How to Get Apex Legends on Other Monitor: It’s Easier Than You…
Honestly, setting up Apex Legends on a second monitor felt like trying to untangle Christmas lights in the dark for the longest time. Expensive mistake number one: thinking it would just… work. I’ve spent hours staring at black screens or the wrong window because I followed advice that was either outdated or just plain wrong.
Confusing settings, conflicting forum posts, and the sheer frustration of not being able to just play the damn game—that was my reality for a solid two weeks. Then, after about my fifth genuine attempt, something finally clicked.
This whole ordeal with wanting to get Apex Legends on other monitor setups is more common than you’d think, and the actual fix is surprisingly simple, if you know where to look.
It’s not some mystical process; it’s just about fiddling with display settings and understanding how Windows and the game actually talk to each other.
Taming Your Display Settings: The Foundation
Okay, let’s cut to the chase. Most of the grief people have with running Apex Legends on a second monitor stems from not understanding the basics of how your computer handles multiple displays. It sounds obvious, right? But trust me, I’ve seen people spend a small fortune on fancy capture cards and software before even checking their Windows display settings. It’s like buying a top-of-the-line pasta maker without realizing you forgot to buy flour. Utterly pointless.
When you plug in a second monitor, Windows assigns it a number. Usually, it’s ‘2’ if your primary display is ‘1’. Apex Legends, like most games, tends to default to whatever display it thinks is primary, or the one it last saw. If that’s not your main gaming monitor, you’re going to have a bad time. The screen might be black, or the game might just refuse to launch properly. I once spent about $180 testing different adapters and cables, convinced my hardware was the issue, only to realize I’d just never told Windows to put the game on the right screen. Embarrassing, but a valuable lesson learned.
The Actual Process: Step-by-Step (no Fluff)
Forget all the complicated theories you’ve read. Here’s what you actually need to do. First, make sure both your monitors are detected by Windows. Right-click your desktop, go to ‘Display settings’. You should see two boxes representing your screens, likely numbered 1 and 2. If you don’t see them, hit ‘Detect’ under the ‘Multiple displays’ section. Crucially, make sure your preferred gaming monitor is set as the ‘Main display’. Click on the box representing that monitor, scroll down, and tick the ‘Make this my main display’ checkbox. This is non-negotiable for a smooth experience. (See Also: How To Put 144hz Monitor At 144hz )
Now, this is where things get a little more specific to Apex. When you launch Apex Legends, it will try to open on your primary display. If you want it on your second monitor, you need to force it. The simplest way is often to launch the game in windowed mode first. Go into Apex Legends’ video settings (you might have to do this on your primary monitor if the game even starts there). Change the display mode to ‘Windowed’ or ‘Windowed Fullscreen’. Then, once the game is running in that window, you can simply drag the Apex Legends window over to your second monitor.
Once it’s on the second monitor, you can then switch it back to ‘Fullscreen’ mode if that’s your preference. The game usually remembers the last display it was on when it was set to fullscreen. This little trick saved me probably seven hours of collective playtime that I would have otherwise wasted troubleshooting. It’s that simple, and that frustratingly overlooked.
Why Everyone Else Gets It Wrong
Seriously, the amount of advice out there about using specific launch commands or editing config files for multi-monitor setups is just… a lot. Most of that used to be relevant years ago when game support for multiple displays was a dumpster fire. Now, Windows handles it far better, and games are generally more compliant. Everyone says to dive deep into game files. I disagree, and here is why: it’s overkill for 90% of users. If your PC can run Apex Legends, it can handle telling the game which screen to use. Messing with config files is how you end up with a broken game installation or worse, a black screen that requires a full driver reinstall. Stick to the in-game settings and Windows display options first. It’s like trying to fix a wobbly table leg by replacing the entire foundation; unnecessary and potentially damaging.
The ‘what If It Still Doesn’t Work?’ Contingency Plan
So, you’ve set your main display correctly, you’ve tried launching in windowed mode and dragging it over, and it’s still being a stubborn mule. What now? Check your graphics card control panel – NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Software. Sometimes, there are specific settings there that can override Windows or game defaults. Look for display or multi-monitor settings. You might need to adjust your primary display setting within the graphics card software itself. Also, ensure your graphics drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers are like trying to run a marathon with worn-out shoes – slow, painful, and ineffective. A quick update can sometimes fix weird display glitches that have nothing to do with Apex Legends itself but affect how it interacts with your hardware.
Common Pitfalls and How to Sidestep Them
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is assuming their monitors are identical just because they look the same. They’re not. Even two identical models can have slightly different refresh rates or resolutions that confuse the game. Always double-check the resolution and refresh rate settings for each monitor in Windows Display Settings. You want them to be as compatible as possible, or at least for the game to recognize the resolution you’re setting it to on the target monitor.
Another common issue is resolution scaling. If one monitor is set to 100% scaling and the other to 125%, Windows can get confused when an application tries to span across them or launch on one specifically. Try to keep scaling settings consistent, or at least be aware of them when troubleshooting. The visual fidelity you get from running Apex Legends on a high-resolution second monitor is amazing, but only if the system can handle the data transfer smoothly. (See Also: How To Switch An Acer Monitor To Hdmi )
Apex Legends Dual Monitor Setup: Quick Comparison
Here’s a quick rundown of the common approaches and my take on them:
| Method | Pros | Cons | My Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Primary Display Setting + Windowed Mode Drag | Simple, uses built-in OS features. Usually works. | Requires manual dragging if game launches incorrectly. |
Best for most users. It’s direct, requires no fiddling with files, and is the least likely to break things. |
| Graphics Card Control Panel Settings | Can offer more granular control. Solves stubborn issues. | Can be confusing for beginners. Overrides can cause conflicts. |
Good fallback. Use if the Windows method fails. Be careful not to create new problems. |
| Editing Game Config Files (.cfg) | Potentially precise control over display output. | High risk of breaking game. Complex for average user. Outdated advice. |
Avoid. Only for advanced users who understand the risks and have exhausted all other options. |
Addressing Your Burning Questions
Can I Play Apex Legends on Two Monitors at Once?
Not really in the way you might think. You can’t have two separate instances of the game running, one on each monitor, for competitive play. Apex Legends is designed to run on a single instance. What you *can* do is run the game on one monitor and have something else on the second, like a stream, Discord, or a browser. This is the most common and practical use for a dual-monitor setup with games like Apex.
What Is the Best Way to Set Up Apex Legends on Another Monitor?
The most reliable method is to first set your desired gaming monitor as the ‘Main display’ in Windows Display Settings. Then, launch Apex Legends in Windowed or Windowed Fullscreen mode, drag the game window to your second monitor, and finally switch it to Fullscreen mode within the game’s video settings. This usually locks the game to that display. (See Also: How To Monitor My Sleep With Apple Watch )
Is Having Apex Legends on a Second Monitor Performance Intensive?
Generally, no. The performance impact comes from the game itself running on the primary monitor. Having a second monitor displaying something else, like a video or chat application, uses minimal additional resources compared to the game. However, if you are trying to run the game in a windowed mode that spans across both monitors (which isn’t practical for Apex), or if your second monitor has a significantly higher refresh rate than your primary and the game is trying to sync with it, you might see a slight performance dip.
Do I Need Special Software to Run Apex Legends on Another Monitor?
For the vast majority of users, the answer is a resounding no. Standard Windows display settings and the in-game video options are all you need. Any special software often suggested is usually outdated or designed for much older operating systems or games with notoriously poor multi-monitor support. Stick to the built-in tools first; they are far more robust now than they used to be. According to Microsoft’s own documentation on Windows display management, native OS features are designed to handle multi-monitor configurations effectively for most applications.
Conclusion
So, after all that, getting Apex Legends on your other monitor really boils down to telling Windows which screen is king and then guiding the game there. It’s a far cry from the arcane rituals I thought were necessary.
Don’t waste your money on fancy software or feel like you need to be some kind of tech wizard. The solution for how to get Apex Legends on other monitor is almost always in the basic display settings, both in Windows and within the game itself.
Try the windowed-drag-to-fullscreen method first. If that fails, then venture into your graphics card control panel settings.
Just remember, most of the time, the answer is simpler than you think, and that’s the best kind of fix there is.
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