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How to Move a Steam Game to Another Monitor

Use Windows + Shift + Left or Right Arrow to move a running game, then try the game’s display selector or windowed mode if needed.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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On Windows, focus the running game and press Windows key + Shift + Left Arrow or Windows key + Shift + Right Arrow toward the target screen. If it does not move, try the game’s display settings or reposition it in windowed mode. The exact options depend on the game and its display mode.

Move a running game with the Windows shortcut

  1. Launch the game and make its window active.
  2. Press Windows key + Shift + Left Arrow or Windows key + Shift + Right Arrow, choosing the direction of the target monitor in your Windows display layout. Microsoft documents this shortcut for moving the active window between monitors: Windows keyboard shortcuts.
  3. If the game does not move, use its display settings or try windowed mode as described below.

This is a Windows window-management shortcut, not a guaranteed override for every game. A title running in an exclusive fullscreen mode may not behave like a movable desktop window.

Choose a monitor in the game’s settings

Open the game’s settings and check Display, Video, or Graphics for a Monitor or Display selector. If one is available, choose the intended screen and apply the change. Some games may require a restart for the selection to take effect.

Not every game offers a selector, and available choices can depend on the display mode. For example, the Crisis Wing manual describes several display modes, sets the primary display as the default monitor, and says monitors other than 1 are unsupported in Windowed mode. That is a title-specific limitation, not a Steam-wide rule.

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Move the game by switching to windowed mode

  1. Open the game’s display settings and change the mode from fullscreen to Windowed.
  2. Move the window to the target monitor, using the Windows shortcut or dragging its title bar.
  3. If the game supports it, select Borderless Fullscreen or Fullscreen again after repositioning.

Steam Support recommends switching the in-game display setting from fullscreen to windowed mode in its Steam Link display troubleshooting. Menu names and whether the game retains the new screen vary by title.

If the game keeps opening on the wrong monitor

  • Look for a game-specific monitor selector, apply the desired screen, and restart if prompted.
  • If there is no selector, reposition the game while it is windowed, then restore the preferred fullscreen mode if available.
  • As a fallback, set the desired screen as the main display in Windows Display settings and relaunch the game. This is an operating-system workaround, not a Steam setting, and individual games may still choose their own display.
  • To check which display Windows identifies, open Settings > System > Display and use the display identification controls. Do not assume a game’s monitor number matches the physical left-to-right order of your screens.

Steam launch options do not provide a universal monitor selector

Steam’s launch options help explains that launch-option text is passed to a game and gives display examples such as -fullscreen and -windowed. It does not establish a universal option for selecting a monitor. Do not enter arguments such as -monitor 2 or -adapter 2 unless the documentation for that specific game confirms they are supported.

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Steam’s Big Picture documentation describes using Big Picture with a TV and recommends starting it once the computer is running on the desired display. This can suit a TV setup, but it does not guarantee that every game will launch on a chosen monitor.

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Which method should you try?

Method Best time to use it What to know
Windows + Shift + Left/Right Arrow When the game is running as a movable window Moves the active window in the chosen direction; behavior is not guaranteed in every fullscreen mode.
Game’s monitor selector When the game provides a monitor or display choice Usually the most direct game-specific control; supported screens and modes vary by title.
Windowed repositioning When there is no selector or the shortcut does not work Switch to Windowed, move the game, then restore another mode if supported.
Make the target screen the Windows main display As a fallback when the game has no working monitor control Can affect where a game opens, but is not a Steam-wide guarantee.

For Windows display configuration, see Microsoft’s guide to using multiple monitors. Steam’s refresh-rate guidance also points to Windows display settings for choosing a screen and refresh rate; those settings help configure displays but are not a universal game monitor picker.

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