Ichisich wrote on 2026-04-18, 16:48:

Dege wrote on 2026-04-03, 16:30:

I looked into the code responsible for handling fake and real fullscreen screen modes in dgVoodoo, and I did some fixes (but not […]
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I looked into the code responsible for handling fake and real fullscreen screen modes in dgVoodoo, and I did some fixes (but not many testings, I did it in a kind of rush):

• Now fake fullscreen fully resembles the behaviour of real fullscreen.
  Except that fake fullscreen cannot handle "Centered", "Stretched" scaling modes, those are mapped to "Unspecified". But unspecified now does resolution changing when needed, as with real fullscreen.
  So, the difference between real/fake is
  - fake rendering window does not get kicked out of fullscreen state when it is obscured by other windows
  - fake fullscreen can get into "not responding" state if a game is not responding because of a long loading stage and isn't pumping the message queue
• It might fix the annoying window-resize problem, when the fullscreen window becomes small in the corner of the screen

Would it be possible to implement a [Ignore refreshrate] setting in the fullscreen mode attributes section?
Now, with the changes in 2.87.1, many old games default the display to low arbitrary refreshrates.

Only the fake fullscreen path has been changed, and now it takes refresh rates into account just like regular fullscreen.
You can force a high refresh rate through dgVoodoo, preventing the game from choosing anything else.
But, indeed, instead of defining a specific numerical value, it'd be cool to have a refresh rate option "desktop" to force the current desktop refresh rate whatever it is.
(I guess your desktop is displayed at some high refresh rate like 120/240Hz but the game picks up a low refresh rate like 60Hz.)

Ichisich wrote on 2026-04-18, 16:48:

Now, with the changes in 2.87.1, many old games default the display to low arbitrary refreshrates.

With "B5 into the fire" alpha game I also noticed some resolution problems. With 2.87 when I started the game with incorrect display settings in game config, it set default to 640x480, then I pressed F12 to choose optimal resolution, selected it, and the new resolution has been applied within few seconds. With 2.87.1 after selecting new resolution, display reacts as if it was changed, but in fact it remains 640x480 until closing and full restart of the game.

But I guess all this happens with Fake fullscreen enabled, because only fake fullscreen behaviour has changed in 2.87.1.
If you set the scaling mode to "stretched, keep aspect ratio" then it should work as before. Aside from the refresh rate thing because it is also set now, like in real fullscreen.

Dege wrote on 2026-05-05, 21:30:

If you set the scaling mode to "stretched, keep aspect ratio" then it should work as before.

Now works better. But it always uses the desktop resolution as maximum possible. For example, if the desktop is "1024 x 768", and in game you set "1280 x 1024", the real resolution would be "1024 x 768", even after game restart.

Macron wrote on 2026-05-06, 08:11:

Dege wrote on 2026-05-05, 21:30:

If you set the scaling mode to "stretched, keep aspect ratio" then it should work as before.

Now works better. But it always uses the desktop resolution as maximum possible. For example, if the desktop is "1024 x 768", and in game you set "1280 x 1024", the real resolution would be "1024 x 768", even after game restart.

If your desktop is 1024x768 (either being set to be that at OS level or forced through GeneralExt\DesktopResolution) then dgvoodoo will downscale the 1280 x 1024 image to 1024 x 768.
The point of scaling mode 'Stretched, keep AR' is to leave the desktop resolution as is (or change it to GeneralExt\DesktopResolution if defined) and then upscale/downscale the output image to that resolution.

Dege wrote on 2026-05-05, 21:30:

But I guess all this happens with Fake fullscreen enabled, because only fake fullscreen behaviour has changed in 2.87.1.
If you set the scaling mode to "stretched, keep aspect ratio" then it should work as before. Aside from the refresh rate thing because it is also set now, like in real fullscreen.

So I did some testing.

Montezuma's Return 1.29w (max 800x600, can't be overriden via dgVoodoo nor a mod/patch).
RTX 2080ti, 240Hz G-sync monitor, Win10.
*game speed is tied to FPS, I haven't properly tested timings, but it seems max 120fps works ok

The VGA mode (DirectX) fullscreen pretty much works as expected:
- monitor doesn't change resolution nor refresh rate (with Stretched, keep Aspect Ratio)
- it honors Vsync (tho only from dgVooodoo, not it's own setup) to display refresh rate
- if honors FPS limit, with or without V-sync
- it honors fullscreen scaling modes
- it works with G-sync
- no need for Fake Fullscreen as alt+tab is instantaneous, tho I tested it and saw no difference from regular Fullscreen
*Fake Fullscreen disables G-sync (Output API = best available one, usually MSI Afterburner shows DX11 being used with or without Fake Fullscreen)

The 3DFX mode (Glide) fullscreen works like this:
- it sets the monitor to 60Hz
- above happens no matter if if force 800x600, 240 or 1920x1080, 240 or GeneralExt desktop to 1920x1080, 240 or any of those combinations together
- enabling V-sync in dgVoodoo locks the FPS to 60hz regardless of any other setting
- only difference with Fake Fullscreen is that alt+tab is a bit faster because the monitor is running in 1920x1080@60hz
- with Fake Fullscreen when alt+tab puts the game in background, with regular Fullscreen it will put the game into windowed mode for some reason?
- the above doesn't change if I enable "Enable inactive app state" (shouldn't regular Fullscreen alt+tab close the game as the popup info implies?)
- FPS limit (no Vsync) "works" in a sense that you are rendering frames above 60hz which looks meh, since the panel is at smeary 60hz
- above usually works if (no V-sync) unlocked FPS >>> Hz because tearing becomes invisible, but this game shouldn't run above 120fps, so you get visible tearlines along with 60hz smeary display
- I haven't tested GeneralExt Presentation modes if I can somehow break from 60hz mode
- it honors fullscreen scaling modes
*Fake Fullscreen specifically disables G-sync

Workaround (specifically for 3DFX) - run Windowed mode with GeneralExt Borderless + Fullescreen size enabled, and limit to max 120fps, V-sync optional
*Windowed mode also disables G-sync

Question - why does Fake Fullscreen and Windowed mode disable G-Sync?
- I have it enabled for windowed programs too, it's not even picked up by G-sync.
- I have the G-sync indicator and if it works it's green "G-Sync" text in the corner, if it's not it's gray "Normal" text, but none are present here.
- DX12 API doesn't work with this game, so I can't test that, so consider that everything was done with Best possible API, which is DX11, which has G-Sync in regular Fullscreen
- I tried using Lossless Scaling without any upscaling or framegen just to get G-sync, but the FPS is choppy (please see dgVoodoo + Lossless Scaling (upscale only) )

I don't know what fake full-screen is in this content, but in general if a game uses window borderless display mode, it will be treated as a fullscreen (exclusive) mode for GSYNC purposes. The windowed GSYNC mode was a hack for some Windows 10 apps that no longer really works.

My experience is with a couple DX11 titles (iRacing, American Truck Simulator).

y2k se wrote on 2026-10-01, 15:50:

I don't know what fake full-screen is in this content, but in general if a game uses window borderless display mode, it will be treated as a fullscreen (exclusive) mode for GSYNC purposes. The windowed GSYNC mode was a hack for some Windows 10 apps that no longer really works.

My experience is with a couple DX11 titles (iRacing, American Truck Simulator).

There is "Fullscreen mode attributes" in GeneralExt with "Fake" option, popup states "Forces fake fullscreen with a screen sized borderless window".
It's relevant to this discussion.

G-Sync indeed is spotty when it comes to windowed apps, but dgVoodoo isn't hooked when you run anything else than proper Fullscreen.
You'd expect Fake Fullscreen to get hooked but it isn't, same for Window mode with Borderless + Fullscreen size flags.
In fact, I've seen some windowed apps that are hooked with G-sync but it's not enabled on them - this usually has the indicator "Normal" in top right corner, and this also isn't happening with dgVoodoo.

I know G-Sync is slightly off-topic here, but I've posted this finding for just in case.
So is my mentioning of Lossless Scaling (afaik Special K can too, and very maybe RTSS if you inject Reflex), since you can use it to only enable G-Sync on stuff that doesn't have it, but in dgVoodoo FPS becomes choppy and unstable.

Gotta figure out why Fake Fullscreen forces game's own FPS and it can't be overriden.

2mg wrote on 2026-10-01, 17:19:

There is "Fullscreen mode attributes" in GeneralExt with "Fake" option, popup states "Forces fake fullscreen with a screen sized […]
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y2k se wrote on 2026-10-01, 15:50:

I don't know what fake full-screen is in this content, but in general if a game uses window borderless display mode, it will be treated as a fullscreen (exclusive) mode for GSYNC purposes. The windowed GSYNC mode was a hack for some Windows 10 apps that no longer really works.

My experience is with a couple DX11 titles (iRacing, American Truck Simulator).

There is "Fullscreen mode attributes" in GeneralExt with "Fake" option, popup states "Forces fake fullscreen with a screen sized borderless window".
It's relevant to this discussion.

G-Sync indeed is spotty when it comes to windowed apps, but dgVoodoo isn't hooked when you run anything else than proper Fullscreen.
You'd expect Fake Fullscreen to get hooked but it isn't, same for Window mode with Borderless + Fullscreen size flags.
In fact, I've seen some windowed apps that are hooked with G-sync but it's not enabled on them - this usually has the indicator "Normal" in top right corner, and this also isn't happening with dgVoodoo.

I know G-Sync is slightly off-topic here, but I've posted this finding for just in case.
So is my mentioning of Lossless Scaling (afaik Special K can too, and very maybe RTSS if you inject Reflex), since you can use it to only enable G-Sync on stuff that doesn't have it, but in dgVoodoo FPS becomes choppy and unstable.

Gotta figure out why Fake Fullscreen forces game's own FPS and it can't be overriden.

I'm not sure what else to add. I run iRacing on three screens with Surround, GSYNC and Reflex enabled using windowed borderless mode and get proper GSYNC behavior on all three screens. I get the same with ATS/ETS2 except that uses the Ultra Low Latency setting in NVCP since they don't support Reflex.

why does Fake Fullscreen and Windowed mode disable G-Sync?

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern one - go to GeneralExt and change "Presentation model" setting to either "Flip discard" or "Flip sequential".

- I have it enabled for windowed programs too

Nvidia's "Enabled for windowed" G-Sync mode is an old hack, it's not 100% reliable.

vlad54rus wrote on 2026-10-02, 12:23:

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern […]
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why does Fake Fullscreen and Windowed mode disable G-Sync?

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern one - go to GeneralExt and change "Presentation model" setting to either "Flip discard" or "Flip sequential".

- I have it enabled for windowed programs too

Nvidia's "Enabled for windowed" G-Sync mode is an old hack, it's not 100% reliable.

Thanks!

Still doesn't answer why Fake + Glide (at least in this one game) changes the refresh rate of the monitor, if Fake + D3D works with max refresh rate.

2mg wrote on 2026-10-01, 14:48:

- Montezuma's Return 1.29w (max 800x600, can't be overriden via dgVoodoo nor a mod/patch).

- DX12 API doesn't work with this game, so I can't test that, so consider that everything was done with Best possible API, which is DX11, which has G-Sync in regular Fullscreen

Why? I can play it through DX12 along with forced max resolution. Though I had to enable option Glide\16BitDepthBuffer to get a glitch-free image.

Also, if you enable option General\EnumerateRefreshRates and select a display mode with a refresh rate you want, or even override the refresh rate manually (see the picture) to an arbitrary value, it should work. *

1) Fake fullscreen is just a screen-size borderless window; dgVoodoo still sets the physical display mode on the monitor if "unspecified", "stretched" or "centered" scaling mode is set but then it only makes the game rendering window borderless and stretches it all across the screen. From DX11/12 point of view the rendering is plain windowed. I don't know if G-sync detects this special case and treats the presentation as fullscreen.

2) Real fullscreen is real fullscreen from DX11/12 POV too and no any other window is allowed to overlap (even partially) the fullscreen rendering window. If such a case is detected then DX11/12 itself kicks out the rendering from fullscreen to plain (non-borderless) windowed. That's why it happens when you Alt-Tab from real fullscreen.

*

Dege wrote on 2026-10-09, 18:16:

Why? I can play it through DX12 along with forced max resolution. Though I had to enable option Glide\16BitDepthBuffer to get a glitch-free image.

Also, if you enable option General\EnumerateRefreshRates and select a display mode with a refresh rate you want, or even override the refresh rate manually (see the picture) to an arbitrary value, it should work. *

Glide\16BitDepthBuffer was necessary for DX12 indeed!

From what I've seen, Fullscreen + Fake for some reason loses VRR (G-sync), while Windowed will work, tho I'm forcing G-sync on Windowed apps, for testing I disabled it on Windowed apps and yeah it's gone too with Windowed + Fullscreen Size + Borderless, still doesn't explain why Fake wouldn't work with VRR if I'm forcing G-sync on Windowed apps. [see posts below for this issue, related to PresentMode]

There is Fullscreen with "Fake" and without "Fake", times "Centered, keep aspect ratio" and "Stretched, keep aspect ratio", times "Unforced" and "Max" and "1920x1080, 240" number of combinations.

Unless there is a golden combination to make DX/VGA version actually use increased resolution, whilst Glide seems to always uses higher resolution (which was common with glide) if you go above "Unforced", it boils down to these 4 scenarios:

DX/VGA will look like this with "Max" and below is with "1920x1080, 240", and always one of the "keep aspect ratio" non-CRT option:

3Dfx/Glide will look like this with "Max" and below is with "1920x1080, 240", and always one of the "keep aspect ratio" non-CRT option:

0. I just noticed that restarting first level doesn't always land you in the same exact spot for some reason, even at 60fps limit 😀

1. DX/VGA is obviously 800x600 by the look of the jaggies (look at the yellow crystal), 3Dfx/Glide is much less aliased.

2. As you can see, "Max" in my case is some unknown (probably 4:3) resolution which is I presume unrelated to me using "Centered/Stretched keep aspect ratio" - how can I know the render resolution?

2a. When "1920x1080, 240" the render resolution is probably that same "Max" (4:3) resolution, but it's stretched, which I can't make sense of, why isn't it rendering at 16:9 due to "1920x1080, 240" OR enforcing a 4:3 resolution with "Centered, keep aspect ratio"?

2b. You could maybe make a case that it's not stretched, but that FoV isn't adjusted, but yeah, 3D stuff looks stretched, and 2D stuff like menus definitely are stretched to 16:9, so I dunno if it's just FoV issue...

3. I noticed that "resolution, refreshrate" is NOT saving them at all anywhere - I even launched the dgVoodoo Control Panel with admin rights - which probably means why I can not force Glide version above 60Hz since it doesn't apply/save it, and note that I'm talking 60Hz refresh rate, if you disable Vsync with Glide and have no FPS limit the game will render mad fast, but the screen will be locked to 60Hz, and I mean 60hz mode, not "VRR is going down to 60Hz".

3a. Glide's (at stock settings) forced 60Hz is also unexpected behavior, because DX version doesn't change the monitor's refresh rate, yet Glide version will, why?

3b. "Enumerate refresh rates" actually works as expected, tho it reports 239 as max refresh rate - I did try 1920x1080, 120 in my testing related to 3 and 3a and it didn't work, so it's not just a "you put in an impossible refresh rate".

4. I tried "Max, 22" and "1920x1080, 38" and results are inconsistent - since I'm using G-sync, DX/VGA version seem to be LFC'd to 60 and 120Hz (which makes little sense since 22*3 or 22*4 isn't exact 60 nor 120hz, and I know this panel can handle 22fps LFC to 66Hz for example, yet here screen OSD shows 60/120hz changing, but maybe it's flipping so rapidly between these two and it doesn't show instantaneous VRR Hz changes and/or the VRR logic is a bit "less flexible" to wild FPS changes), Glide version OTOH switches the panel to 60hz and it doesn't change, probably due to fact that Glide version actually switches the screen into 60hz mode because of 3 and 3a problem.

Dege wrote on 2026-10-09, 18:16:

1) Fake fullscreen is just a screen-size borderless window; dgVoodoo still sets the physical display mode on the monitor if "unspecified", "stretched" or "centered" scaling mode is set but then it only makes the game rendering window borderless and stretches it all across the screen. From DX11/12 point of view the rendering is plain windowed. I don't know if G-sync detects this special case and treats the presentation as fullscreen.

2) Real fullscreen is real fullscreen from DX11/12 POV too and no any other window is allowed to overlap (even partially) the fullscreen rendering window. If such a case is detected then DX11/12 itself kicks out the rendering from fullscreen to plain (non-borderless) windowed. That's why it happens when you Alt-Tab from real fullscreen.

So what's the difference between Fullscreen + Fake and Windowed + Borderless + Fullscreen Size (+ Always on top optionally)?

Why is VRR disabled with Fake? [see posts below for this issue, related to PresentMode]

In fact, if "Fullscreen + Fake" with "Centered/Stretched, keep aspect ratio" is turned on, how can Glide version even change the refresh rate of the monitor if it's a window as you say it is?
Note that G-sync isn't just syncing VRR to 60Hz - I have to wait those ~3sec of black screen for monitor to change to 60Hz mode.

Here's something more to think about:

Windowed with NO other GeneralExt options, "Stretched, keep aspect ratio", Resolution "Unforced" - DX version will first appear in the top left corner, then in the middle only if you enable "Center App Window", and it will never have window border/title box for some reason, while Glide version will have them.

DX version will show the welcome screen (one before level select screen) and the music will start playing, and it's working very nice.

However Glide version first of all the window won't appear anywhere - and you need to press Space the moment the music starts or the game will crash if you wait a bit.
If you don't miss that timing (it's not that tight but yeah), a proper bordered with titlebox window will appear top left.

If you put "Center App Window" the level select window will instead appear in the middle of your screen, but it won't fix the invisible welcome screen.

If you enable Borderless and Fullscreen size (with Stretched, keep aspect ratio), you're good to go (except maybe putting 60-120FPS limit to slow the game down).

Now for some reason I can't replicate this behavior again (all of this was done on a fresh install) but one of the versions with Windowed + Fullscreen size + Boderless had an issue depending if you enabled/disabled "Center App Window" one of them looked proper, while other was rendered beyond the physical screen size, it was overblown extremely, basically you saw about ~1/4 of the top left and other 3/4 were outside the screen.
Dunno why this is gone now.

Some notes:
- this was a fresh reinstall of Montezuma, and I used a different install media, tho it's still 1.29w version
- this time when I was prompted for compatibility settings Windows popup, I said ok and I said that the program launched properly when I was told some settings were applied, I don't remember if I did this the first time around, but maybe some compat flags are now enabled that weren't before
- first install had a skip intro and Glide/Crash fixes, both available on PCGW, but this time I also put a NOCD patch (there's one floating around that covers 1.13, 1.26 and 1.29 versions in one zip)
- I also don't remember what sort of Resampling I used but it might've been Lanczos-3, this time it's Bilinear (stock)

If you want me to test all possible combinations, I will, but I'll need some time, even this post took way too much 😁
And I hope I gave you some info to work with.

EDIT: I forgot to do what was said here to see G-sync behavior:

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern […]
Show full quote

why does Fake Fullscreen and Windowed mode disable G-Sync?

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern one - go to GeneralExt and change "Presentation model" setting to either "Flip discard" or "Flip sequential".

- I have it enabled for windowed programs too

Nvidia's "Enabled for windowed" G-Sync mode is an old hack, it's not 100% reliable.

vlad54rus wrote on 2026-10-02, 12:23:

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern one - go to GeneralExt and change "Presentation model" setting to either "Flip discard" or "Flip sequential".

Sorry to bother again, but which one of these has lower input lag?

I presume discard works with newest frames, and sequential has a FIFO queue, but does the former have framepacing issues and does the latter have more input latency?

2mg wrote on Today, 04:47:

vlad54rus wrote on 2026-10-02, 12:23:

dgVoodoo2 defaults to a legacy presentation model which (when windowed) is not natively compatible with G-Sync. To get a modern one - go to GeneralExt and change "Presentation model" setting to either "Flip discard" or "Flip sequential".

Sorry to bother again, but which one of these has lower input lag?

I presume discard works with newest frames, and sequential has a FIFO queue, but does the former have framepacing issues and does the latter have more input latency?

Currently, there is no difference which one you choose, not without involving third-party software (such as SpecialK).
Also, this setting is only relevant in DirectX 11 mode, as DirectX 12 always runs with flip model.

vlad54rus wrote on Today, 05:46:

Currently, there is no difference which one you choose, not without involving third-party software (such as SpecialK).
Also, this setting is only relevant in DirectX 11 mode, as DirectX 12 always runs with flip model.

Thanks!