Run your games in your LCD's native resolution.
Friday, 6. June 2008, 03:54:20
An LCD monitor is made up of individual pixels. On a screen, the pixels of width by the pixels of height is called the screen's resolution. For example, my screen has a width of 1920 pixels and a height of 1200 pixels, so I say my screen is 1920x1200. This number is called your screen's native resolution. The problem is that sometimes a program like a game will force the screen to display less pixels than its native resolution. For example a 1920x1200 screen being forced to display 1024x768 pixels will look extremely bad. That's 786,432 pixels being stretched to fill a screen designed to display 2,304,000 pixels. Any screen displaying fewer pixels than it's native resolution will look like garbage, and that's where the problem lies. Many programs, especially games, cannot be set to a particular screen's native resolution. And as a result they look really bad. So I'm keeping a list of the games that I own and how I get them to run on my native resolution when they are not designed to. I have found these solutions all over the web, not discovered them myself.
Game: Age of Empires II/The Conquerors
Method: None
Procedure: None - the only available resolutions are those you can see in the game options.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Battlefield 1942
Method: Edit several configuration files
Procedure: Go to the directory you installed the game to, and then navigate to Mods>bf1942>Settings. Open all the files in this directory and EACH and EVERY subdirectory that have the word video in the file name. For example "Video.con", "VideoDefault.con", etc. In each of these video files look for resolution settings and correct them to reflect your native resolution. There are a bunch of these configuration files scattered throughout the <Settings> directory and its subfolders. Make sure you get each one. Depending on your install and your profiles you will have different files in different folders. Quite honestly this fix is confusing and unreliable. For example, I changed the resolution through the game options and now can't change it back, even though I've done the above fix. Instead I highly recommend using the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Command and Conquer Generals/Zero Hour
Method: .ini edit
Procedure: In your "My Documents" folder, C&C should have created folders for itself. You should see a folder entitled "Command and Conquer Generals Data" and, if you have the expansion, an additional folder called "Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data". Inside each of these folders there is a file called "Options.ini". Open this file in notepad and change the "Resolution" line of the file to your native resolution. Save the file. You need to do this for both the original and expansion because they do not share the same settings.
Game: Halo: Combat Evolved
Method: Modify the shortcut target
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-vidmode WIDTH,HEIGHT"
Of course WIDTH and HEIGHT are your resolution measurements. The game may only run in your custom resolution if you launch the game from the modified shortcut.
Game: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Method: Edit a .cfg file
Procedure: I have found this solution online but the instructions refer to directories and files that I don't have. I'll update this if I find the solution.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Microsoft Train Simulator
Method: Modify the shortcut target to force the game to run in a window
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-vm:w
This will force the game to run in a window, the size of which you can specify in the Train Simulator resolution options within the game. Because the game is now windowed, you are in the native resolution. Launching the game from any location other than the modified shortcut file will possibly cause the game to run in fullscreen, not a window. However I strongly reccomend the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Risk II
Method: None
Procedure: None - the resolution is hard-coded into the game and it cannot be forced to run inside a window.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Shadow Ops: Red Mercury
Method: Edit an .ini file
Procedure: Go to the install directory, then the "System" directory. Open the file called "RM.ini" and change the lines "FullscreenViewportX" and "Fullscreen ViewportY" to the appropriate numbers, then save the file. If you are on a widescreen monitor, you can also expand the field of view. To do this go to your "My Documents" folder, then open "Shadow Ops Profiles", then open your profile's folder, then open "User.ini" in notepad. Changed the lines "DesiredFOV" and DefaultFOV" from 85.000000 to 95.437061.
WARNING: After changing the resolution settings in the "RM.ini" file, DO NOT change the resolution through the game settings. Once you go out of the native through the game settings you can't go back...something in the registry overrides the RM.ini file and reinstalls don't help. In fact, resinstalls don't even replace or re-create the RM.ini file. I don't have a solution. I spent a few hours on it, and once I deleted the RM.ini file, hoping a reinstall would rebuild it, I could never get it back.
Game: SimCity 3000
Method: Modify the shortcut target to force the game to run in windowed mode
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-w -rWIDTHxHEIGHT
In this case clearly the WIDTH and HEIGHT are your resolution measurements.
IMPORTANT!!! Unless you are in 16-bit color, the game will not run in a window. It will simply go fullscreen. Change the color depth in the Windows Display Settings. You have to switch this back and forth each time you want to play, or you can simply put up with the fullscreen, non-native resolution. However, because you have to go through so much trouble, I highly reccomend the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: SimCity 4/Rush Hour/Deluxe
Method: Modify the shortcut target
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-CustomResolution:enabled -rWIDTHxHEIGHT
Obviously the width and height would be your native resolution. For me it would say -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1200. Also, the changes you made were to a single shortcut file. Your game will possibly not be in your custom resolution if launched from a something other than the shortcut you just edited.
Game: Starcraft/Brood War
Method: None
Procedure: None - the resolution is hard-coded into the game and it cannot be forced to run inside a window.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Method: Registry hack via a 3rd party app
Procedure: Download the program called "Morrowind FPS Optimizer" from here. http://tes.lanior.ru/tweaker/download.html. Launch the program and click "change Morrowind registry settings here...". Then enter your native resolution and your refresh rate in the boxes. You can then get rid of the FPS optimizer program if you want. The registry has been edited. NOTE: make sure you use the correct refresh rate. To find the correct refresh rate, go to "Display Settings" in the Windows Control Panel, hit "Advanced Settings...", then click the "Monitor" tab and see what you have set there.
Game: Warcraft III Reign of Chaos/The Frozen Throne
Method: Registry hack
Procedure: Because this is a registry edit, follow the instructions exactly because you could really screw up your computer if you change the wrong files. Hit winkey+r to bring up the run command. Enter the command "regedit" to open the Windows Registry Editor. Select HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then select Software, then Blizzard Entertainment, then Warcraft III, then Video. Open the files "reswidth" and "resheight" to modify the values for your width and height, respectively. Be sure you are in decimal, and not hexadecimal, format. This resolution setting will apply to both the original and expansion, because they share the same settings.
*ALTERNATIVE METHOD instructions:
If a game cannot run in your display's native resolution, and you can't (or don't want to) run the game in a window, then read on. Obviously you want native resolution in fullscreen, but if that is not possible for whatever reason, your video drivers may have settings that pertain to how programs in resolutions below the native resolution are handled. View the screenshot below.
I don't know about ATI or Intel, but in NVIDIA's drivers there are options for scaling the program. Note: If your screen spazzes out or gets messed up when you change these settings, it does not support scaling. This was the case with my old desktop display.
1 - Use fullscreen scaling. This means that the game will occupy the entire screen. It will not be at its native resolution, and the aspect ratio may be distorted.
2 - Use scaling but with a fixed-aspect ratio. This means that the game will be stretched to fit the screen, but will maintain the correct aspect ratio (ratio of width to height). Your game will not be in the native resolution, but on a widescreen, black vertical bars will be placed on the left and right of the image. The image will not appear stretched or distorted, but you get black on the sides.
3 - Do not scale. This simply means that the game will run in the native resolution of your monitor, and black space will occupy whatever is left. For an old game like Starcraft or Age of Empires II, this results in a very tiny, but clear picture. One pixel defined in the game corresponds to one pixel on the screen. In old games, there are very few pixels.
Game: Age of Empires II/The Conquerors
Method: None
Procedure: None - the only available resolutions are those you can see in the game options.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Battlefield 1942
Method: Edit several configuration files
Procedure: Go to the directory you installed the game to, and then navigate to Mods>bf1942>Settings. Open all the files in this directory and EACH and EVERY subdirectory that have the word video in the file name. For example "Video.con", "VideoDefault.con", etc. In each of these video files look for resolution settings and correct them to reflect your native resolution. There are a bunch of these configuration files scattered throughout the <Settings> directory and its subfolders. Make sure you get each one. Depending on your install and your profiles you will have different files in different folders. Quite honestly this fix is confusing and unreliable. For example, I changed the resolution through the game options and now can't change it back, even though I've done the above fix. Instead I highly recommend using the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Command and Conquer Generals/Zero Hour
Method: .ini edit
Procedure: In your "My Documents" folder, C&C should have created folders for itself. You should see a folder entitled "Command and Conquer Generals Data" and, if you have the expansion, an additional folder called "Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data". Inside each of these folders there is a file called "Options.ini". Open this file in notepad and change the "Resolution" line of the file to your native resolution. Save the file. You need to do this for both the original and expansion because they do not share the same settings.
Game: Halo: Combat Evolved
Method: Modify the shortcut target
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-vidmode WIDTH,HEIGHT"
Of course WIDTH and HEIGHT are your resolution measurements. The game may only run in your custom resolution if you launch the game from the modified shortcut.
Game: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Method: Edit a .cfg file
Procedure: I have found this solution online but the instructions refer to directories and files that I don't have. I'll update this if I find the solution.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Microsoft Train Simulator
Method: Modify the shortcut target to force the game to run in a window
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-vm:w
This will force the game to run in a window, the size of which you can specify in the Train Simulator resolution options within the game. Because the game is now windowed, you are in the native resolution. Launching the game from any location other than the modified shortcut file will possibly cause the game to run in fullscreen, not a window. However I strongly reccomend the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Risk II
Method: None
Procedure: None - the resolution is hard-coded into the game and it cannot be forced to run inside a window.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: Shadow Ops: Red Mercury
Method: Edit an .ini file
Procedure: Go to the install directory, then the "System" directory. Open the file called "RM.ini" and change the lines "FullscreenViewportX" and "Fullscreen ViewportY" to the appropriate numbers, then save the file. If you are on a widescreen monitor, you can also expand the field of view. To do this go to your "My Documents" folder, then open "Shadow Ops Profiles", then open your profile's folder, then open "User.ini" in notepad. Changed the lines "DesiredFOV" and DefaultFOV" from 85.000000 to 95.437061.
WARNING: After changing the resolution settings in the "RM.ini" file, DO NOT change the resolution through the game settings. Once you go out of the native through the game settings you can't go back...something in the registry overrides the RM.ini file and reinstalls don't help. In fact, resinstalls don't even replace or re-create the RM.ini file. I don't have a solution. I spent a few hours on it, and once I deleted the RM.ini file, hoping a reinstall would rebuild it, I could never get it back.
Game: SimCity 3000
Method: Modify the shortcut target to force the game to run in windowed mode
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-w -rWIDTHxHEIGHT
In this case clearly the WIDTH and HEIGHT are your resolution measurements.
IMPORTANT!!! Unless you are in 16-bit color, the game will not run in a window. It will simply go fullscreen. Change the color depth in the Windows Display Settings. You have to switch this back and forth each time you want to play, or you can simply put up with the fullscreen, non-native resolution. However, because you have to go through so much trouble, I highly reccomend the:
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: SimCity 4/Rush Hour/Deluxe
Method: Modify the shortcut target
Procedure: Right click the shortcut you use to start the game, and hit "Properties". If the "Shortcut" tab is not already selected, select it now. In the box called "Target", append the following (with a space after the end of the original target location).
-CustomResolution:enabled -rWIDTHxHEIGHT
Obviously the width and height would be your native resolution. For me it would say -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1200. Also, the changes you made were to a single shortcut file. Your game will possibly not be in your custom resolution if launched from a something other than the shortcut you just edited.
Game: Starcraft/Brood War
Method: None
Procedure: None - the resolution is hard-coded into the game and it cannot be forced to run inside a window.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD: Use the flat-panel scaling options in your video drivers*
Game: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Method: Registry hack via a 3rd party app
Procedure: Download the program called "Morrowind FPS Optimizer" from here. http://tes.lanior.ru/tweaker/download.html. Launch the program and click "change Morrowind registry settings here...". Then enter your native resolution and your refresh rate in the boxes. You can then get rid of the FPS optimizer program if you want. The registry has been edited. NOTE: make sure you use the correct refresh rate. To find the correct refresh rate, go to "Display Settings" in the Windows Control Panel, hit "Advanced Settings...", then click the "Monitor" tab and see what you have set there.
Game: Warcraft III Reign of Chaos/The Frozen Throne
Method: Registry hack
Procedure: Because this is a registry edit, follow the instructions exactly because you could really screw up your computer if you change the wrong files. Hit winkey+r to bring up the run command. Enter the command "regedit" to open the Windows Registry Editor. Select HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then select Software, then Blizzard Entertainment, then Warcraft III, then Video. Open the files "reswidth" and "resheight" to modify the values for your width and height, respectively. Be sure you are in decimal, and not hexadecimal, format. This resolution setting will apply to both the original and expansion, because they share the same settings.
*ALTERNATIVE METHOD instructions:
If a game cannot run in your display's native resolution, and you can't (or don't want to) run the game in a window, then read on. Obviously you want native resolution in fullscreen, but if that is not possible for whatever reason, your video drivers may have settings that pertain to how programs in resolutions below the native resolution are handled. View the screenshot below.
I don't know about ATI or Intel, but in NVIDIA's drivers there are options for scaling the program. Note: If your screen spazzes out or gets messed up when you change these settings, it does not support scaling. This was the case with my old desktop display.
1 - Use fullscreen scaling. This means that the game will occupy the entire screen. It will not be at its native resolution, and the aspect ratio may be distorted.
2 - Use scaling but with a fixed-aspect ratio. This means that the game will be stretched to fit the screen, but will maintain the correct aspect ratio (ratio of width to height). Your game will not be in the native resolution, but on a widescreen, black vertical bars will be placed on the left and right of the image. The image will not appear stretched or distorted, but you get black on the sides.
3 - Do not scale. This simply means that the game will run in the native resolution of your monitor, and black space will occupy whatever is left. For an old game like Starcraft or Age of Empires II, this results in a very tiny, but clear picture. One pixel defined in the game corresponds to one pixel on the screen. In old games, there are very few pixels.
(33%)
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 5. August 2008, 03:11
helpful ..thank you
srr # 22. August 2008, 04:51
Anonymous # 24. October 2008, 16:49
Great article, I've saved to my bookmarks for future reference ;)
srr # 24. October 2008, 20:25
Anonymous # 8. January 2009, 22:03
Helped me greatly!
Anonymous # 31. January 2009, 18:20
Fantastic! This is incredibly helpful on a couple of games. THanks so much for taking the time to post it.
Anonymous # 22. March 2009, 17:30
I've been on a mission to find a way to run old 640×480 games at exactly double the resolution (1280×960) to avoid the scaling/smoothing artifacts present in your photo 2 up there.
This would be the Holy Grail of playing old games on new, high-res displays: Full quality, no blurriness, but also not a tiny window on a huge screen. But I just don't know that it's going to be possible. :(
I started on the nVidia forums ( http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=85956 ). Someone there said such an option used to exist in nVidia drivers. I never could find it, but I believe that they were talking about Doublescan modes, which are not the same thing.
Someone mentioned the utility RivaTuner. I mentioned on its forums ( http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=284370 ) and got no responses at all.
Way later, I stumbled across a utility called PowerStrip, and asked on ITS forums ( http://forums.entechtaiwan.com/index.php?topic=6873.0 ), but I don't know if their resident expert ever really understood me; he dismissed it as a monitor issue, when it is in fact obviously an issue that could be solved by the monitor OR the graphics card OR even, perhaps, the operating system.
I guess I'm going to have to give up. Riven is my favorite game of all time, and visual perfection is vital to the experience of that game, but I guess I'll never get to play it as it was intended again. X(
Anonymous # 4. April 2009, 23:33
Do you know to expand the resolution of Yuri's Revenge.
(Part of Caommand and Conquer's Red Alert series.)
srr # 2. May 2009, 18:45
Extreme: Check out this article
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Command_%26_Conquer:_Red_Alert_2