How to make a game open on your second monitor
Games tend to open on your main display, whatever you would rather they did. Here is how to put one on the other screen and keep it there every time it starts.
How to make a game always open on your second 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
Most games have no monitor option, a window you moved opens on the main screen again next launch, and changing the main display moves the rest of Windows with it. Still worth knowing:
- 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
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. The borderless fit is applied 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.