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First, open the game’s Video, Display, or Graphics settings and select Borderless, Borderless Windowed, Windowed Fullscreen, or Full Screen Windowed. Apply the change and restart the game if prompted. The exact label—and whether the game offers the mode at all—depends on the game.

Try the game’s display settings first

  1. Open the game’s Video, Display, or Graphics menu.
  2. Find the display-mode setting and choose Borderless, Borderless Windowed, Windowed Fullscreen, or Full Screen Windowed, if available. Games and engines use different names for similar modes. PCGamingWiki’s glossary explains the terminology.
  3. Apply the change. If the game asks to restart, do so before checking the result.

This is the most direct approach because the game itself selects the mode it supports. If you do not see a borderless option, do not assume another game’s command or configuration-file edit will work; exact instructions depend on the title.

If there is no borderless option

Check for a game-specific launch argument

Look at the game’s official support information or its launcher documentation for a display-mode argument that names or applies to that game. Steam documents -windowed and -sw as switches for supported games, but these request windowed mode; they do not guarantee a borderless window. Steam’s launch-options guidance does not make those switches universal. Use an argument only when documentation for the game confirms it.

Consider a window-management utility only if compatible

A third-party utility may be able to manage a windowed game or make it appear borderless. For example, Borderless Gaming’s published configuration describes forcing windowed behavior while a game believes it is fullscreen. That describes the utility’s approach, not guaranteed compatibility with every game. Check the game’s compatibility and rules before using an external tool.

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What Windows settings can—and cannot—do

Windows presentation features are different from choosing a display mode in the game. They may affect how a supported game is presented, but they are not general-purpose commands to force any game into borderless mode.

Windows 11: Optimizations for windowed games

For a game that is already running in windowed or borderless mode, Windows 11’s Optimizations for windowed games can affect presentation for supported DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games. Microsoft says the feature moves compatible games from the legacy blt presentation model to flip model and can enable features such as Auto HDR and variable refresh rate on supported displays. It does not select borderless mode for a game. Find the setting at Settings > System > Display > Graphics; it can be adjusted per game. Restart the game after changing it. Microsoft’s instructions for windowed-game optimizations describe the supported games and setting.

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Windows Fullscreen Optimizations are a separate feature. Microsoft explains that a game can believe it is running in exclusive fullscreen while Windows presents it in a borderless-windowed format. Microsoft’s DirectX explanation describes how this works. This can explain why a game labeled “Fullscreen” behaves like borderless, but it is not the same as selecting a borderless option in the game.

If you encounter a black screen when alt-tabbing or leaving fullscreen, Intel’s guidance says to enable borderless mode in the game settings when the game does not support Fullscreen Optimizations. See Intel’s support guidance.

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Which approach should you use?

Approach What it does Main limitation
In-game display setting Selects a mode the game supports, often labeled Borderless or Windowed Fullscreen. The game may not offer it, and the label varies. PCGamingWiki
Game-specific launch option Can request a display mode at startup when supported by the game. Arguments are not universal; Steam’s -windowed and -sw do not themselves promise borderless mode. Steam
Windows presentation optimization Changes or optimizes presentation for supported games already using relevant modes. Does not generally make a game offer or select borderless mode. Microsoft; Microsoft DirectX
Third-party window manager May manage a windowed game or remove its visible borders. Behavior depends on the game and utility; compatibility is not guaranteed. Borderless Gaming
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Why “fullscreen” may not mean exclusive fullscreen

Fullscreen exclusive, ordinary windowed, and borderless windowed are distinct presentation modes. A borderless game is still a window, but it has no visible frame and is sized to cover the display; the Desktop Window Manager remains in control of desktop composition. Fullscreen Optimizations can make Windows present a game in borderless-windowed form even when the game believes it is using exclusive fullscreen. Microsoft’s DirectX article explains this distinction.

Because no specific game, launcher, or engine is identified here, there is no reliable universal force-borderless command or configuration-file path. Use the game’s own setting when possible, and verify any fallback against documentation for that exact game.

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