Support NeoGAF

[Makai]

I window game a lot so I can play while watching TV/movies

 

[Rajang]

Me too.

I love doing that with emulators.

 

[impact]

I would if Windows 8 wasn't shit and had lag in windowed mode

Really don't know why we can't disable Aero. Oh wait yea Microsoft is fucking dumb as hell, that's why.

 

[Dio Brando]

I've had a monitor + TV hooked on my set up and never once heard about using borderless fullscreen before, and I've always hated that I couldn't use my monitor while gaming on my tv. Mind sharing a link to that program? Dying to try this out!

Here's the link to the program i use: https://github.com/Codeusa/Borderless-Gaming/releases

 

[Zukuu]

Next comes in finding the magic of multiple monitors + borderless fullscreen windowed.

Wait, are you telling me there are people that don't have that yet? I'm shocked.

 

[Tain]

I would if Windows 8 wasn't shit and had lag in windowed mode

Really don't know why we can't disable Aero. Oh wait yea Microsoft is fucking dumb as hell, that's why.

Can't you change it with some gnarly registry work? It sucks that you'd have to do it, but better than nothing.

 

[Mohasus]

I like it too, I hate turning my head to see another screen so I just play in windowed mode if I need to read a FAQ or something like that.

 

[impact]

Can't you change it with some gnarly registry work? It sucks that you'd have to do it, but better than nothing.

Last I knew you had to force close DWM all the time or something? If there's a regedit to fix it (just once, and never have to again) I'd really like to know how to do it!

 

[DoT2]

I don't.

 

[Lumination]

Anyway, borderless windowed is very advantageous even on a single monitor IMHO, because of rapid, stable task switching and free low-latency triple buffering.

Can you explain this? What does borderless windowed have to do with triple buffering?

 

[Slayven]

I wish there was a small second monitor to use, something 8 would be great just to keep browsing and minor shit in.

 

[Timu]

How low are we talking? Fighting game low? If it's fighting game low, then i'll be up this like a rat in a drainpipe.

Yes, it's that low, no lag that ruins it or anything like that.

 

[inm8num2]

Borderless fullscreen is the best.

 

[Stuggernaut]

Windowed games + GAF = Life

 

[jesu]

I do this but I only really play Chaos Reborn on PC.

 

[Grief.exe]

It's so convenient. I'm playing Endless Legend right now as I type this. Instead of having to ALT+TAB, all I did was move my mouse to the Firefox icon on my taskbar, click once, create a crappy thread on gaf, go to back to game. No clunky black screen flashing or random crashes (rare but it happens), no waiting a few seconds. It's instant.

Yes, this means I play a lot of my games in lower res. I have a big 1080p LCD monitor but play a lot of games at 1600x900 but it's worth it. I love surfing the web while gaming, like when I die and am waiting for a respawn counter or if I just want a break. Windowed gaming makes this super smooth and easy.

Windowed? Lol

Step your game up to borderless full screen

 

[Skellig Gra]

Oprah.gif but seriously 2 monitors man! I cannot function with 1 anymore.

 

[Unicorn]

Next comes in finding the magic of multiple monitors + borderless fullscreen windowed.

Man. I miss my TV and monitor set up for this very reason.

 

[Falk]

Nah, windowed on one screen on a multiple monitor setup.

I am the ultimate desktop commander.

 

[Smushroomed]

2 monitors destroyed my focus of attention
I limit myself to 1 monitor

 

[pixlexic]

You should really get a second monitor.

Ha! my first thought.

I went even further and use a second pc.

 

[The Lone Courier]

I like it for more slow paced games. Play Football Manager and watching Netflix damn life is good.

 

[Cannon Goose]

2 monitors destroyed my focus of attention
I limit myself to 1 monitor

This happened to me as well. With two monitors I found myself constantly reading or gaming on one monitor with a movie or show on the other. I would give neither one my full attention and take away barely any information or enjoyment from them as a result. I put away the two 1080p monitors and replaced them with a single 1440p one and have been very happy since then.

That said, even with one monitor borderless fullscreen windowed is the best way to play games. I'm so glad that a lot of games are including it as a native option these days.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Borderless windowed is best, even if it's not fullscreen.

 

[BioBooster]

I play windowed on a 2nd monitor for some games that don't let you choose monitors.

Is there anyway I can choose the monitor for full-screen gaming without changing the definition for my primary?

 

[Ricerocket]

Me too. First thing I check for in a game, borderless windowed mode. Love the ability to multitask gaming and using the other monitor.

 

[TSM]

I would probably have agreed before moving to g-sync. Now it's irritating when games don't support exclusive full screen.

 

[diggmcbadass]

I just wish gsync and multi gpu would work with borderless window though

 

[vazel]

I love gaming in windowed mode but can someone explain to me if the windows desktop compositor works like normal double buffered vsync? I suppose it doesn't matter for me since I never notice any input lag with Aero if it does add any.

 

[TSM]

I just wish gsync and multi gpu would work with borderless window though

G-sync works by taking control of the monitor directly and scanning out the frames as they are completed at a variable refresh rate. Borderless windowed basically just means the game takes the frames after they render and lets windows determine when they should be displayed in the normal course of events at whatever refresh rate you normally run at. These are basically opposites.

 

[Aeana]

How low are we talking? Fighting game low? If it's fighting game low, then i'll be up this like a rat in a drainpipe.

I don't play fighting games, but your question got me curious enough to measure it. By setting up a direct window capture of a program that displays a square on the screen, and also running my GPU's output into the capture card and placing both into the same scene (in OBS) and recorded. The result was that once the square appeared in the direct window capture, it appeared in the capture card input 3 frames later, i.e. if it showed up at frame 1 on the direct capture, it showed up at frame 4 on the capture card. I guess this equates to 50ms if my math is right. Whether that is acceptable for fighting games or not, I don't know, but I assume not. It isn't noticeable at all to me in the games I play, though.

EDIT: I should note that there's an (powered) HDMI splitter involved here. I don't know if that adds to the latency or not.

 

[TSM]

EDIT: I should note that there's an (powered) HDMI splitter involved here. I don't know if that adds to the latency or not.

I don't see how the splitter could add any lag. It's unlikely to have any on board ram to buffer the video. It'd have to either pass the signal through in real time or fail to pass the signal.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

I hav used one monitor + one big tv with borderless windowed for a long time. It's hard to go back.

 

[LCGeek]

Same here can force vsync in games that don't do it properly since DWM/Aero requires it and on top forces your LUT/Gamma when you need it to stay put as well. The other benefits are icing on the cake but most said what I like most it lets you multitask in a way full screen doesn't.