SOVLED! How To Change The Resolution Of A Game Without Opening It

While games nowadays usually allow players to change the resolution after they finish launching, issues may complicate that process on occasions. Naturally, how to change the resolution of a game without opening it is one of the questions that attract special attention from the gaming community. You also want to change the resolution of a game prior to launching it but don’t know the way? Then this article is exactly what you need.

Changing The Resolution Of Games Pre-Launch: Suggestions 

Once it comes to how to change the resolution of a game without opening it, different players have different ideas in mind. Still, if you care about consistency, try out these measures:

Apply Changes To Properties 

• Step 1: Go to the game folder, right-click the game executable file (.exe) and pick Properties.
• Step 2: Go to Compatibility tab, check the Use 640×480 resolution checkbox, Select Apply and choose OK.
• Step 3: Launch your game.

Modify The Game Configuration File

• Step 1: Look for the game configuration file (.ini, .cfg, etc) in the game folder. Examples include config.ini, systemConfig.cfg and so on. 
• Step 2: Right-click the game configuration file, hover the mouse over Open with and pick Notepad.
• Step 3: Navigate to the Resolution section, change the values you see fit and save the file. Last but not least, launch your game then see how things turn out. 

Registry Editor

• Step 1: Go to Search bar, type Regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor. 
• Step 2: Click File then pick Export to create a backup of the Registry as a precaution. 
• Step 3: Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software, look for your game and locate its resolution settings. 
• Step 4: Apply changes to the resolution settings according to your liking. 
• Step 5: Exit Registry Editor, launch your game and witness the result. 

Set Launch Options (Steam)

• Step 1: Open Steam, log into your account and go to Library. 
• Step 2: Locate your game, right-click it and pick Properties.
• Step 3: Delete everything in Launch options then enter -w # (# represents resolution. For instance, if you want your game to launch in 1024×768, enter -w 1024). After you finish, launch the game.

NVIDIA Control Panel (NVIDIA GPU) 

Your graphics card is a NVIDIA model? In that case, you could change the resolution of your game through NVIDIA Control Panel.

• Step 1: Right-click an empty space on the desktop then pick NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Step 2:  Go to Display > Resolution, change the resolution settings and save the changes. 
• Step 3: Launch the game.

Note: If you use an AMD GPU, feel free to use AMD Radeon Settings to configure the resolution of your game. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is screen resolution the same as screen size?

Screen resolution doesn’t mean the same thing as screen size: screen resolution refers to the maximum number of pixels your monitor can display. For instance, when a monitor is claimed to provide HD resolution, it means it can display up to 19280 x 1080 pixels. Monitors with 4K resolution can display up to 3840 x 2160 pixels.

On the other hand, screen size refers to your monitor’s physical size which is normally measured in inches. It could be 24 inches, 27 inches, 32 inches and so on. Note that high screen sizes don’t necessarily equate to high resolutions. For instance, the resolution of a 4K 24-inch monitor is superior to that of a 27-inch HD monitor. 

Does a higher game resolution take up more video memory?

Yes. Typically high game resolutions require an efficient computer with a strong graphics card. It also takes up more video card memory. Below are the video memory sizes you’ll need for different game resolutions.

• For a 1280 x 720 game resolution, you’ll need at least 2GB  of video memory. 
• For a 1920 x 1080 game resolution, you’ll need at least 4GB of video memory.
• For a 2560 x 1440 game resolution, you’ll need at least 6 GB of video memory.
• For a 3840 x 2160 game resolution, you’ll need at least 8GB of video memory.