How To Minimize Games On PC

No doubt, it is good for the concentration and enjoyment of the game. But sometimes we have to minimize the game for some reason. And it becomes a pain for us. But to eliminate this problem, this article will guide you through some ways to minimize games on a PC.

All of us know PC games run in borderless fullscreen mode. As a result, the gameplay covers the whole screen, and you don’t have access to the minimize, restore down, and close buttons on the top-right corner. Therefore, you can’t just click the controls like other programs to minimize the window.

Run the game in Windowed Mode

You can run the game in windowed mode. It will allow you to minimize games, and close, and maximize buttons like any other application on your PC.

You can run the game in windowed mode by changing the game’s video settings.

Sometimes old games don’t have the option of running the game in windowed mode. Hence, this method might not apply in that case. Besides, you can always use some other methods we have suggested. However, if you still want to play old games, you’ll need to use GPU scaling to enjoy them.

Minimize Games on PC using Shortcut Keys

Our primary aim is to minimize the game, which multiple keyboard shortcuts can easily do. One of the shortcuts given below will surely work and minimize your game.

Alt + Tab

One of the most known keyboard shortcuts is the Alt key and Tab key together. This keyboard shortcut will switch to the last active window on your PC. 

If you hold the alt key, an overlay will display, which you can use to switch your desired window. Besides, you can cycle to your desired window using the tab key while holding down the alt key.

Alt + Enter

If you want to minimize full-screen PC games, you can use this shortcut to change the game to windowed mode.

However, sometimes this shortcut fails to work, and older games don’t have the option of windowed mode. Moreover, the game might not let your cursor reach the minimize button by preventing it from traversing the window’s internal boundary.

Windows Key

You can press the Windows key to bring up the start menu. And then, using the taskbar, you can change to your desired window.

Windows + D

This shortcut will directly display your PC’s desktop and minimize your PC Game. When you are on your desktop, you can easily choose or switch to any program you want to.

Windows + M

This shortcut minimizes all the running programs on your PC and eventually also minimizes the game you are playing.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

This shortcut opens up the task manager of your PC, minimizing the game you are playing. You can now change or switch to whichever other program you want to access or use.

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

This shortcut will open up a menu from which you can lock, switch users, and sign out or open the task manager. After using this shortcut, select the task manager to minimize your game and open the task manager.

Esc

Some games can exit the full screen using the ‘Esc key. Hence, giving access to the minimize button on the top left, which can be used to minimize the game window.

F11 Key

Many games like Minecraft allow the user to run the game in the windowed mode using the f11 key. Therefore you can access the minimize key in the top left corner. You can use this option to minimize the game and switch to any other application you want to access.

Conclusion:

Playing games on a PC in full-screen mode provides an immersive experience but often restricts access to crucial window controls such as minimize, restore, and close. Fortunately, various strategies are available to minimize the game window when needed.

The simplest approach is to run the game in windowed mode if the game’s settings allow. If not, multiple keyboard shortcuts such as Alt + Tab, Esc, and F11 can help. Each of these shortcuts has a unique functionality that, directly or indirectly, helps minimize the game window, allowing you to switch to other applications as desired.

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