Guide: How to stretch 4:3 resolution (remove borders) [EXPLAINED]

[Helioto]

Updated for CS:2 on 19/07/2024
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Fast explanation bellow. Step by step guide just after it, if you need more explanation.

Fast Explanation:

-Change your system resolution to the same resolution you want to stretch (do not skip this step);
-Open GPU control panel and change the scaling option to full screen (or enabled), apply;
-Make sure cs2 is running at the same resolution you just stretched;
-Apply the changes in the control panel. After that, revert the system resolution to the the same you used before, and your changes will be saved;


Step-by-step guide:


Part one: Outside of the game

In order to stretch a certain resolution on your game, you first need to change some settings outside of it. All steps on this part are meant to be made without opening cs2. If you have cs2 opened, close it now.

1 - Set your computer resolution to the same resolution you want to stretch.
For example, If you want to play cs2 using 1024 x 720 stretched, you must change the computer(desktop) resolution to 1024 x 720 first. It will work with any 4:3 ratio resolution.

You can generally change your pc resolution by right-click on your desktop and them choosing 'resolution'.

2 - After changing the resolution, you should now have black bars. That's because the resolution can't fit your entire screen, we need to change some settings to stretch this resolution so you won't have black bars anymore. If these black bars are gone from your desktop, it will also go away in your game (any game that use this same resolution)

3- Open your GPU control panel (graphics card control interface). If you don't now how to open it read the steps bellow. Jump to step 4 if you know how to open it.

- For AMD gpus, you can open the "Radeon Settings" by right clicking on the desktop and choosing the option called "AMD Radeon Settings". It can also be labeled as "CCC"
- For NVIDIA gpus, right-click on the desktop, and choose "Nvidia Control Panel"
- For (some) intel integrated gpus, right click on your desktop and select Graphics Properties.
- If your card is not listed here, try to search on google how to open the graphics settings for your GPU.


4 - Once you have opened your GPU's control panel, look for "GPU scaling" and enable it. The settings that actually does the stretching have different names depending on your GPU:

- For AMD gpus, you should set the "Scaling Mode" option to "Full panel"
- For Nvidia gpus, you will find it under the monitor display settings, "adjust desktop size and position").
- For any card not listed here, try to look for a setting which changes desktop resolution parameters, sometimes this options appears as 'full screen scaling mode', "Screen Scaling" or just "Scaling". If so, change it to "Full screen". If there's no Full Screen option, try each one of the available settings and hit apply and see if the black bars are gone.

*If using more than one monitor setup:
-Nvidia lets you change scaling for each monitor connected, make sure to select the right one. AMD also should have this options (can't say for certain because I don't have an AMD video card anymore). But keep in mind that multiple monitor setup can sometimes prevent the screen from stretching altogether.

*If you were unable to get rid of the black bars because you didn't find the option, try to look on google 'how to change the GPU scaling' on your specific graphic's card model. It's easier to find by using these keywords.


5 - Close everything, keep all changes for now.
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Part Two: Inside of Counter Strike 2.

All steps on this part are meant to be done inside of cs2. Open the game.

6 - If you didn't do this already, go to options, and change the cs2 resolution to the same you just stretched, and your black bars should now be gone.

You can now change your desktop resolution to the resolution you used before, and every time you launch your game the resolution will be stretched.

7- Done, enjoy your game.
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*Note 1: if couldn't stretch your resolution after following this guide step by step, just leave a comment. I'm always online. Also, look on the comments section, there's a lot of methods described by other users.

*Note 2: Multiple-monitor setups reportedly prevents screen stretching on some GPUs, so try to select the right monitor when changing settings, if that doesn't work, try to follow the guide using only one monitor plugged in.

*Note 3: For some gpu's, the option to scale the screen won't be available unless the resolution you want to stretch is currently applied as the current resolution of your monitor. That's why I started this guide by asking you to change your desktop resolution.

[fast boi]

Plz help when i turn my game on it didnt show me the game it just stretched my desktop i dont want to have stretched resolution anymore i just want to have my game back😭

[Helioto]

fast boi님이 먼저 게시:

Plz help when i turn my game on it didnt show me the game it just stretched my desktop i dont want to have stretched resolution anymore i just want to have my game back😭

So the game doesnt open and the screen remains stretched?

[Tahm kench]

I am having problems with getting the stretched resolution to stay on csgo and not my desktop. I can do it while csgo is open but as soon as i open it again the resolution is gone and i have to put on stretch again. I can live with it but my friend has is so he can just start up csgo and his stretch is on. Any suggestions how to do it? (My friend can't remember how he did it)

[Helioto]

Mike Coxlong님이 먼저 게시:

I am having problems with getting the stretched resolution to stay on csgo and not my desktop. I can do it while csgo is open but as soon as i open it again the resolution is gone and i have to put on stretch again. I can live with it but my friend has is so he can just start up csgo and his stretch is on. Any suggestions how to do it? (My friend can't remember how he did it)

What are your specs?

[Ok]

+rep worked:)

[WALE TŁOKI CAŁY DZIEŃ]

I think 4;3 is better

[Mr.Ailiee]

Only thing it didn't work was when I change my desktop resolution to the resolution I used before, cs res goes back to blackbars. Has it something to do with Fullscreen/fullscreen windowed on CS res? thanks for help

[Helioto]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.com Ailiee님이 먼저 게시:

Only thing it didn't work was when I change my desktop resolution to the resolution I used before, cs res goes back to blackbars. Has it something to do with Fullscreen/fullscreen windowed on CS res? thanks for help

Always use fullscreen if you want to play with a stretched screen, as far as I know fullscreen windowed doesn't work

[76561199011427790]

oooooo

[Tahm kench]

Helioto님이 먼저 게시:

Mike Coxlong님이 먼저 게시:

I am having problems with getting the stretched resolution to stay on csgo and not my desktop. I can do it while csgo is open but as soon as i open it again the resolution is gone and i have to put on stretch again. I can live with it but my friend has is so he can just start up csgo and his stretch is on. Any suggestions how to do it? (My friend can't remember how he did it)

What are your specs?

I got it to work

[Hiu Deag]

ctrl님이 먼저 게시:

Guys! i have made a video with a fix for this problem if you cannot find the fix in the nvidia controlpanel or intel graphics driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R3E9uHVA1c

omg it works so well in windows 10, big love to u <3

[MaltaCVO]

At the part from the black bars from descktop, i didnt find a way to take off.

[♥ MaX'2Ny ♥]

how can i turn it back to black bars ?

[Helioto]

MaltaCVO님이 먼저 게시:

At the part from the black bars from descktop, i didnt find a way to take off.

Can you give more details?

♥ MaX'2Ny ♥님이 먼저 게시:

how can i turn it back to black bars ?

Yes. Just change the scaling option back to whatever you had before.
If you didn't remember which option you had, just try each one of them until you get the black bars back (set the desktop resolution to 4:3 so you can see instantly if the black bars change)

[karol28pl]

can I do it on a laptop with no monitor?