Simple Ways to Make a Game Fill the Screen (2024)

Table of Contents
Things You Should Know Entering Full-Screen in Windows Entering Full-Screen on a Mac Troubleshooting Expert Q&A Tips You Might Also Like References About This Article Did this article help you? FAQs
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Easy-to-follow steps for turning a Windows or Mac game into full-screen mode

Co-authored byDarlene Antonelli, MAReviewed byStan Kats

Last Updated: September 5, 2023Fact Checked

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  • Entering Full-Screen in Windows
    • |
  • Entering Full-Screen on a Mac
    • |
  • Troubleshooting

Do the games you open on your computer not open in full-screen mode? While a keyboard shortcut can be the easiest solution, you may need to take a few more steps to figure out how to get your game to fill the screen.

Things You Should Know

  • 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.
  • Change the Display Scale of your display since percentages greater than 100% may prevent your games from playing in Full-Screen Mode.

Section 1 of 3:

Entering Full-Screen in Windows

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  1. 1

    Press Alt+↵ Enter. Pressing those keys together should maximize your game window to fill the screen.[1]

    • Alternatively, press Esc to minimize the game.

  2. 2

    Choose "Full Screen" from Game Settings. For games that don't recognize the keyboard shortcut, you need to navigate through the in-game menu for a "Display/Graphics" option. From there, you'll see "Display Mode" options listing Windowed or Full-Screen. Select Full-Screen.

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Section 2 of 3:

Entering Full-Screen on a Mac

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  1. 1

    Press the green icon and select Enter Full Screen. It's in the top left corner of all Mac windowed screens and will cause the window to fill the screen.[2]

  2. 2

    Try a keyboard shortcut. Unfortunately, the keyboard shortcut for entering full screen mode on Mac is not standardized across all apps. However, a few common options that may work include control + command + F, Fn + F, and command + return.

    • If none of those work, you can also open the View menu at the top of the screen and select Enter Full Screen. You will usually see the keyboard shortcut for the app you're using listed next to that option.

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See Also
How to Make Any App or Game Go Full Screen in WindowsHow To Full Screen A Game On PC? (Windows 11)How To Go Full Screen On A Game QuicklyHow to Make Game Full Screen Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide - Support Your Tech

Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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  1. 1

    Change the Display Scale. To do this, press Win + I then click System > Display. Click the drop-down menu under "Scale/Scale and layout" and select "100%."

    • For Mac, go to System Settings > Display.[3]

  2. 2

    Disable Full-Screen optimization (PC only). While this setting sounds like it should help you, it could be bugged and prevent you from opening your game in full-screen mode. To turn this off for PC, right-click on your game's icon and select Properties > Compatibility > Disable fullscreen optimizations > Apply > OK.

  3. 3

    Switch your main screen. If you're using dual monitors, this may help! If you're not using dual monitors, skip this step.

    • Right-click a blank spot on your desktop and select Display settings > Identify and switch the main display from the current monitor to another one.
    • You can also use this fix for Macs. To switch your display, go to System Settings > Display.

  4. 4

    Run the game in Compatibility Mode (PC only). To do this, right-click the game's shortcut on your desktop and select Properties > Compatibility > Run this program in compatibility mode for and select an older version of Windows. Finally, select Apply > Ok.

  5. 5

    Disable overlays. Sometimes, apps with overlays can prevent your game from opening in full-screen. This includes programs with overlays like Discord, Steam, and GeForce Experience.

  6. 6

    See Also
    How to Full Screen a Game on PC: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Try some basic Windows fixes. Last, but not least, you can try a few other things to see if you can get your game into Full-Screen Mode. Update your graphics drivers using Device Manager or right-click and select Run game as administrator.

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      About This Article

      Simple Ways to Make a Game Fill the Screen (30)

      Reviewed by:

      Stan Kats

      Professional Technologist

      This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been viewed 66,153 times.

      15 votes - 40%

      Co-authors: 2

      Updated: September 5, 2023

      Views:66,153

      Categories: PC Games

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 66,153 times.

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      Simple Ways to Make a Game Fill the Screen (2024)

      FAQs

      Simple Ways to Make a Game Fill the Screen? ›

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

      Learn More ›
      How can I make my game full screen? ›

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

      Read On ›
      How do I make a game full screen shortcut? ›

      For most apps and games, you can use the standard Alt+Enter combination. Simply press and hold the two buttons simultaneously, and your app/game will automatically go full-screen.

      Show Me More ›
      How to make something full screen? ›

      On a desktop computer, simply pressing the 'F11' key will usually open an application in full screen mode. For web browsers, you may need to click on an icon in the corner to enter this mode.

      Tell Me More ›
      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.

      Continue Reading ›
      How do I scale a game to full screen? ›

      Change the Display Scale.

      To do this, press Win + I then click System > Display. Click the drop-down menu under "Scale/Scale and layout" and select "100%."

      See More ›
      How do I make my game not minimize full screen? ›

      Adjust the game's Windows settings
      1. Start by opening the game's Windows settings.
      2. Go to the Functions tab.
      3. From the “Window Management” section select prevent window deactivation.
      4. Select a key combination.
      5. Save the changes you made.
      6. Use the keys to switch freely between the monitors.
      Nov 22, 2023

      Continue Reading ›
      What button makes 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.

      Continue Reading ›
      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.

      Tell Me More ›
      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.

      Explore More ›

      How do I increase full screen size? ›

      View display settings in Windows
      1. Select Start > Settings > System > Display.
      2. If you want to change the size of your text and apps, choose an option from the drop-down menu next to Scale. ...
      3. To change your screen resolution, use the drop-down menu next to Display resolution.

      Learn More ›
      How do I make content full screen? ›

      CSS Make A Div Full Screen
      1. <div class="box"> </div>
      2. html, body { margin:0px; }
      3. html, body { margin:0px; height:100%; } .box { background:red; height:100%; }
      4. .box { background:red; height:100vh; }
      5. .box { background:red; position:absolute; top:0px; right:0px; bottom:0px; left:0px; }
      Aug 17, 2020

      Get More Info ›
      How to make a game full screen? ›

      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.

      Read More ›
      What is the shortcut key for maximize? ›

      Windows Key + Up arrow key - Maximize app windows.

      Explore More ›
      How do I resize my game screen? ›

      Press Alt + Spacebar to open the window's menu. If the window is maximized, arrow down to Restore and press Enter . If the window is not maximized, skip to the next step. Press Alt + Spacebar again to open the window menu, arrow down to Size, and press Enter .

      Explore More ›
      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.

      Explore More ›
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