How can I programmatically detect and set a specific monitor for my game’s display in a multi-monitor setup using Unity?

Detecting and Setting a Specific Monitor in Unity

Introduction

With the rise of multi-monitor setups becoming more common in gaming environments, ensuring that your Unity game is displayed on the preferred screen can significantly enhance the user experience. Programmatically detecting and setting a specific monitor involves interacting with Unity’s display settings.

Detecting Available Monitors

Unity provides the Display class which you can use to detect available monitors. Here’s a simple way to list all connected monitors:

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using UnityEngine;

void ListDisplays() {
    Debug.Log("Displays connected: " + Display.displays.Length);
    for (int i = 0; i < Display.displays.Length; i++) {
        Debug.Log("Display " + i + ": " + Display.displays[i].systemWidth + "x" + Display.displays[i].systemHeight);
    }
}

Setting the Active Monitor

To set a specific monitor for your game, you must first activate additional displays and then select the desired display for rendering. Use the Display.Activate method:

void SetActiveDisplay(int displayIndex) {
    if (displayIndex < Display.displays.Length) {
        Display.displays[displayIndex].Activate();
    } else {
        Debug.LogError("Invalid Display Index");
    }
}

Fullscreen and Windowed Mode

When your game launches, you may want it to run in fullscreen or windowed mode on the selected display. To switch between fullscreen and windowed modes while specifying the target display, configure:

Screen.SetResolution(width, height, FullScreenMode.FullScreenWindow, displayIndex);
// or for windowed
Screen.SetResolution(width, height, FullScreenMode.Windowed, displayIndex);

Best Practices

• Always check the number of displays available using Display.displays.Length before setting the display index to avoid out-of-range errors.
• Consider providing users with an in-game settings menu to choose the preferred monitor instead of hardcoding values, enhancing user flexibility.