5 tips on how to make the most of an ultrawide screen

Got a brand new monitor with an ultrawide screen? It can totally change your experience, regardless of whether you want to use it for work, gaming, or leisure. But to make the most of its large display, you will need the right arrangement. I have highlighted a few strategies to maximize your investment below.

Increase the productivity with screen splitting

You can divide your display and keep many windows open side by side with an ultra-widescreen monitor since it offers more screen real estate. This removes the need to navigate between apps or tabs. You can do more work in less time by using one side for note-taking and the other for video chats, and you can use one side for research and the other for drafting.

Snap Layouts is a built-in screen-splitting function in Windows. With this function, you can arrange apps on each of the two, three, or four areas of your screen. You can use it by selecting a layout by moving your mouse over the maximize button, which is the square icon located in the upper-right corner of any app. After that, set up your apps so you can see them all at once.

Use it as a vertical screen

Similar to how an ultrawide layout increases the effectiveness of multitasking, you can swivel your monitor to maximize the vertical space if it supports it. For writers who benefit from having more text in their field of vision and engineers who need to see more lines of code, this vertical adjustment might be a game-changer.

In addition to coding and writing, a vertical monitor arrangement is useful for general browsing, spreadsheet work, and any other endeavor where more vertical area is useful. Verify if your monitor stand allows for vertical rotation; if not, you can move your screen with a monitor arm.

Multiple devices on a single screen

Also, you can view many inputs at once with your ultrawide monitor. You can connect a spare laptop and multitask on several devices if your PC is linked to your monitor. You can use your laptop for streaming or chatting while using your PC’s hardware exclusively for gaming.

Access the on-screen menu on your monitor, connect your second device using an additional HDMI or DisplayPort connection, and turn on the PBP (Picture by Picture) or PIP (Picture in Picture) settings to use multiple devices on one screen. PBP shows both sources side by side, whereas PIP shows one source device in a smaller inset window.

A good edge in gaming

By increasing your range of vision, an ultrawide monitor can provide you with a competitive advantage. In first-person shooters, you can identify foes sooner and get an advantage before they can respond if your game allows ultra-wide aspect ratios. Additionally, a wider screen makes for a more engaging experience, particularly when using a curved ultra-wide monitor.

However, the game needs to support ultra-wide resolutions in order for this to function. If not, it might not scale correctly, resulting in black bars on the sides. Even the field of view (FOV) is locked in some games to keep players from unfairly getting an advantage. Additionally, older GPUs may find it difficult to keep up with the higher resolutions of ultra-wide panels, which could result in a reduction in frame rate.

Use it as an entertainment hub

Your ultrawide display can serve as a high-performance entertainment center in addition to being used for business and games. It is ideal for streaming movies and television shows because of its high resolution and ultra-wide display. You can access your preferred streaming services by connecting a streaming device, such as an Apple TV, Fire Stick, or Chromecast.

In order to watch a sporting event and converse in fan forums at the same time, you may also split the screen. For higher-quality audio, you might want to spend more money on a soundbar or external speaker as most monitors just feature basic speakers. You must place your monitor at the ideal distance and angle for optimal performance.