How To Change Which Monitor A Game Opens On

How to Change Which Monitor a Game Opens On

Ever started a game, only to have it pop up on the wrong screen? Maybe you have a fancy gaming monitor you prefer, or maybe you just want your game on the big TV. It’s a common issue, and thankfully, it’s usually easy to fix. This article will guide you through all the ways you can control where your games appear, and how to make sure they open on your chosen screen every time. Let’s dive in!

Understanding How Your Computer Chooses a Monitor

Before we get into changing things, let’s talk about how your computer decides which monitor to use in the first place. Typically, it goes by a few rules. First, the ‘primary’ monitor is usually the go-to. You might have set this up during your initial computer setup or by manually changing it in your display settings. Second, some games remember where they were last opened. If you played a game on monitor two last time, it might try to go back there.

The Role of the Primary Display

Your primary display is the monitor that acts as your main workspace. When you start your computer, you see the login screen and then your desktop on this monitor. By default, many programs and games tend to start here. It’s important to know which one is set as your primary, so you can adjust it if you need to.

Game-Specific Monitor Settings

Some games are clever and remember where you put them last time. So, if you moved a game window to a second monitor and closed it there, the next time you start it, it’ll likely try to appear on that second monitor. This can be convenient, but also annoying when you want it to be somewhere else! We will cover methods for how to change this default behaviour.

However, not all games have these kind of settings. Therefore, you have to rely on settings of your Operating system.

Using Windows Display Settings to Change Monitor Assignments

The Windows display settings are one of your most useful tools. You can change the main monitor, change arrangement of your displays, and do much more. This is most often the place to start when you want a different monitor to be the main display.

Accessing Display Settings

Here’s how to get to the settings. This is same for all the Windows Versions, such as, Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Right click anywhere on your desktop.
2. Click on ‘Display Settings’.
3. A window will open up showing you the layout of your monitors, along with settings.

Identifying Your Monitors

When the display setting window opens, you will see rectangular boxes that represent each of your monitors. If you are not sure which monitor is which, click on the ‘Identify’ button, which will show a number on each of the screens. If the rectangles do not match how your actual monitors are laid out (for example, one is physically on the left, but the setting shows it on the right), you can adjust that too by dragging and dropping the rectangles.

It’s important to properly identify which display is which, especially if your monitors have different resolutions. This is very crucial for a great gaming experience.

Setting a Primary Display

Now for the big step, setting the primary monitor! To do so:

1. Click on the rectangular box that represents the monitor you want as your primary.
2. Scroll down to the “Multiple Displays” section.
3. Check the box that says “Make this my main display”.
4. Click on “Apply” button at the bottom of the window.

Your screen might flicker or go black for a few seconds while the change takes effect. Now, any new games that you open will default to the primary display you just selected. If you want a second monitor as your primary display, you can follow these exact same steps and choose a second display.

Arranging Your Displays

If your monitor rectangles are not laid out how your actual monitors are in real life, you can rearrange them.
Just click on the box you want to move and drag it to its appropriate location. You can put them in line, above, or below each other. This is helpful for moving your mouse seamlessly between screens. If the rectangles are arranged wrong, your mouse cursor will not move across the monitor in right direction.

Changing Display Resolution and Scaling

This is not directly related to changing which monitor a game opens on, but it can have an impact on how well the game looks on the screen. Make sure that your display resolution is set to the native resolution of the display. Also, the scaling setting should be right for your eyes. Improper display scaling can make the display very bad looking. You can tweak this in your settings.

Using Game-Specific Settings

Many games have their own built-in display settings. You can use these settings to control which screen you want the game to run on. This can sometimes override the Windows default display settings. So, if the game is not opening on the screen you want, check these settings.

Finding Game Display Settings

Finding game specific display settings varies from game to game. Look in the menus for options like:

• ‘Graphics’
• ‘Display’
• ‘Video’
• ‘Settings’
• ‘Options’

Once you have found the display settings, check them carefully.

Identifying the Screen Selection Option

Look for a dropdown menu or a selection option that specifically mentions ‘Display’, ‘Monitor’, ‘Screen’. This selection option shows which monitor the game will be displayed on. The options may have names like Monitor 1, Monitor 2 or the actual name of your monitors. Choose the correct monitor you want to play the game on. Make sure you apply and save settings for the changes to work.

Fullscreen, Windowed, and Borderless Windowed Modes

The way a game is displayed can also impact where the game appears. Some games behave differently in fullscreen mode versus windowed or borderless windowed modes. Fullscreen games are more likely to try to go on the primary display and might not listen to Windows setting. Windowed mode gives you more control and can be moved to different monitors by dragging it. Borderless windowed mode appears like a fullscreen mode but also behaves like the windowed mode. Changing the mode can sometime solve monitor issue. Try different options to see what works best for you and your specific game.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can be a fast way to move games from one screen to another. Here are a few handy ones.

Moving Windows with Win + Shift + Arrow Keys

A very simple trick is using the ‘Windows Key + Shift + Arrow Key’ shortcut. This combination will instantly move the current active window to the next display. For example, if a game window is on monitor one, pressing ‘Windows Key + Shift + Right Arrow’ will move it to the monitor on the right side of monitor one. Press again to move the window to next display if you have 3 or more monitors.

Using Alt + Enter

Pressing ‘Alt + Enter’ will switch a game between windowed and fullscreen mode. This can sometimes be a workaround if a game is stuck on the wrong monitor in fullscreen. Switch to the window mode first, then move the window to the monitor you want, and then go back to fullscreen.

Advanced Techniques

If you are having tough time forcing your game to your monitor, and normal methods are not working, then consider following methods.

Using Third-Party Monitor Management Tools

There are several third-party applications available online that can give you more control over how games and other applications are displayed across multiple monitors. These tools offer features such as quick monitor switching and more detailed settings per application. They are more powerful compared to the built-in Windows display setting.

Keep in mind that while helpful, you will need to make sure that these apps are secure and from reputable developers. Be sure to read reviews and do some research before you install any third-party software.

Editing Game Configuration Files

Some games store their display settings in config files. If you are tech savvy and comfortable editing these file, you might be able to force the game to use a specific monitor. These files are usually stored as text files that can be opened by Notepad or similar program. It’s important to create a backup copy of the file before you make any changes, so that you can easily restore it if something goes wrong. Always exercise caution when editing these config files.

Look for lines that say “monitor” or something like “display” and try to change the number or name value accordingly. The specific method varies game by game so it is important to do a quick Google search before diving in.

Using the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings

If you use NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards, you may have additional display settings in their control panels. These can provide even more control over your monitor setup and can sometime help with games that are problematic. For example you can define a display setting as default in the control panel, this can sometime force the game to the correct monitor.

For example, open up the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to “Display” and then select “Set up multiple displays”. Here you will have extra options for setting which display is your main one, or define the display setting.

The same settings will be present in the AMD Radeon settings as well.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with all these tips, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Let’s look at some common problems and how to fix them.

Game Only Opening on One Monitor No Matter What

If the game refuses to go on any other monitor, try these steps:

• Make sure your monitor drivers are up-to-date.
• Check that your display cables are connected properly.
• Try a different display mode setting (fullscreen, windowed, or borderless).
• Double check game’s graphic settings.
• If all fails, restart your computer.

Game is Not Showing Display on the Correct Monitor

If the game appears on the correct monitor but the display is not right, try these things:

• Double check monitor’s resolution.
• Check if display scaling is set correctly.
• Check the game’s resolution to see if its correct.
• Restart the game and then try again.

Game Not Responding to Keyboard Shortcuts

If the keyboard shortcuts are not working, follow these steps:

• Make sure the game is the active window (that is selected).
• Make sure that your keyboard is working correctly.
• Try the shortcuts on some other programs to check if there is a problem with keyboard.

If there is no problem with keyboard, then the shortcut might be not supported by the game.

Game Opens on the Wrong Monitor and Immediately Moves

If a game opens briefly on one screen and then jumps to another, it’s likely remembering a previous setting. Try these solutions:

• Check the game’s video settings to make sure a preferred monitor is not configured.
• Clear the game’s config files, so that it forgets it’s past settings.
• Make sure all the drivers and software related to display are updated.

By going through each of these methods, you should be able to confidently control where your games appear on your monitors. Experiment with the different methods. Over time, you will start figuring out the best way to deal with specific games and their unique behaviour. In the end, you will be spending less time worrying about which screen your game is opening on, and more time enjoying the games.