How to Fullscreen a Game: Tips & Tricks for Windows 10/11 & macOS

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Easy-to-follow steps for turning a Windows or Mac game into full-screen mode
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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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    Pressing those keys together should maximize your game window to fill the screen. [1]
    • Alternatively, press Esc to minimize the game.
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    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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    It's in the top left corner of all Mac windowed screens and will cause the window to fill the screen. [2]
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    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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Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-in-windows-dcc61a57-8ff0-cffe-9796-cb9706c75eec
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-apps-in-full-screen-mchl9c21d2be/mac
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-displays-settings-mchlca6faa13/mac

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