Playing at a stretched resolution is certainly unconventional, and for casual players, it might seem like a bit of a hindrance. However, playing at a stretched resolution is a popular strategy in the Counter-Strike Community. For good reasons, this idea has also trickled its way into Fortnite. A lot of pros and streamers can be seen playing at these stretched resolutions.

A fair share of people claim that it’s easier to hit shots because of the wider character models. It’s a neat idea, though it does have a few downsides. If you’re just starting out in Fortnite, it’s worth experimenting with a stretched resolution to see if it helps you play better. And if you’ve been playing for a while, this strategy could offer you a unique new perspective.

Either way, setting up a stretched resolution is a bit involved in Fortnite compared to other games. You’ll have to tinker with the config files and go into your GPU driver’s software to set it up. Let’s break it down for you step by step.

How to Set Up Stretched Resolution in Fortnite

Compared to something like Counter-Strike 2, configuring a stretched resolution in Fortnite is a bit more involved. CS2 is a game that’s exclusive to PC, so the devs don’t need to worry about consoles at all. On the other hand, Fortnite is a cross-platform game that has mostly universal settings across all platforms. Console players don’t have the option to change their resolutions, and Epic doesn’t want to give PC players an unfair advantage.

With that said, you can change the game’s resolution from the config file and your graphics card’s driver software. It just requires a bit of tinkering.

Editing the Game Config File

To get that started, you’ll have to change the resolution by editing it in the game’s config file. You can find this file by navigating to your App Data folder. Just follow the steps below to get started:

1. Press the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run command window.
2. Type %localappdata% into the field and hit Enter.
3. Navigate to FortniteGame > Saved > Config >WindowsClient and find the GameUserSettings.ini file. Double-click it to open it.

Once you have the config file open, change the values of the following settings to set it to your desired resolution. The settings below are for a 1650x1080 resolution, but you can replace it with whatever resolution you want. To save the changes, press CTRL + S on your keyboard.

We’re not done yet. Right-click on the config file and select Properties from the drop-down menu. Find the Read-Only option, check the box next to it, hit Apply, and click OK.

That’s about it for the config file. We’re still only halfway through, as you still need to set up the resolution in the Nvidia Control Panel or AMD’s Adrenaline software, depending on what graphics card you use.

Setting Up a Custom Resolution in Nvidia Control Panel

If you own a graphics card from Nvidia, you’ll need to follow the steps below to set up a custom resolution. Make sure that you’ve set up the configuration file beforehand by following the steps discussed in the section above. If you have an AMD Radeon graphics card, skip to the next section.

1. From your desktop, right-click on any empty space and select Nvidia Control Panel from the drop-down menu.
2. Open the Change Resolution tab by clicking on it from the left sidebar.
3. Under the Choose the resolution options, click on Customize.
4. A new window called Customize will pop up. Here, check the box that’s labeled Enable resolutions not exposed by the display.
5. Right under that checkbox, click on Create Custom Resolution, and enter the resolution you put in the config file. After that, click Test.
6. Don’t panic! Your monitor will go blank for a few seconds, but it will come back quickly.
7. A confirmation dialog box will appear asking if you want to stay with this resolution. Hit yes and check the resolution you just set up.
8. Hit OK and you’re good to go.

That’s it for the Nvidia Control Panel. You can now close it, launch Fortnite, and enjoy playing at your new stretched resolution.

Setting Up a Custom Resolution in AMD Adrenaline Software

If you own an AMD Radeon graphics card, follow the steps below after configuring the GameUserSettings.ini file.

1. From your desktop, right-click on any empty space and select AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition from the drop-down menu.
2. Click on the Gaming tab at the top, and then select the Display tab under it.
3. On the right side, you’ll find the Custom Resolutions option right under the Custom Colors settings.
4. Click Create New. The app might ask you to agree to an EULA contract before proceeding.
5. Enter the same resolution you entered in the config file and click Create to save your settings.
6. Close the Adrenaline software, and right-click on the desktop again. Select Display Settings from the drop-down menu.
7. Click on Display resolution, and you should find your new custom resolution in the drop-down menu. Select it and click on Keep Changes when the dialog box pops up.

You should be good to go now. Launch Fortnite and start playing with your new stretched resolution.

How to Fix Black Bars in Stretched Resolution

If you’re getting black bars instead of a stretched resolution, then you’ll need to change the scaling modes in your GPU’s driver software.

Nvidia Control Panel

To fix black bars from the Nvidia Control Panel, change the scaling mode by following the steps below:

1. Launch the Nvidia Control panel again and navigate to Adjust desktop size and position under Display from the left sidebar.
2. Check the box for “Override scaling mode set by games and programs”.
3. Next, set the scaling mode to Full Screen and click Apply.

The next time you launch Fortnite, you’ll get a proper stretched resolution instead of black bars.

AMD Adrenaline Software

To fix black bars from the AMD Adrenaline Software, change the scaling mode by following the steps below:

1. Launch the AMD Adrenaline Software again and click on the Gaming tab. Then, go over to the Display tab.
2. To start things off, disable AMD Freesync under Display Options.
3. Next, turn on GPU Scaling.
4. In scaling mode, select the full panel option for a stretched resolution.
5. The change will be saved automatically. You can now close AMD Adrenaline.

Launch Fortnite, and you should now get a proper stretched resolution instead of black bars.

Experiencing Fortnite with a Stretched Resolution

If you followed this guide properly, you should now be able to play Fortnite with a stretched resolution. Try it out for a couple of games to see if it works out for you. A lot of people don’t use it at all because of the decreased horizontal FOV. The cutoff is pretty big, and in a battle royale where you need to be aware of your surroundings, it can be disadvantageous.

However, wider player models are easier to hit, so you might find that your aim is slightly better. You might also get slightly better frame rates thanks to the lower resolution. It comes down to personal preference, but it's certainly worth trying out at least once. At the end of the day, stick to whatever resolution works for you and keep practicing to improve your game.