Valorant Stretched Resolution Guide: Best Res and Setup

Published

On this page

Plenty of Radiant and pro Valorant players run stretched resolution because it widens enemy models and can make tracking feel easier. Valorant doesn’t have a true in-game stretched mode, so you force it with GPU scaling. This guide covers the best stretched res values and the exact setup so it applies cleanly.

Valorant Stretched Resolution Guide: Best Res and Setup

Stretched res is a preference, and Vanguard is fine with GPU-level scaling — this is a display setting, not a cheat. Test it against native and keep what feels better.

Best stretched resolutions for Valorant

Base resolutionStretched toAspectFeel
1280 x 9601920 x 10804:3Widest models, classic stretch
1440 x 10801920 x 10804:3Wide models, slightly sharper
1680 x 10501920 x 108016:10Subtle stretch

1280 x 960 and 1440 x 1080 are the popular 4:3 choices. Valorant runs at very high FPS anyway, so most players pick based on feel rather than performance.

Step 1 – Create the custom resolution

NVIDIA

  1. NVIDIA Control Panel → Change resolution → Customize → Create Custom Resolution.
  2. Enter 1440 x 1080 (or 1280 x 960) at your refresh rate, test, and save.

AMD

  1. AMD Software → Settings → Display → Custom Resolutions → Create.
  2. Add your chosen base resolution at your refresh rate and save.

Step 2 – Force full-screen GPU scaling (this is the key step)

Without this, Valorant shows pillarbox black bars instead of a stretched image.

NVIDIA

  1. Adjust desktop size and position → Scaling mode: Full-screen.
  2. Perform scaling on: GPU.
  3. Tick Override the scaling mode set by games and programs and Apply.

AMD

  1. Display → GPU Scaling: On, Scaling Mode: Full Panel.

Step 3 – Apply it in Valorant

  1. Launch Valorant → Settings → Video → General.
  2. Set Display Mode to Fullscreen (not Windowed Fullscreen — stretched won’t apply there).
  3. Set Resolution to your custom res (e.g. 1440 x 1080).
  4. Apply.

If you still get black bars

This is the #1 issue and it’s nearly always the scaling step:

  • Display Mode is Windowed Fullscreen — switch to Fullscreen.
  • NVIDIA scaling is set to Aspect ratio instead of Full-screen, or “Override” is unticked.
  • AMD GPU Scaling is off, or Scaling Mode isn’t Full Panel.
  • Your monitor’s own scaling is overriding the GPU — set the monitor’s OSD aspect/scaling to Full.

Stretched res and Valorant performance

Valorant is light, so stretched res is about feel more than FPS. If you’re chasing maximum frames and lowest latency anyway, see Best Valorant Settings for FPS and Low Input Delay and keep NVIDIA Reflex on.

The best Valorant stretched resolution comes down to 1280 x 960 or 1440 x 1080 with full-screen GPU scaling and Valorant set to Fullscreen. Nail the scaling step and the black bars disappear for good.