You’re queuing up for a ranked Valorant match, load in, and suddenly there are thick black bars on either side of your screen. Your crosshair feels off, your field of view is cramped, and you already know you’re going to miss that first peek if you don’t fix it fast. I first ran into this issue after a Windows update knocked my scaling settings out of whack right before a Radiant ranked queue, and I spent 10 minutes panicking trying to fix it before the match started. That’s why so many players search for how to get rid of black bars on Valorant, especially after game updates or when switching to a new monitor. I’ve spent hours troubleshooting this exact issue for my own grind, and I’ve narrowed down the fixes that actually work, no random useless steps that waste your time between matches.
How to Get Rid of Black Bars on Valorant Fast: First Checks to Run
Before you dig into complicated GPU or config file settings, start with these quick, low-effort checks that resolve 60% of black bar cases on their own. These first checks take less than two minutes, and will often resolve the issue before you need to look into more complex steps for how to get rid of black bars on Valorant. Always start with a quick game restart first – half the time, black bars pop up after a glitch when the game loads, and a 30 second restart fixes it entirely.
Next, confirm you’re using the correct monitor. If you have a multi-monitor setup, Valorant will sometimes default to a smaller secondary monitor if you accidentally drag the game window over before it loads. Check that your monitor is set to the correct input profile too. I’ve had times where my monitor switched to a 4:3 input profile by mistake when I plugged in a second screen, causing bars even when my game settings were completely correct.
Last, close any running overlays or screen recording tools before you launch Valorant. Tools like NVIDIA Shadowplay instant replay or OBS preview can sometimes mess with game scaling if they’re running with admin permissions, so closing them first eliminates that variable right away.
Fixes for Stretched Resolution Black Bars
A lot of players switch to 4:3 stretched resolution to make enemy models appear wider, which can make aiming easier for close to mid-range fights. But if you don’t adjust your GPU settings alongside in-game settings, you’ll end up with black bars instead of a proper stretched display. If you follow these steps and still see bars, double check that your GPU scaling setting is applied to the correct monitor, as that's the most common mistake people make when learning how to get rid of black bars on Valorant for stretched res play.
- Open Valorant settings, go to the Video tab, and set your desired 4:3 resolution (common options are 1280x960 or 1024x768) under Display Resolution.
- Exit Valorant completely, then open your GPU control panel (NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Radeon Software, or Intel Graphics Command Center depending on your setup).
- Find the "Scaling Mode" setting, and select "Full Panel" or "Stretch" instead of "Aspect Ratio" or "No Scaling".
- Save the setting, re-open Valorant, and confirm the bars are gone before joining a match.
You only need to adjust this GPU scaling setting once, unless you switch GPUs or reset your graphics settings. Do note that stretched resolution will make your UI look slightly warped, so give it a few deathmatches to adjust before jumping into ranked play. Some players also find that stretched res makes long-range peeks harder, so test it in unranked modes first to see if it fits your playstyle.
Fixes for Native Resolution Black Bars
Black bars don’t only pop up for stretched res users – many players run into this issue even when they’re using their monitor’s native 16:9 resolution. This usually happens after a Valorant patch, Windows update, or if you changed your display settings for another game recently. First step: Check your in-game display mode. Make sure it’s set to Fullscreen instead of Windowed or Borderless Windowed. Borderless can sometimes cause scaling issues on Windows 11, especially if you have custom display scaling enabled for your desktop.
Next, check your Windows display settings. Right click on your desktop, select Display Settings, and make sure your scaling is set to 100% for the monitor you use to play Valorant. If you have scaling set to 125% or 150% for readability on a high-res monitor, that can cause the game to render at a smaller size, leaving black bars around the edges. Never set your in-game resolution lower than your monitor's native resolution if you don't want stretched output, as that will almost always cause bars or warped scaling if you don’t adjust GPU settings first.
If your settings keep resetting every time you launch Valorant, you can edit the game’s config file to lock in your preferred resolution. Navigate to your Valorant AppData folder, find the GameUserSettings.ini file, set the resolution values to match your monitor, and mark the file as read-only so patches don’t overwrite it. Only do this if you’re comfortable editing config files, and make a backup of the original file first so you can revert if something goes wrong.
Fixes for Persistent Black Bars That Won’t Go Away
If you’ve tried all the steps above and still see black bars, you’re probably dealing with a less common edge case that’s easy to fix once you know what to look for. First, check if you have any third-party display software running. Apps like MSI Afterburner overlay, Discord stream preview, or custom monitor calibration tools can sometimes interfere with Valorant's display output, especially if they're running with admin privileges. I once had this issue for three days before I realized I left a custom monitor calibration tool running in the background that was overriding my GPU scaling settings, so don’t overlook this step.
Next, update your graphics drivers. Outdated GPU drivers are a common cause of display glitches in Valorant, and Riot frequently pushes updates that require the latest driver versions to run properly. Always download drivers directly from your GPU manufacturer's website, not from third-party driver update tools that often install bloatware or incorrect versions. If you’re playing on a laptop, make sure you’re using your dedicated GPU instead of the integrated Intel graphics. Integrated chips often have limited display scaling options, and switching to your dedicated NVIDIA or AMD GPU will usually fix the issue instantly.
If all else fails, you can submit a ticket to Riot support, but 99% of the time, one of the earlier fixes will resolve the problem before you need to wait for a support response. You can also ask for help in official Valorant community forums, where other players may have run into the same specific issue with your exact monitor or GPU setup.
At the end of the day, display issues like this don’t have to derail your Valorant grind. Whether you’re trying to set up a stretched res for ranked play or just want to play on your native resolution without annoying distractions, the steps we covered will help you fix the problem fast. Next time you run into the issue, you won’t have to panic mid-queue – you’ll know exactly how to get rid of black bars on Valorant in minutes, so you can focus on winning rounds and climbing the ranks. Don’t forget to test any changes in a swiftplay or deathmatch first, so you don’t waste ranked time adjusting to new display settings.
