What steps should I follow to ensure my game launches on a secondary monitor by default?

Ensuring Your Game Launches on a Secondary Monitor by Default

When developing a game that needs to launch on a secondary monitor by default, you can follow a series of steps to manage display settings within Unity. Here is a technical guide to achieve this:

1. Identify Connected Displays

Unity allows you to interact with connected displays using the Display class. The first step is to identify the connected displays and their corresponding resolutions. You can do this by iterating through the Display.displays array:

Play and win now!

void Start() {
    foreach (Display display in Display.displays) {
        Debug.Log("Display " + display.systemWidth + "x" + display.systemHeight);
    }
}

2. Detect and Configure the Secondary Monitor

After identifying the displays, set the application to target the secondary monitor. Typically, the first display is the primary monitor (index 0), so you will target the next available display:

void Awake() {
    if (Display.displays.Length > 1) {
        Display.displays[1].Activate();
    }
}

3. Override Fullscreen to Windowed Mode

Some configurations might require running the game in a borderless window mode for better control over which monitor to use. Set the mode using:

Screen.fullScreenMode = FullScreenMode.Windowed;
Screen.SetResolution(1920, 1080, false);

4. Use External Tools for Multi-Monitor Setup

Tools like UltraMon can assist in managing more complex multi-monitor setups by allowing more detailed configuration outside of Unity.

// Example approach outside Unity
// Use a batch script or third-party software to automate display settings
UltraMon.SetPrimaryMonitor(1);

Implementing User Preferences

To further enhance user experience, allow users to configure which monitor they wish to use:

1. Provide an in-game option to select a monitor.
2. Save the user’s preference and apply it on startup.

Sample Code to Save User Preferences

int preferredDisplay = PlayerPrefs.GetInt("PreferredMonitor", 0);
Display.displays[preferredDisplay].Activate();

Ensure you test across different systems to handle various setups and configurations for the best user experience.