desktop, taskbar, and other applications, letting you focus completely on the game world. Whether you’re battling aliens or building cities, full screen is usually the way to go.
How To Full Screen Pc Games
The most reliable way to get a game into full screen is always to check its own settings first. Developers build these options directly into the game for a reason. Here’s how you can almost always find them.
Using In-Game Display Settings
Nearly every modern PC game includes a video or graphics settings menu. This should be your first stop. Typically, you can access this from the game’s main menu or pause screen. Look for labels like “Options,” “Settings,” “Graphics,” or “Video.”
Once inside the video settings, search for a setting called “Display Mode,” “Window Mode,” or “Screen Mode.” The common options you’ll see are:
- Fullscreen
- Windowed
- Borderless Windowed (or Borderless Fullscreen)
Simply select “Fullscreen” and apply the changes. The game will usually flicker or go black for a second as it switches modes. If the game asks you to confirm the settings, do so. This is the standard and most effective method.
Common Keyboard Shortcuts For Fullscreen
Many games and applications respond to universal keyboard shortcuts. These can be a quick fix if you can’t immediately find the in-game menu. The most common shortcut is Alt + Enter. Pressing these two keys together will often toggle a game between windowed and fullscreen mode instantly.
Other shortcuts can include F11, or sometimes a function key like F4. It’s worth trying these if Alt + Enter doesn’t work. Remember, these shortcuts are not guaranteed for every single game, but they are a very helpful first step for quick troubleshooting.
When Keyboard Shortcuts Dont Work
If the standard shortcuts fail, it’s usually because the game uses a different keybinding or has its own custom fullscreen toggle. You can sometimes find this information in the game’s control settings menu under “Keyboard” or “General” bindings. Look for an action labeled “Toggle Fullscreen” or similar.
Configuring Graphics Driver Settings
Your graphics card control panel (from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) has powerful override settings. You can force certain behaviors for individual games or globally. This is useful if a game’s own settings are missing or buggy.
For NVIDIA Graphics Cards
- Right-click on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel.”
- Navigate to “Display” > “Adjust desktop size and position.”
- On the right, select the “Full-screen” option under “Scaling.”
- Click “Apply.” For per-game settings, go to “Manage 3D settings” > “Program Settings,” select your game, and look for “Display mode” options.
For AMD Graphics Cards
- Right-click your desktop and choose “AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.”
- Go to the “Gaming” tab and select your game from the list.
- Look for the “Display” settings within the game profile.
- You can adjust the “Scaling Mode” here to “Full Panel” or “Preserve Aspect Ratio” to influence fullscreen behavior.
Windows Display And Graphics Settings
Windows 10 and 11 have built-in settings that can affect how games run. Checking these can solve conflicts that prevent proper fullscreen.
First, ensure your display resolution in Windows matches your game’s resolution. Right-click your desktop, select “Display settings,” and check the “Display resolution” dropdown. It’s best if your game runs at your monitor’s native resolution for the sharpest image.
Also, check the “Graphics settings” page in Windows. Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings. You can add your game executable here and set its “Graphics preference” to “High performance” for your dedicated GPU, which can sometimes resolve display issues.
Troubleshooting Common Fullscreen Problems
Sometimes, selecting fullscreen doesn’t work as planned. The game might minimize, show a black screen, or have performance issues. Here are solutions to the most frequent problems.
Game Minimizes Or Crashes In Fullscreen
This is often caused by an application or notification stealing focus from the game. To fix this, try running the game in “Exclusive Fullscreen” mode if the option exists, which gives the game complete priority. Also, enable “Focus Assist” in Windows (called “Do Not Disturb” in Windows 10) to block notifications.
You should also close background applications like chat clients, web browsers, or streaming software that might pop up over the game. Check for outdated graphics drivers, as these are a common source of crashes and can be updated from the NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel websites.
Black Screen With Sound In Fullscreen
A black screen while hearing game audio is a classic sign of a resolution or refresh rate mismatch. First, try using Alt + Enter to switch back to windowed mode. If that works, go back into the game’s video settings and lower the resolution or refresh rate to a setting you know your monitor supports.
Another cause can be HDR conflicts. If you have HDR enabled in Windows but the game doesn’t support it properly, it can cause a black screen. Try disabling HDR in Windows Display settings before launching the game.
Borderless Fullscreen Vs Exclusive Fullscreen
Many games offer two seemingly similar options: “Fullscreen” (often called Exclusive Fullscreen) and “Borderless Windowed.” Understanding the difference is key to choosing the right one for your needs.
- Exclusive Fullscreen: The game takes complete control of your display output. This usually provides the best performance and lowest input lag. However, alt-tabbing to other applications can be slower and may cause the game to minimize or flicker.
- Borderless Windowed: The game runs in a window that is perfectly sized to your screen, with no borders. Alt-tabbing is instant and seamless. The trade-off is a slight performance penalty and potentially higher input lag, as Windows is still managing the desktop composition in the background.
For competitive gaming, Exclusive Fullscreen is generally recommended. For casual play where you frequently switch to a browser or Discord, Borderless Windowed offers great convenience.
Fixing Input Lag And Performance Issues
If your game feels sluggish or unresponsive in fullscreen, a few tweaks can help. First, always ensure V-Sync is disabled in the game’s settings unless you experience severe screen tearing. V-Sync can introduce noticeable input lag.
Second, check that your game is actually using your powerful dedicated GPU and not the weaker integrated graphics. This setting can be forced in the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Software under “Manage 3D settings.”
Finally, for some games, setting the process priority to “High” in the Task Manager (Details tab) can improve responsiveness. Be careful not to set it to “Realtime,” as this can destabilize your system.
Advanced Methods And Considerations
For older games, specific launchers, or multi-monitor setups, getting fullscreen to work can require extra steps. These advanced methods cover those special cases.
Forcing Fullscreen On Older Or Stubborn Games
Older games or some indie titles might lack proper fullscreen options. You can often force them using compatibility settings. Right-click the game’s shortcut or .exe file, select “Properties,” and go to the “Compatibility” tab. Try checking “Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution” or “Disable fullscreen optimizations.” The latter is a common fix for games on Windows 10 and 11.
Third-party tools like “Borderless Gaming” can also force a windowed application to behave like a borderless fullscreen window. This is a great last-resort tool for problematic games.
Fullscreen With Game Launchers Like Steam
Launchers like Steam, Epic Games Store, or Xbox Game Pass can sometimes interfere. First, try launching the game directly from its installation folder instead of through the launcher to see if the problem persists. If fullscreen works that way, the issue is with the launcher.
In Steam, you can add launch options to games. Right-click the game in your library, select “Properties,” and in the “LAUNCH OPTIONS” field, you can try commands like `-fullscreen` or `-windowed -noborder`. The correct command varies by game, so you may need to search online for your specific title.
Multi-Monitor And Ultrawide Setup Tips
Running games across multiple monitors or on an ultrawide screen requires extra attention. For multi-monitor setups, ensure the game is set to fullscreen on your primary display. Some games will try to span all monitors, which can cause problems if the resolutions don’t match.
For ultrawide monitors, the main challenge is game support. Many modern games support 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratios natively. In the game’s video settings, simply select your monitor’s native ultrawide resolution (e.g., 3440×1440). If the game doesn’t support it, you may see black bars on the sides. Community patches or mods sometimes exist to add ultrawide support to older games.
Also, check your graphics driver settings for scaling options. Set scaling to be performed on the “GPU” rather than the “Display” to often get better results with non-standard resolutions in fullscreen mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Make My PC Game Go Full Screen?
You can usually make your PC game go full screen by opening the in-game settings menu, navigating to Video or Graphics options, and changing the “Display Mode” from Windowed to Fullscreen. Applying the changes will switch the game instantly.
Why Is My Game Not Going Full Screen?
Your game might not go full screen due to a resolution mismatch, outdated graphics drivers, a conflict with Windows Fullscreen Optimizations, or a background application interrupting it. Try the Alt + Enter shortcut, update your drivers, or disable fullscreen optimizations in the game’s .exe file properties.
What Is The Difference Between Fullscreen And Borderless Window?
Fullscreen (exclusive) gives the game direct control of your display for maximum performance. Borderless window runs the game in a borderless window that matches your screen size, allowing for faster alt-tabbing but with a potential small performance cost and slightly higher input lag.
How Do I Play Games In Full Screen Without Alt Tabbing Issues?
To play games in full screen without alt-tabbing issues, try using Borderless Windowed mode if available. This mode is designed for seamless switching. If you need exclusive fullscreen, enable Focus Assist in Windows to prevent notifications from minimizing your game.
Can I Force A Game To Run In Fullscreen?
Yes, you can often force a game to run in fullscreen through its own launch options (like adding `-fullscreen` to a Steam game’s properties), by using keyboard shortcuts like Alt + Enter, or by configuring scaling options in your graphics card’s control panel to force full-screen on the display.