Tired of Your Game Opening on the Wrong Monitor? Do This!

If you’ve ever had a game open on the wrong monitor in a multi-screen setup, you know how frustrating it can be, especially after a system or game update messes with your settings. This article is here to tackle that very issue.

We’re going to walk you through some simple yet effective tips to ensure your games launch exactly where you want them to. No more surprises or disruptions – just a smooth gaming experience tailored to your multi-monitor setup.

Let’s get started and solve this together.

Setting Up Multiple Monitors in Extend Mode

Before we initiate our troubleshooting process, you will have to set up your monitors in Extend mode. To do so, first, press the ‘Win’ key and ‘P’ together. This will open a sidebar with display options. Choose ‘Extend’ from this list. This action sets your monitors to work together, allowing you to drag windows and applications across both screens. It’s a necessary step to make sure games open on your intended monitor.

Remember, if you need more guidance on setting up dual monitors, our article on combining two monitors is all about that.

Using Windowed Mode to Switch Monitors

Now that you have both monitors set up in Extend mode, let’s dive into our first tip for ensuring your game appears on the right screen.

First, launch your game and head over to its settings. From there, change the display mode to ‘Windowed’. This setting allows you to freely move the game window. You can then drag the window to your desired monitor or use the keyboard shortcut “Win key + Shift + Arrow key.” This shortcut quickly moves the window from one screen to another.

After positioning the game on the right monitor, close the game while it’s still in Windowed Mode.

The next time you launch the game, it should remember this setting and appear on the same monitor. Once the game displays on the correct monitor, feel free to restore your previous settings, whether it’s Fullscreen or Borderless Fullscreen.

Adjusting In-Game Display Settings

For our second tip, we’re still heading into the game settings, but with a different goal. This time, instead of switching to windowed mode, we’ll directly select the preferred monitor within the game’s settings.

In order to do so, search for a tab or category labeled ‘Display’, ‘Graphics’, or something similar. Once you’re there, look for an option that would allow you to choose your display monitor. For example, in Call of Duty MW3, is named Display Monitor.

From there, choose the monitor you want your game to appear on from the available options. After selecting it, don’t forget to save your changes. This way, your game knows which screen to use each time it starts.

It’s a hassle-free, one-time setup that can save a lot of time and frustration, especially for games that you play regularly.

Temporarily Disabling Other Monitors

This last tip is a bit annoying, but some people have reported that it fixed the issue of the game opening on the wrong monitor. So, if the other methods haven’t worked for you, try temporarily disabling all monitors except the one you want to use for gaming.

Here’s what you’ll have to do: Press the ‘Win’ key and ‘P’ simultaneously as we did on the first tip. Instead of selecting ‘Extend’, this time choose ‘PC screen only’ or ‘Second screen only’ depending on which monitor you want to use. This action disables the other monitor temporarily, forcing the game to open on the only active screen.

Once you’ve done this and your game is running on the preferred monitor, close the game, press ‘Win’ + ‘P’ again, and switch back to ‘Extend mode’. The game should stay on the desired monitor.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has helped you launch your games on your desired monitor.

Your experience matters to us, so feel free to drop a comment below sharing which method worked for you, or if you have any other tricks up your sleeve.