The fastest way to go full screen in most games
Most games let you toggle full screen by pressing Alt + Enter while the game is running. This works in many older games and some newer ones. If that does not work, look for a full screen option in the game's settings menu — usually under Graphics, Display, or Video settings. The exact location varies by game, but the setting is almost always there.
Some games start in windowed mode by default. If yours does, launch the game, then open its settings before you play. Look for a checkbox or dropdown that says "Full Screen", "Fullscreen Mode", or "Display Mode". Select full screen, save the settings, and restart the game. The change will stick the next time you launch it.
If a game refuses to go full screen no matter what you try, the problem is usually your graphics driver or a conflict with your monitor setup. Those fixes come later in this guide.
Key Takeaways
- Alt + Enter is the quickest full screen toggle in most games, though not all games support it.
- The full screen setting lives in the game's Graphics, Display, or Video settings menu and usually persists once you change it.
- Borderless windowed mode gives you full screen appearance without the performance cost of true full screen on some systems.
- If full screen fails, update your graphics driver first — outdated drivers block full screen in many games.
- Some games require you to set full screen resolution in the game's config file if the settings menu does not offer the option.
Finding the full screen setting in your game's menu
Open the game and pause it or go to the main menu. Look for Settings, Options, Preferences, or Graphics. The exact name depends on the game. Once you are in settings, scan for a section labeled Display, Video, Graphics, or Screen. Full screen is almost always grouped with other display options like resolution and brightness.
The setting itself may be labeled "Full Screen", "Fullscreen Mode", "Display Mode", or "Screen Mode". Some games use a dropdown with options like "Windowed", "Borderless Windowed", and "Full Screen". Others use a straightforward toggle or checkbox. Select full screen, then save or explore your changes. Close the settings menu and the game should now run in full screen the next time you launch it.
If you cannot find a display settings menu at all, the game may not have one — very old games sometimes lack graphics options entirely. In that case, try Alt + Enter, or move to the next section on borderless windowed mode.
Understanding borderless windowed mode
Borderless windowed mode makes a game window fill your entire screen without actually switching to true full screen. It looks identical to full screen but behaves differently under the hood. Many modern games offer this as an option alongside true full screen.
Borderless windowed mode has two advantages: it lets you alt-tab faster without the game minimizing, and on some systems it performs better because your graphics card does not have to switch display modes. The downside is that on other systems it performs slightly worse than true full screen. Test both and see which runs smoother on your PC.
If your game offers borderless windowed as a separate option in the display settings, try it. If it runs well and feels responsive, you may prefer it to true full screen. If performance drops, switch back to true full screen.
What to do if Alt + Enter does not work
Alt + Enter works in many games but not all. If you press it and nothing happens, the game straightforward does not support that shortcut. Do not try it repeatedly — one press is enough to tell you whether it works.
Instead, go directly to the game's settings menu and look for the full screen option there. If the settings menu does not have a full screen option, the game may be designed to run only in windowed mode. Some indie games and very old games lack full screen support entirely. In that case, borderless windowed mode is your best alternative.
If the game has a full screen option in settings but it does not actually switch to full screen when you select it, move to the next section on troubleshooting.
Updating your graphics driver when full screen fails
If a game refuses to go full screen even though the setting exists, your graphics driver is often the culprit. Outdated drivers can block full screen mode or cause it to fail silently. Update your driver and try again.
On Windows, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand Display adapters, right-click your graphics card (usually NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel), and select Update driver. Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software". Windows will read and install the latest version if one is available. Restart your PC when prompted.
Alternatively, visit the manufacturer's website directly. NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel all offer driver downloads on their support pages. read the latest driver for your specific graphics card model, run the installer, and restart. After the restart, launch the game and try full screen again.
Changing resolution and refresh rate in full screen
Once you are in full screen, you may want to adjust resolution or refresh rate. Both settings usually live in the same Graphics or Display menu where you found the full screen toggle. Resolution controls how sharp the image looks — higher numbers mean sharper but may reduce performance. Refresh rate controls how many times per second the image updates — higher numbers mean smoother motion.
Start with your monitor's native resolution, which is usually listed as the highest option available. If performance is poor, drop to the next resolution down. For refresh rate, match it to your monitor's maximum — if your monitor is 60 Hz, set the game to 60 Hz. If it is 144 Hz, set the game to 144 Hz. The game cannot display faster than your monitor can show.
Some games let you unlock the frame rate above your monitor's refresh rate, which can cause screen tearing. If you see horizontal lines tearing across the screen, enable V-Sync in the game's graphics settings. This locks the frame rate to your monitor's refresh rate and eliminates tearing.
Editing the game's config file if the menu does not help
A few games store display settings in a configuration file instead of offering them in a menu. If you have tried the settings menu and Alt + Enter with no luck, you may need to edit this file directly. The file is usually named config.ini, settings.ini, or something similar, and it lives in the game's installation folder.
Right-click the game's folder, select Open, and look for a file with "config" or "settings" in the name. Open it with Notepad. Look for lines containing "fullscreen", "windowed", "resolution", or "display". Change the value next to fullscreen from 0 to 1, or from false to true, depending on how the file is written. Save the file and launch the game.
If you are unsure what to change, search online for the game's name plus "config file full screen" — other players have usually documented the exact line to edit. Make a backup copy of the config file before you edit it, so you can restore it if something goes wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my game keep switching back to windowed mode?
Some games reset to windowed mode if they crash or if you force-close them. Launch the game normally, go to settings, select full screen, and save. If it reverts again the next time you play, the game may have a bug or your graphics driver may be outdated. Try updating your driver first.
Can I use full screen on multiple monitors?
True full screen uses only one monitor — the one you selected in your display settings. If you want to game across multiple monitors, use borderless windowed mode instead. Set your resolution to span both monitors and the game will fill both screens without the performance hit of true full screen.
Does full screen improve game performance?
True full screen often performs slightly better than windowed mode because your graphics card does not have to render the desktop behind the game. The difference is usually small on modern systems, but it can matter in demanding games. Test both and measure frame rates to see if full screen helps on your PC.
What is the difference between full screen and borderless windowed?
True full screen switches your monitor to a different display mode and can perform better. Borderless windowed fills your screen but stays in windowed mode, making alt-tab faster. Performance varies by system — test both to see which runs smoother for you.
Why does full screen look blurry or stretched?
Your game resolution does not match your monitor's native resolution. In the game's display settings, set the resolution to the highest number available — that is your monitor's native resolution. If it is already set correctly, your monitor may be upscaling a lower resolution, which causes blurriness. Restart the game and check the setting again.