# Playing games on secondary display.. **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [September 7, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529 "2008-09-07T20:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![burnt\_toast](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/burnt_toast/32/7518_2.png) [@burnt\_toast](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/burnt_toast)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/1 "2008-09-07T20:55:06Z")
How would I force a game that automatically opens full screen to do so on my secondary display? I’d much rather play geometry wars on a big screen than on my monitor… :ohyeah: ---
**Author:** ![Cavi\_Mike](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cavi_mike/32/5217_2.png) [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/2 "2008-09-07T21:10:54Z")
Unless your “big screen” is higher resolution than what your monitor is, you’ll want to stick with the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![burnt\_toast](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/burnt_toast/32/7518_2.png) [@burnt\_toast](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/burnt_toast)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/3 "2008-09-07T21:14:22Z")
> [@Cavi Mike](#): > > Unless your “big screen” is higher resolution than what your monitor is, you’ll want to stick with the monitor. I’ve played “windowed” games on there just fine. Resolution, quality of picture, etc, are not the issue. The question is how to get full screen games to open on the secondary display while leaving my primary display open. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/4 "2008-09-07T22:26:57Z")
you need to be windowed from what I recall. it has to do something with the opengl and dual monitors or something along those lines thats wacky. i think it always wants to take over your primary display. you are running 2 monitors on two video cards or 2 monitors on the same video card? there might be a tweak to do but it might be tough. ---
**Author:** ![burnt\_toast](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/burnt_toast/32/7518_2.png) [@burnt\_toast](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/burnt_toast)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/5 "2008-09-07T23:58:08Z")
> [@boxxa](#): > > you need to be windowed from what I recall. it has to do something with the opengl and dual monitors or something along those lines thats wacky. i think it always wants to take over your primary display. > > you are running 2 monitors on two video cards or 2 monitors on the same video card? there might be a tweak to do but it might be tough. 2 displays on the same video card. I downloaded UltraMon (great program, btw), which i heard about in another thread here, but was unable to figure anything out for this situation. so, next idea would be to force the game to run in windowed mode (which is not currently an option through the game itself)… then i could drag it over and just deal with the top window bar… i don’t know, i’ll play more tomorrow, it’s bed time. ---
**Author:** ![Cavi\_Mike](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cavi_mike/32/5217_2.png) [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/6 "2008-09-08T05:34:29Z")
ATi or Nvidia? ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/7 "2008-09-08T06:28:20Z")
> [@burnt\_toast](#): > > 2 displays on the same video card. > > I downloaded UltraMon (great program, btw), which i heard about in another thread here, but was unable to figure anything out for this situation. > > so, next idea would be to force the game to run in windowed mode (which is not currently an option through the game itself)… then i could drag it over and just deal with the top window bar… i don’t know, i’ll play more tomorrow, it’s bed time. Ya I think you are screwed. I think it defaults to the settings on your primary display in Windows when it maximizes it. ---
**Author:** ![Cavi\_Mike](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cavi_mike/32/5217_2.png) [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/8 "2008-09-08T07:00:31Z")
If you can start it windowed and you have an Nvidia card with current drivers, all you need to do is right-click on the tab, select Nvidia Nview or something to that effect, then select “send application to \*\* display”. That program will now always open on that display until you change it back. If you have an ATi card, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/playing-games-on-secondary-display/54529/9 "2008-09-08T10:08:30Z")
set your 2nd monitor/TV to the primary display and all should work ok.