How To Go Full Screen On A Game Quickly (2024)

The best way to play games is by completely immersing yourself in them. But the experience can be limited when you are stuck in a windowed mode.

With a taskbar or blacked borders on the screen, it cannot be the same experience as that of a full-screen mode. To play a game on full screen, you have various methods under your display. You can use shortcut keys, change the display scale, change the in-game display settings, and many more.

Without further delay, let’s get right to the topic and discuss the methods.

How to Full Screen a Game?

One of the simplest methods is to use the Windows hotkeys. You can simply press the ALT + Enter keys on your keyboard. Likely, you can try locking the taskbar and hiding it in desktop mode. Another useful method is to change the in-game display settings to fullscreen.

More detail about the methods with their respective process is provided below to ease you into the process of getting a fullscreen on a game.

Using Windows Hotkeys

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To get full-screen mode while playing games, you can try the combination of ALT + Enter keys on the keyboard. It will switch you from windowed to full-screen mode. Pressing the same key again will switch you back to the windowed mode.

Lock the Taskbar Or Enable Hide the Taskbar in Desktop Mode Option

Some games may no longer work in full-screen mode when the Taskbar’s settings have been modified. You can also reset Taskbar settings to default and try opening the game you want in fullscreen.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click Personalization.
  3. From the sidebar, choose Taskbar.
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  4. Toggle on Lock the Taskbar. It will lock the taskbar and won’t move by any accidental move.
  5. Also, toggle on the Automatically hide the taskbar in the desktop mode option.
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Set Display Settings From In-Game Options to Fullscreen

Another effective way to enable full-screen mode will be through the in-game options.

  1. From the game, select Graphics Options. Based on the game, it can be available as Video Settings or Display Settings.
  2. Look for Screen mode or Display mode.
  3. Open the drop-down menu and click Fullscreen.
  4. Click Save changes if you see any.
  5. Restart the game.

Switch the Main Screen

Some games may not go in full-screen mode when you are using a dual-monitor setup. So, you can try changing the screen and check if the problem disappears.

  1. Press Windows + I keys to launch Settings on your computer.
  2. Click the System option.
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  3. After this, based on your computer display setup, you will see two or more monitors option on the screen. It displays the screen in numerals.
  4. Select Identify to check which monitor has which apps and programs running.
  5. To rearrange the screen, drag one of the monitors to the opposite part.
  6. Save the changes. Run the game and check whether the issue is gone or not.

Set the Display Scale to 100%

Setting the scale of the display to 100% can also help.Here’re the steps to set the display to 100%.

  1. Click the Windows icon on the bottom left corner.
  2. Select the gear icon. It will open the Settings.
  3. Click the System option.
  4. Under Display, navigate to Scale and layout.
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  5. You will see the Change the size of text, apps, and other items option. Set it to the recommended percentage. You can change it depending on your preference.
  6. Reboot the computer to apply changes.

If the recommended scale settings are not favorable for your display, you can also try custom scaling.

  1. Open Settings > System > Display.
  2. In the Scale and layout section, click Advanced scaling settings.
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  3. Enter the value of scale between 100% to 500%.
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  4. Choose Apply.
  5. Restart the computer to apply the changes. You can enter another value if you still don’t get the desired scaling. Then click Apply and restart the computer.

Change the Game Compatibility Settings

It’s worth noting that not all games can run in full-screen mode in your operating system. For example, games released in early 2010 might not be compatible to run in full-screen mode in Windows 10.

So, checking the compatibility of the game and changing it through properties can help acquire full-screen mode.

  1. Navigate to the game’s shortcut and right-click on it.
  2. Click on the Properties option.
  3. Select the Compatibility tab.
  4. Under the Compatibility section, check the Run this program in compatibility for: option.
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  5. From the drop-down menu, select the older Windows version. You need to check the Operating System version compatible with the game and select likewise from the list.
  6. Click Apply to save changes.

Adjust the Settings of the Graphics Card

It’s worth remembering that you can also change the graphics card setting on your computer. Depending on the type of graphics card in your computer, you need to follow distinctive methods.

On Intel HD Graphics

  1. Press the Windows key on the keyboard to open the Start screen.
  2. Search and select Intel Graphics Command Center.
  3. Choose Display from the left pane.
  4. Click General.
  5. From the display preview section, choose the external display to make adjustments to the settings of the display.
  6. Then, underneath Settings, next to the Resolution option, click it.
  7. A drop-down menu appears. Now, choose the resolution indicated as Recommended.
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  8. A dialog box asking for confirmation appears. Click Keep to make the changes.

On AMD Radeon

  1. On the desktop screen, right-click the empty screen.
  2. Click AMD Radeon Settings.
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  3. Select the Display tab.
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  4. Click GPU Scaling and turn the switch button on.
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  5. After this, you need to hit the Scaling Mode section.
  6. A drop-down menu will appear, choose the Full panel option.
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  7. You can click the exit button to exit the settings menu.

On NVIDIA

  1. On the desktop, right-click the empty screen. Select NVIDIA Control Panel.
  2. Under 3D Settings, click on Manage 3D settings.
  3. From the Global Settings tab, change the Preferred graphics processor to High-performance. Select Apply. Exit the setup and launch the game. If it does not work, keep following other steps.
  4. Navigate to the Display segment and click Adjust desktop size and position.
  5. Now select the display you want to make the change.
  6. Then, on the Scaling option, select No scaling.
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  7. Hit Apply.
  8. Exit the setup and run the game.
How To Go Full Screen On A Game Quickly (2024)

FAQs

How To Go Full Screen On A Game Quickly? ›

First try pressing "Alt + Enter," then use the in-game menu to enter full-screen. On a Mac, use the green button in the top left corner of the window or try a shortcut like "Command + Control + F" or "Fn + F." If your game won't fill the screen, try some troubleshooting steps.

How to go full screen on game? ›

Common shortcut keys include Alt + Enter or F11. Try pressing these keys while in the game to see if they toggle full screen mode.

What is the shortcut for full screen game? ›

Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Enter Full Screen Mode

Using the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcut is the easiest way to enter full-screen mode in your games. This hotkey is compatible with nearly every game on Windows.

How to force full screen? ›

If you plan to go full screen often, remembering just one Windows keyboard shortcut will most likely get you there: F11. You'll find that key on the top row of the keyboard. With the app you want to use in full screen, open and in focus (select the window to focus on it), press F11 once to go into full-screen mode.

How do I toggle fullscreen? ›

The most common way to get out of full screen mode on Windows 10 is to use the 11th function key. To leave full screen mode on Windows 10, press F11 located near the top-right of your keyboard. You can press F11 again to return.

What is the shortcut key for full screen? ›

One of the easiest ways to make your window full-screen is by using a keyboard shortcut. Just press the F11 key to switch to full-screen mode in applications. If F11 isn't working, you can try pressing Fn + F11 to go to full-screen mode in many applications.

How to full screen without F11? ›

Simply click the CTRL and ESC keys together, or you can press the WINKEY for even easier access. -Media in Full Screen: If you are watching a video or playing a game on your computer and want to access it in full-screen mode instead of in a window, click ALT and ENTER together to go into and out of full screen.

What is the shortcut for auto fullscreen? ›

F11 Key: The F11 key serves as a global shortcut to enter or exit full-screen mode in Windows 11.

How to maximize screen with keyboard? ›

Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected or currently active window. Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize selected window. Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Maximizes the active window vertically while maintaining its width. Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize selected window.

How to forcibly full screen a game? ›

Things You Should Know. First try pressing "Alt + Enter," then use the in-game menu to enter full-screen.

How can I make my screen full? ›

On a desktop computer, simply pressing the 'F11' key will usually open an application in full screen mode.

How do I open full screen every time? ›

Select Start , then select Settings > Personalization . Select Start , and then turn on Use Start full screen.

How to make a game full screen? ›

The first and simplest method on how to fullscreen a game is to using the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcuts while playing games.

How do I exit full screen on a game? ›

To exit the full screen, you just need to click the Exit full screen icon at the bottom right corner or hit the F11 key or the Esc key on your computer keyboard.

How to full screen alt enter? ›

ALT+ENTER Switches Between Window and Full Screen

When you run an application in a console window, you can press ALT+ENTER to switch the console into full screen view. The application running in the console window is displayed in full screen. NOTE: ALT+ENTER only switches to full screen on x86 machines.

How do I change my game monitor to full screen? ›

To move a full-screen game to another monitor, use the keyboard shortcut: Shift + Windows key + Left/Right arrow key. Alternatively, open Display Settings to set a new main display.

How do I go from windowed to full screen? ›

Use a Simple Keyboard Shortcut. The first and simplest method on how to fullscreen a game is to using the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcuts while playing games. This method is suitable for most games, while enables the games to switch between windowed mode and fullscreen mode.

How do I make my game bar full screen? ›

Record a game clip on your PC with Game Bar
  1. Select Record from now (the circle) to start a clip, then Stop recording (the square) to end it.
  2. Select Take screenshot (the camera icon) to take a picture of what's happening in the game.
  3. For full-screen PC games, use Windows logo key + Alt + G to start and stop recording.

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