How to Open Steam Games in Windowed Mode?

Playing games in windowed mode offers many benefits that can significantly enhance your experience. If you’ve been struggling to launch your favorite games in fullscreen mode, switching to windowed mode might be the perfect solution.

Why Choose Windowed Mode?

Playing in fullscreen can cause several issues, like a complete black screen when switching to another application. Additionally, fullscreen mode can lead to screen tearing and input lag, especially if you have multiple monitors. Windowed mode can help solve these problems by allowing quicker alt-tab switching and reducing the risk of display issues.

For multitaskers, windowed mode is a game-changer. It enables you to easily switch between the game and other applications like browsers, chat programs, or productivity tools. This comes in handy when you need to look up a guide, chat with a friend, or monitor other software while gaming.

How to Enable Windowed Mode Without Launching the Game?

If your game is not launching in fullscreen mode at all and you want to test if it will launch or at least be playable in windowed mode, then there are two options you have.

Option 1. Use Steam Launch Options

If your game doesn’t support windowed mode directly through its in-game settings, you can use Steam’s launch options to force it into windowed mode.

1. Open your Steam library.
   
2. Right-click the game you want to open in windowed mode.
   Note: Through this process, you can set other launch options. You can check other commands on Steam Support.
3. Click on Properties from the drop-down menu.
   
4. In the Properties window, find the Launch Options section.
   
5. Type “-Window” or “-sw” in the Launch Options box. To set a specific window size, add “-w[width] -h[height]” after the windowed mode command. For example: “-windowed -w800 -h600”.

Note: This method may not work for all games and is mostly supported by games using Source or Goldsrc Engines.

Option 2. Use Configuration Files (Advanced Users)

For games not built on the Source or Goldsrc Engines, it is often possible to launch them in windowed mode by directly modifying their configuration files. This method is particularly useful for games developed on platforms like Unreal Engine, where specific settings control the display modes in detail.

These settings typically control the fullscreen mode in a more detailed manner. Here’s what these values usually represent:

• FullscreenMode=1: Indicates the current display mode. Common values include:

  0: Windowed mode
  1: Fullscreen mode
  2: Borderless windowed mode

• LastConfirmedFullscreenMode=1: Reflects the last successful display mode the game launched in, ensuring stability in the game’s display settings.
• PreferredFullscreenMode=1: Represents the user’s preferred display mode, which the game will attempt to use when launching.

By modifying these values, you can control how the game launches and ensure it runs in your desired display mode, such as windowed mode.

1. Press Win + R keys together to open the Run utility text box.
2. Type %localappdata% in the Run utility text box and press Enter.
   
3. In the newly opened folder, search for the folder of the game you are trying to run in windowed mode.
4. Once you find the folder of the game, open it and search for configuration files. These might be in sub-folders like Config, Settings, or Preferences. The path could vary depending on your game.
5. Look for a file with an extension like .cfg, .ini, or .txt—common names include GameUserSettings.cfg or similar.
   
6. Right-click on the file and open it with Notepad or Notepad++.
7. Search for settings like FullscreenMode, LastConfirmedFullscreenMode, and PreferredFullscreenMode.
8. To run the game in windowed mode, change these settings as follows:

   FullscreenMode=0
   LastConfirmedFullscreenMode=0
   PreferredFullscreenMode=0

   

9. Look for a windowed mode setting, like Windowed=True, and ensure it’s enabled.
10. Save the changes to the file.

How to Switch to Windowed Mode After Launching the Game?

Option 1. Press Hotkey for Windowed Mode

Switching your game from fullscreen to windowed mode can be easily done by pressing the Alt and Enter keys simultaneously.

That’s it! Just press Alt+Enter to quickly switch any application into windowed mode.

Option 2. Use In-Game Settings

The simplest step is to go to the game’s settings and change the settings so that the game launches in windowed mode.

1. First, open the game and navigate to Game Settings/Options.
2. Within the settings menu, find and select the Graphics, Display, or Video tab.
   
3. Look for the Display Mode section and choose ‘Windowed mode’ from the available options.
   
4. Finally, confirm your selection by clicking on ‘Apply.’
   

Option 3. Third-Party Software

Winexp is a software you can use to play any game in windowed mode. It is also useful for players with multiple monitors, making it easier to adjust the game settings.

1. Download Winexp.
2. Extract the downloaded file to a convenient location on your computer.
3. Find the extracted file and double-click the Winexp application to open it.
   
4. Start the game that you want to play in windowed mode.
5. Switch back to the Winexp application and click on the “Refresh” button.
   
6. Locate and select your game from the list that appears in Winexp.
7. In the Winexp interface, under the “Style” section, make sure the option WS_BORDER is unchecked (not selected).
   
8. Navigate to the Size & Position section. Here, input your desired height and width for the window. Then, choose either “Maximized” or “Normal” under Window State.