How to Game With Dual Monitors

Aaron Donald July 8, 2022

Using dual monitors will add a whole new dimension to your gaming experience. Imagine playing on one monitor while chatting with your teammates on the other. You may be a master of games, but are you a master at setting up monitors?

If you need help setting up dual monitors, we’ve got you covered. We’ll also show you how to game using dual monitors by combining screens.

A Quick Guide to Setting Up Dual Monitors

Before we discuss how to set up dual monitors, we’d like to mention a few important things. When choosing monitors for this purpose, it’s best if they are approximately the same size. This will make setting them up side by side a bit easier. Ideally, the same make and model ensures an easier installation. Also, be aware that you’ll want both monitors to have the same features. If they have different graphic syncing, your game might take on two different looks.

Setting up dual monitors is a straightforward process. In this article, we’ll assume you already have one monitor connected to your computer. To set up the second one, follow the steps below.

Plug in your second monitor and connect it to an available port on your PC.
Right-click and choose either “Display Settings” or “Screen Resolution.”
Here you will select your monitor order. Click and drag the screen images to tell Windows which is screen 1 and which is screen 2.
Select which monitor will be the primary display by choosing it in the window on the top of the screen and tapping “Make This My Main Display.”

How to Game With Dual Monitors

Once your monitors are set up, you’ll want to combine the screens to give you the full gaming experience. You’ll have a much wider perspective, which could give you a big advantage over others who are gaming on a single monitor. We’ll discuss how to do so using several different methods.

Combining Screens

If you want your game to be displayed on both monitors to create a wide, expansive view, you can set them up to respond as one screen. There are several ways you can do this, depending on your computer’s capabilities. To combine screens, find the best method for your computer below.

Intel HD Graphics Control Setup

You can use this setup if your computer is powered by an Intel processor using integrated graphics. If this is what you have, follow the instructions below to combine your monitors.

To begin, launch the Intel® Graphics Command Center.
Select the Display tab.
On the main screen, choose the More options icon (in the Connected Displays window).
Select the display you want to expand to by clicking “Extend.”

Your game will now be combined on both monitors.

AMD Radeon Setup

Use this setup if your computer has an AMD chip or AMD graphics card. To combine your monitors, follow the steps below.

Go to your desktop and right-click. Select “AMD Radeon Software.”
From the popup window, choose “Settings” and then “Display.”
From the submenu, find the “Eyefinity” section.
Next to “AMD Eyefinity,” click “Quick Setup.” Based on your Windows display, AMD will create a new arrangement.
If the display arrangement isn’t what you want, you can change it. Select “Display Arrangement” and choose “Rearrange Displays.”
Return to the “Display Submenu” to set your primary display monitor.
Select “Global Display” and choose your primary monitor.
Scroll down to “Preferred Display” and ensure it’s enabled.

You’ll now have a widescreen experience when you launch your game.

NVIDIA Setup

If your computer uses a NVIDIA graphics card, follow these instructions to combine your monitors.

Access the “NVIDIA Control Panel.”
From the left-side menu, under “3D Settings,” click “Configure Surround.”
Tap the box next to “Span displays with the Surround” to select it and click the “Configure” button.
In the next window, use the “Topology” drop-down menu to see your possible monitor layouts.
Under “Displays,” you can select your primary monitor.
Select “Apply” to save your settings.

Your monitors are now combined.

Dual Monitor Tools Setup

If your computer doesn’t have any of the above drivers, you can use the Dual Monitor Tools app.

Download and install the Dual Monitor Tools app.
Open Dual Monitor Tools and select “Options.”
Using the menu on the left side of the screen, find “Swap Screen” and choose “Active Window.”
Locate “Supersize the active window” and tap “Change.”
From the “Change Hotkey” window, select “Enable this Hotkey.”
Choose which keys you’d like to use and click “Ok.”
Tap “Close.”

You now have a hotkey to toggle your game to full-screen mode across both monitors.

FAQ

My second monitor is blank. What should I do?

This could happen for a number of different reasons. Listed below are some common solutions.

• Turn your monitor screen off and on. Sometimes this is all that’s needed for your computer to recognize the new monitor.

• Check your cable connections to ensure they are properly seated. A loose cable could be the culprit. Remove and reseat the connection.

• If you’re using an older data cable, consider replacing it. If you’re using an older VGA cable, try replacing it with a newer HDMI or DisplayPort.

• Update your drivers. Running the latest drivers could solve this problem.

• Open your computer’s settings and under “Display,” select “Detect.”

Are all games compatible with combined dual monitors?

No. Not all games support dual monitor use. It’s best to check with the individual game manufacturer to see if it is dual monitor compatible. The best ones are games that give you an advantage when you have a wider field of view. First-person action games are perfect for a dual monitor setup.

What are the benefits of dual monitor gaming?

Running your game on two monitors will give the player a more fully immersive experience. For multi-player games, you can run the game on one monitor while chatting with teammates on the other. Another benefit is that you can play your game on a full screen while using the other to look up hacks or game cheats. Setting up two monitors for gaming is straightforward, and some experienced gamers connect 3 or even 4 monitors.

Step Up Your Gaming Experience With Dual Monitors

For a truly immersive gaming experience, you can set up your game to be displayed on two monitors. This full, widescreen experience is great for a number of different types of games, but not all games are compatible. You can choose to game on one monitor while using the other to multitask.

Have you gamed using dual monitors? Did you use similar methods to those discussed in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.