Project64 Won’t Go Fullscreen? Try These Fixes

Project64 is a popular open-source Nintendo 64 emulator, enabling gamers to relive classic games on modern PCs. While its performance and compatibility are widely appreciated, many users encounter issues when trying to switch to fullscreen mode. Whether you’re using it for gaming, streaming, or simply want a more immersive experience, fullscreen functionality is crucial. If Project64 won’t go fullscreen for you, don’t worry—there are a number of reliable troubleshooting steps that can help restore this feature.

TL;DR

If Project64 refuses to enter fullscreen mode, the issue could stem from outdated graphics plugins, incorrect settings, or conflicts with display drivers. Try updating the video plugin, checking resolution settings, or adjusting graphics card settings through your system software. In some cases, a corrupted configuration file may require resetting the emulator’s settings. Follow the steps below to restore fullscreen capability and get back to gaming without disruption.

Common Causes of Fullscreen Issues in Project64

Before diving into solutions, it’s useful to understand why Project64 might not be going fullscreen. Here are some common causes:

• Improper video plugin configurations
• Conflicts with Windows display settings
• Corrupt or outdated configuration files
• GPU software interfering with rendering
• Display scaling or resolution mismatch

Each of these problems has different solutions, which we’ll walk through in the sections below.

1. Update or Change the Video Plugin

Project64 relies on video plugins to render the game graphics correctly. Some of these plugins are outdated or incompatible with certain graphics cards or drivers. By default, Project64 often uses the Jabo Direct3D8 plugin, which may not support fullscreen on modern systems.

Follow these steps to check and update your video plugin:

1. Open Project64 and go to Options > Settings > Plugins.
2. Under Video (graphics) plugin, try switching to a more robust plugin like GLideN64.
3. If it’s not installed, you can download it from a reliable source or from the official Project64 forums.
4. After selecting the plugin, restart the emulator and attempt to go fullscreen again by pressing Alt + Enter.

GLideN64 is generally more compatible with modern GPUs and supports more advanced video rendering options.

2. Change Display Settings in Windows

Display configurations at the OS level can interfere with how fullscreen modes work for older applications like Project64. This is especially true if you use multiple monitors, non-standard scaling options, or have recently updated your GPU drivers.

Try the following:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings.
2. Under Scale and layout, make sure your scaling is set to 100%.
3. Set your screen resolution to its native default (e.g., 1920×1080 for most modern monitors).
4. Temporarily disable any secondary monitors and test fullscreen again.
5. Use Alt + Enter in Project64 while in a game to toggle fullscreen mode.

These steps help isolate whether the problem is due to external display settings rather than Project64 itself.

3. Check or Modify Project64’s Configuration Files

If your Project64 settings file has become corrupted or contains incompatible settings, it might prevent fullscreen mode from activating properly. You can either edit the configuration manually or reset it to default.

To reset Project64’s settings:

1. Close Project64 completely.
2. Navigate to your Project64 installation folder. Depending on how you installed it, this might be under:
   • C:\Program Files\Project64 or
   • C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Project64
3. Find and delete (or back up) the Project64.cfg file.
4. Restart Project64. A new default configuration file will be created automatically.

This procedure reverts all emulator settings to their defaults, including video settings and control mappings. After that, reconfigure the emulator to your preference and test fullscreen mode again.

4. GPU Software Conflicts: NVIDIA and AMD Users

Modern graphics cards come with software like NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings, and these can interfere with how applications handle window modes and scaling.

Try the following GPU-specific fixes:

NVIDIA Users

• Open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Navigate to Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
• Add Project64.exe to the list if it’s not already there.
• Set Preferred graphics processor to High-performance NVIDIA processor.
• Under display scaling, choose No scaling or GPU scaling depending on your setup.

AMD Users

• Open Radeon Settings.
• Go to Display and locate Scaling Mode.
• Set it to Preserve aspect ratio or Full panel depending on how you want the emulator to stretch.
• Also under graphics settings, assign Project64.exe to use High Performance.

If GPU settings are forcing specific display options, they can override emulator behavior. Adjusting them can resolve your fullscreen obstacle.

5. Use Compatibility Mode in Windows

Older software like Project64 sometimes performs better under compatibility modes due to how Windows handles fullscreen rendering in newer builds such as Windows 10 or 11.

1. Right-click on Project64.exe and select Properties.
2. Go to the Compatibility tab.
3. Check Run this program in compatibility mode, and select Windows 7 or Windows XP.
4. Also check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
5. Click Apply and then launch the emulator.

This tweak often solves mysterious fullscreen behavior, especially on newer hardware where fullscreen optimizations can cause issues for retro emulators.

6. Use Direct Input for Controllers

If you’re using a game controller, especially through Steam or a similar overlay system, conflicts between input configurations and rendering may occur. These can sometimes prevent clean transitions to fullscreen.

Try switching to DirectInput:

1. Go to Options > Input Settings.
2. Select a plugin supporting DirectInput like N-Rage’s Input Plugin.
3. Uncheck any “Acquire keyboard exclusively” or similar settings that could lock input mode.

Restart Project64 and try to enter fullscreen again via Alt + Enter.

Final Thoughts

Fullscreen issues with Project64 can be frustrating, but they’re rarely unfixable. Most problems stem from outdated plugins, conflicting display settings, or driver-level overrides from GPU software. By methodically going through the fixes listed above, you can usually restore optimal fullscreen performance without needing to reinstall or switch to another emulator.

As always, be sure to download updates and plugins only from trusted sources. Backing up your Project64 configuration and save files before making major changes is also a good idea.

Now that you’re armed with these solutions, you should be able to enjoy your favorite N64 classics the way they were meant to be played—on the big screen.