Game opening on the wrong monitor? Fix it for good
To move a game to another monitor right now, set it to windowed or borderless and press Windows key + Shift + Left or Right arrow. That lasts until the game closes: next launch it opens on your main display again. To make it stick, Second Screen Gaming starts every game on the screen you picked for it, every time.
Make every game open on the right monitor
Set the game to windowed or borderless in its own settings, then turn on Second Screen Gaming's Run borderless on a chosen screen and pick the monitor. Every time the game starts, it is moved to that monitor and fills it.
Screens are recognized by the monitor itself, its maker, model and the port it is plugged into, not by the number Windows hands out, so unplugging a screen cannot send the game somewhere else. If the chosen screen is not connected, the game waits for it and moves there the moment it appears.
Three options go with it:
- Keep above other windows keeps the game on top even while another window has focus.
- Send sound to that screen plays the game's sound through that monitor's own speakers, when it has some.
- Keep the mouse on this screen stops the cursor drifting off the game while you play. See how to lock your mouse to one monitor.
Why games open on the wrong monitor
A game opens on the monitor Windows calls the main display, or on whichever one it used last. Fullscreen games pick their display once, at startup, and many offer no setting to change it. Windows also renumbers displays when one is unplugged, so a game told to use display 2 can end up on the wrong screen.
How to move a game to another monitor by hand
Each of these works once or moves more than the game: a window you moved opens on the main screen again next launch, and changing the main display moves the rest of Windows with it.
- Look for a "Monitor", "Display" or "Adapter" option in the game's video settings.
- Set the game to windowed or borderless, then press Windows key + Shift + Left or Right arrow to move it to the other screen.
- Unity games accept a launch option. In Steam, open the game's Properties and add
-monitor 2to Launch Options, using the number of the screen you want. - As a last resort, make that screen your main display in Settings, System, Display, "Make this my main display". Your taskbar and desktop icons move along with it.
Common questions
Why do Steam games open on the wrong monitor?
Steam starts the game, but the game picks the screen: usually the main display, or the one it used last. Steam has no per-game monitor setting. A launch option such as -monitor 2 works only in games that read it; Second Screen Gaming places any windowed or borderless game on its chosen screen at every launch.
What is the shortcut to move a game to another monitor?
Windows key + Shift + Left or Right arrow moves the active window to the next screen. It works on windowed and borderless games. A game in exclusive fullscreen usually ignores it.
Why does the game go back to my main monitor next time?
Most games do not remember where their window was, and fullscreen games choose their display at startup. A game you moved by hand stays there until it closes. Second Screen Gaming applies the placement again at every launch.
Can the game's sound play through that monitor's speakers?
Yes, with Send sound to that screen. Turning the option off sends the sound back to your default output.