How To Play Games On Second Monitor In Windows

It’s a precarious situation when people decide to play games on the second monitor, Windows 10 while being in the full-screen mode. Although the process of shifting seems straightforward, it might seem complicated for you to move it quickly without knowing the exact series of steps.

How To Set Up A Windows 10 Laptop To Work With Two Monitors

There are four options to choose from when using two monitors with a Windows 10 laptop. Here’s how to get started with additional screens.

Microsoft Windows 10 makes it easy to set up and customize multiple monitor setups. This is particularly useful when using a laptop, since the screen may be somewhat small or not as bright as a dedicated monitor. Working on a larger screen is often more enjoyable and productive. The right hardware connections are required to set this up, as well as some adjustments in Windows 10 to make the content display in the way that suits the user best.

Using multiple monitors requires a Windows 10 laptop that can support one or more external monitors. The laptop will need an external display connection, such as HDMI, DVI or DisplayPort connector. If the user wishes to connect more monitors than there are laptop port available, a display hub is a way to achieve this. If the connection is DisplayPort, daisy-chaining multiple monitors together is a possibility. This means one monitor connects to the laptop and the other monitors connect to each other, forming a chain. Proper cables, adapters and possibly a hub may be required to connect the laptop to external monitors. A single external monitor is relatively simple, but adding more increases the difficulty. Another consideration is the capability of the laptop’s graphics chip. Not all can handle multiple monitors without decreasing resolution.

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Setting up one or more external monitors on a Windows 10 system is done in System settings. To see the options, click Start to open the menu, then choose the Settings app. When it opens, look in System settings for Display. This is the same place where display resolution and orientation are located. At the bottom, options are shown for multiple displays. There are four different options for how the displays are used. The first, ‘PC screen only’ will ignore the second monitor and show only the laptop screen. Choosing ‘Duplicate’ will show the same content on two or more displays. ‘Extend’ is often the most useful option allowing different content to be shown on the laptop screen from what is shown on the monitor. However, if using only the bigger monitor is preferred, ‘Second screen only’ will allow that, using only the second monitor and turning the laptop screen black.

Aligning Multiple Monitors & Best Use

When using a Windows 10 laptop with the most popular multiple monitor option ‘Extend,’ it’s important to align the displays. Display settings will show the virtual displays side by side and number them. These numbers can be displayed on each physical monitor’s screen by clicking the ‘Identify’ button. Aligning the numbered displays that appear in Display settings will make the mouse pointer movement track appropriately. Otherwise, the mouse movement may appear to jump to an unexpected position, when it reaches the edge of one monitor and appears on the next. To align the numbered displays, simply drag them so they match the physical layout of the real world monitors. Both horizontal and vertical placement can be accounted for. Each display can have a different resolution and orientation without any issues when using ‘Extend.’

While ‘Extend’ is generally the most useful setting, ‘Duplicate’ is quite useful when sharing with others in a meeting or a classroom. Although duplicated displays can be set to different resolutions and orientations, it may lead to unwanted effects. ‘Duplicate’ works best when using the same resolution and orientation. ‘PC screen only’ might be used when the big screen is not needed, but physically disconnecting is a hassle. ‘Second screen only’ might be used when an external mouse and keyboard are in use and the laptop is simply standing in for a desktop computer. It’s very convenient to have the option to use external monitors with a laptop and once the hardware compatibility issues are sorted out, Windows 10 makes setting up easy.

How To Play Games On Second Monitor In Windows

Knowing how to move a full-screen game to a second monitor improvizes your gameplay experience indefinitely, allowing you to be immersed inside the game through undivided attention.

Gamers nowadays love to have a multi-monitor setup in their mid-high tier gaming rig, either for extending their screen to have greater visibility or shifting the fullscreen on the second monitor.

In this article, we put forth three different answers to the question how to play games on second monitor windows 10? These methods do not require you to exit the game or change it to a smaller windowed version. So without any further ado, let’s dive into it.

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How To Play Games On Second Monitor Windows 10?

Having two monitors upgrades your multi-tasking capabilities and raises various games’ FOV (Field of View). This, in turn, makes you more productive and increases individual focus to dominate those FPS games by viewing enemies quickly through higher screen resolution.

It’s a precarious situation when people decide to play games on the second monitor, Windows 10 while being in the full-screen mode. Although the process of shifting seems straightforward, it might seem complicated for you to move it quickly without knowing the exact series of steps.

While playing a fullscreen game, there isn’t a direct approach to shifting the game to the second monitor since the two monitors form connectivity to the I/O hub through separate HDMI ports. The only way to establish fluency between the two different hardware channels is through the operating system interfacing with both of them.

Windows 10 and the recently unveiled Windows 11 contain an easy shortcut to play games on the second monitor, either by projecting them directly or setting the second monitor as the primary monitor. Let us explore these methods in detail.

1. Switch to Projector Mode
2. Set the Second Monitor as a Primary Monitor
3. Set the fullscreen game to windowed mode

1. Switch to Projector Mode

When we consider projecting a fullscreen game to the second monitor, Windows 10 does not fail to impress us with its quick keyboard shortcut. The shortcut key removes the need to exit the game while shifting, even if your game is in fullscreen mode or a borderless window. Follow the stated directions to learn more on how to play games on the second monitor through projecting.

• Connect the second monitor to your existing windows display setup through HDMI or any other display port.

• If the device is already connected, press and hold the Windows key on the keyboard and tap the P key (Windows + P) while still pressing the Windows key. On Windows 10, a menu on the right side of the laptop screen or gaming monitor will appear, presenting the following display tabs:

• PC Screen only – Content will be displayed on the primary monitor.
• Duplicate – The same screen is visible on both primary and secondary monitors.
• Extend – Extend the current space to the separate monitor, and we can drag anything from the primary to the secondary monitor.
• Second screen Only – This projector mode method turns the primary monitor off and shifts everything to the secondary monitor.
• To achieve our objective of playing video games on the second monitor, we will select Second Screen Only from the above choices.
• After clicking on the option, the fullscreen or borderless window game will shift to the second screen (the primary display will become blank) with a transition period of a few seconds, varying on the responsiveness of the gaming monitor.

If you want to return to the primary display, perform the repetition of the same steps above.

2. Set the Second Monitor as a Primary Monitor

Setting the secondary monitor as the primary one can eliminate the hassle of shifting the game to the external monitor attached with the preliminary setup. This method is not as optimized and easy as the previous one.

However, this method offers better tweaking, faster FPS, and stability in terms of secondary screen resolution and graphics settings. Let us see how to play games on the second monitor in Windows 10 through the primary monitor method:

• Connect the external gaming monitor on which you want to play the fullscreen game.
• Open Windows settings by either tapping the shortcut key Windows + I or right-click on the Start button and clicking on Settings.
• Select the System category, and tap on the Display from the left pane. You can achieve the same by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop and tapping on Display Settings.

• On the new window that pops up, your available monitors appear at the top in the form of numbered blue rectangular boxes. Each box represents a monitor connected to your gaming setup (Box 1 represents the primary monitor, and Box 2 stands for the second monitor)

• Click Identify or Detect if the monitor is not recognized.
• From the above displays tab, select the box you want as the primary monitor (In this case, Box 2 for the second monitor)
• Mark the checkbox for “Make this my main display” as positive. The former primary monitor will automatically become the secondary screen.
• Click on Apply to confirm your actions.

After the above steps, the fullscreen game will shift to the second monitor, while the main screen will become the secondary one. Redo the above steps to return the status of the primary screen to the main monitor.

3. Set the fullscreen game to windowed mode:

On being asked “how to play games on my second monitor,” some gamers came up with the solution of temporarily putting the game in Windowed mode, shifting it to a different screen, and then returning to the fullscreen mode. Here is their step-by-step elaboration:

• Ensure the second monitor is connected to the main screen, turned on, and the fullscreen game is running on the primary monitor.
• Press Alt+Enter to put the game in the windowed mode.

• Drag the window by holding the title bar with the mouse cursor, shift it to the second screen, and release the mouse button.

• The game window has been shifted to the second monitor. Press Alt+Enter again while being inside the game to return to the fullscreen mode.

How do I set up a second monitor for Windows 10?

Connecting a separate external monitor to your pre-existing setup, on which you can stream games, work on different simultaneous tasks, host meetings while playing, can prove to be a hassle if you don’t know your way around the complexities of connecting and initializing them separately. Follow these steps to set up a second monitor in Windows 10:

• Connect the appropriate cables (HDMI or VGA) from the monitor to the CPU cabinet to establish a proper connector. Make sure the power for the secondary monitor is on and there is an initial response from the display.
• Press Windows logo key + P key and select the appropriate display picture mode for the Second Screen.

If Windows did not detect the monitor, or if you want extensive settings, follow the steps below:

• Click on the Start button.
• Tap the Gear icon on the left pane to open Settings.

• Press on the System category, and select the Display settings.
• Windows should automatically detect the monitor connected to your system. If it isn’t connected, click Detect.
• Press Identify to get the current layout of display tabs.

• In the Multiple displays segment, select the desired option for display screen arrangement.
• Click Keep Changes to confirm your settings.

How do I switch monitors in-game?

We might be inside a game on one monitor, and something urgent comes up that needs to be dealt with immediately. A keyboard shortcut will prove to be handy in this case if you don’t have the option of saving and exiting the game. We can switch monitors in-game through the following steps:

Borderless Windowed Mode:

• Pause the game you are playing, and open up its Settings from the pause menu.
• Navigate to the displays tab of the game. Locate Display Mode from there, and change it from Fullscreen to Borderless Windowed.

• Move the mouse to the second monitor by dragging it to the screen, and click there to shift control. The game on the primary monitor won’t close or minimize.
• Press the Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut to switch between the two monitors. Drag the mouse cursor to the game if you want to play it.
• Holding the Alt key will display the list of windows opened already, and you can select from them accordingly using arrow keys.

How do I make my primary monitor extended?

The primary monitor screen can be extended to a secondary monitor easily by following the procedure below:

• Right-click on the desktop and tap on Display Settings.

• Under the category for Multiple displays, open the selection pane and click Extend these displays.
• Click on Apply to make your primary monitor extended throughout all displays.

Why can’t Windows 10 detect my second monitor?

Sometimes Windows 10 fails to detect the external monitor. This can arise from a multitude of reasons, the most common one being outdated drivers. Follow the steps below to update your drivers through the Windows update:

• Go to the Device Manager by opening the Run window (Windows key+R), typing devmgmt.msc inside the run bar, and press Enter.

• Under the Monitors section, find the driver for your particular monitor brand.
• Right-click on that driver and press Update driver.

• Select Search automatically for drivers.
• Windows will start searching for drivers and update it accordingly. If no new drivers are found, try searching again.

Windows 10 will now recognize the second monitor. If it isn’t detected yet, reconnect the joining wires, and ensure the power to the second monitor is turned on.

Wrapping Up

We hope you liked our article on how to run games on your second monitor in Windows 10. Let us know in the comments below which method worked the best for you, and feel free to ask questions if you have any doubts.

FAQs

How Do I Choose Which Monitor A Game Opens?

You can choose which monitor a game opens by deciding which monitor you are launching the game in. If you are working on the primary monitor, and launch your game there, it will start the game in the primary monitor itself, unless you shift it to your other monitors through methods given in this article.

How Do I Display One Monitor And Work On Another?

You can display one monitor and work on the other one by simply extending your current display through the PROJECT command (Windows Key + P) and selecting Extend given at the third option.

How Do I Choose A Default Display?

You can choose a default display by going into Windows Settings > System > Display, selecting the monitor you want as your primary display (by clicking 1 or 2), and checking the box to Make this my main display. After changing, click on Apply Changes.

How Do I Make A Game Open On A Certain Monitor?

You can make a game open on a certain monitor by transferring the control on that monitor first and launching the game on it. Alternatively, you can convert your game to the windowed mode and drag it to the other monitor.

Support For Dual Monitor Setup

Dual Monitor Setup involves connecting two different monitors to a system. The steps to connect the two or more monitors are mentioned below.

How To Setup Two Monitors Work With One Computer In Windows

• Check if the desktop supports a dual monitor. Based on the system’s graphics and motherboard; the other monitor may not function.
• Ensure that the motherboard supports a dual monitor. Locate the motherboard’s name. Check if it is a multi-display, multi-monitor or dual display.
• Connect one end of the monitor’s video cable to system’s rear and the other end to the second monitor.
• Connect the power cable of the monitor to a wall socket and press the Power button to turn on the second monitor.
• Ensure that it is turned on and ready to receive the signal from the system’s main memory.
• Change the display preferences in your Windows system- Click Start on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
• Click the Settings option. Select the System option. Choose the Display tab under the Settings option.
• Navigate to the multiple display section at the bottom of the page. Choose the multiple display option on the drop-down box.
• Choose the display option in the drop-down menu. If you select the Extend these displays choice, make use of the second monitor as an extension of the first monitor.
• If your choice is duplicate these displays, it displays the content in the second monitor or Dual Monitor Setup.
• If your choice is shown as only on 1, it shows content on the first monitor.
• If your choice is shown as only on 2, it displays the content only on the second monitor. Click Apply to save the changes made.

How To Setup Two Monitors Work With One Computer In Mac

• Plug-in one end of the display to the inputs on the system’s graphics card in the rear. Based on the system, it can be either DVI or HDMI.
• Connect each external monitor and switch on the system by pressing the Power button. Start the system and sign up on the start-up screen.
• Click the System Preferences option from the Apple menu. Double-click the Displays option under the View menu.
• Select the Detect Displays at the Display menu. Select and drag the displays to arrange them as per your requirement.
• Close the Display window by clicking the red X. Turn off the Mac system. Unplug the external devices connected to it.
• Disconnect the power cable from the back of the system . Raise the latch located adjacent to the card slots of the rear case.
• Slide the panel off the system. Check for the installed graphics card. Loosen the screws by holding the card.
• Align the dual monitor graphics card into the PCI slot of the system so that the monitor faces the system’s rear end.
• Close the case and secure the latch. Plug in a dual monitor to the graphics card. Reconnect the external devices.
• Install the new software. Follow the same steps for the second monitor. After completing the Dual Monitor Setup, view the contents in both the monitors.

How To Setup Two Monitors Work With One Computer In Windows 7

• Check if both the monitors are connected to the Windows 7 system.
• Most Windows systems are compatible with the VGA or DVI cable.
• Press the Power button to turn on the system.
• Press the Windows and P keys simultaneously to display the monitor options.
• Choose the Duplicate option to display the same screen on both the systems. Select the Extend will permit to navigate a full screen on both the screens.
• If you are using the change in screen resolution settings, verify if both the monitors are connected to your Windows system.
• Locate the VGA or DVI cables for the connection process.
• Press the Power button to turn on the systems.
• Right-click on the desktop screen and click the Screen resolution option. Select the drop-down menu adjacent to the Multiple displays option.
• Choose either Duplicate these displays or Extend these displays based on your requirement.
• Choose the Show desktop only on 2 if you wish to use only the second monitor.
• Adjust the monitor’s orientation by selecting the desired monitor and choose the orientation from the drop-down menu.
• Modify the resolution on both the displays by selecting the desired monitor and adjusting the resolution using the vertical slider.
• Select the Apply icon to make changes to the settings.

How To Connect Two Monitors To A Laptop

• Connect the first monitor to a wall outlet.
• Plug in the VGA cable from the monitor to the VGA input on the laptop.
• Make necessary changes to the system configuration on the VGA monitor.
• Turn off the second monitor and connect it to a system using an HDMI cable.
• Type the display preferences panel and scan the external monitor.
• Plug in the second monitor to a USB slot if the HDMI slot is unavailable.
• Connect the two external monitors to the expansion box and turn them on.

Multiple Monitor Setup

• Multiple monitors provide a wide range of support for coders and gamers.
• Move your mouse back and forth between them to switch amidst the two monitors.
• For people who wish to extend their game to another screen; multiple monitors support in doing that.
• The recently launched monitors contain more than one port.
• Splitter cables let you connect multiple monitors to a single port.
• Connect the monitor to an appropriate port in your Windows system.
• Choose any of the options available for multiple monitor setup.
• There are simple shortcuts for Windows operating systems to set up this feature.

Multiple Monitor Setup in Windows 10

• Ensure that the system supports the second monitor.
• Check if the graphics card is compatible with multiple monitors.
• Use a VGA, DVI or HDMI cable to connect to the second monitor.
• Place the two monitors side by side.
• Switch on the system and monitor by pressing the Power button.
• Verify if both systems are connected to a power source.
• Connect the VGA cable to the two monitors.
• Right-click on the desktop and wait till the list of options displays.
• Select the Display Settings option. Click the Identify option to view the monitor. Move the cursor on the monitors to the right position.
• Adjust the brightness from your monitor to change the screen resolution.
• After saving the configurations, click Apply to save the changes.

Second Monitor Not Detected In Windows

• Verify the physical cable connection from the display to the video input cable on your computer.
• Try to connect using a different cable as the cause may be due to bad cable or pin.
• Use an appropriate input port if the monitor contains multiple inputs.
• If the second monitor is a high-definition display, update the firmware to fix bugs and avail all the latest features.
• The issue may be in the input port of the monitor or the output port of the device.
• Try to switch between ports to check if the second monitor is working.
• Update the graphics driver of the external monitor to resolve the issue.

Second Monitor Not Detected In Windows 7

• Examine if the power cable and signal cables are working properly. The cables should be free from damage.
• Verify if an adapter is used. Use the adapter to change the signal from one standard to another.
• Remove the adapter and connect it only to the monitor. Reconfiguring the monitor defaults may resolve the Dual Monitor Setup not detected issue.
• Try to connect the monitor to another system. If the other monitor works properly with another system; there are certain hardware issues.
• Plug in the VGA cable to a different video port on your system. Check if the problem is with your system’s video connections.
• Try to update the video drivers in the system. If the issue is with your video driver, uninstall and reinstall it.

Second Monitor Not Detected In Windows 10

• The latest driver may not support the Windows 10 operating system. So roll back to the previous version of the video driver.
• Press the Windows and R key simultaneously to open the run window. Type devmgmt.msc. Press Enter.
• Right-click on your display preferences in the Display adapters section. Click Properties. Choose the Driver tab.
• Select the Roll Back driver. Follow the on-screen instructions to do the Dual Monitor Setup procedures. After completing it, reboot the system.
• When two displays are connected to a Windows 10 operating system, the refresh rate plays an important role.
• Certain graphics card do not support different refresh rates . If the refresh rate of two monitors are different, the second monitor can’t be detected.
• Press and hold the Windows and I key simultaneously . Select the System icon on the pop-up Settings screen.
• Select the Advanced display Settings icon under the Display section. Select Display Adapter properties for Display 1.

Second Monitor Not Detected In Mac

• Unplug all the external devices connected to your Mac system.
• Run the external monitor as its native resolution with the internal display off.
• Upgrade the software and firmware to resolve the monitor not detected an issue.
• Check if the configuration is proper; which resolves the Dual Monitor Setup issue.