Resolution Configuration

The Virtual Display Driver supports flexible resolution and refresh rate configuration through two complementary systems: manual resolution definitions and global refresh rates.

Manual Resolution Configuration

Define specific resolutions with individual refresh rates in the <resolutions> section:

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>2560</width>
        <height>1440</height>
        <refresh_rate>144</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Resolution Parameters

resolution.width

integer

required

Horizontal resolution in pixels.Valid range: 640 - 7680 pixelsCommon values:

1920 (Full HD)
2560 (QHD)
3840 (4K UHD)
7680 (8K UHD)

resolution.height

integer

required

Vertical resolution in pixels.Valid range: 480 - 4320 pixelsCommon values:

1080 (Full HD)
1440 (QHD)
2160 (4K UHD)
4320 (8K UHD)

resolution.refresh_rate

integer

required

Refresh rate in Hz for this specific resolution.Common values: 24, 30, 50, 60, 90, 120, 144, 165, 240

Global Refresh Rates

Global refresh rates are applied to all defined resolutions, creating additional mode combinations:

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>90</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>144</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>165</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>240</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

global.g_refresh_rate

integer

Global refresh rate to apply across all resolutions. Can be specified multiple times.Valid range: 24 - 240 Hz

How Global Refresh Rates Work

Global refresh rates create additional display modes. For example: Configuration:

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>144</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Results in these available modes:

1920x1080 @ 60 Hz (from global)
1920x1080 @ 120 Hz (from global)
1920x1080 @ 144 Hz (from manual resolution)

Global refresh rates are combined with manual resolutions, giving you flexibility without repeating resolution definitions.

Standard Resolution Presets

Gaming Configurations

1080p Gaming
1440p Gaming
4K Gaming

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>144</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>240</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Provides 1080p at 60Hz, 144Hz, and 240Hz for competitive gaming.

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>165</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>2560</width>
        <height>1440</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Balanced configuration for high-refresh 1440p gaming.

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

4K resolution with 60Hz and 120Hz options.

Content Creation Configurations

Video Production
Broadcasting

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>24</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>30</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>24</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>30</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Standard framerates for video production (24fps, 30fps).

<resolutions>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>50</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>50</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

PAL (50Hz) and NTSC (60Hz) broadcast standards.

Multi-Resolution Setup

Provide multiple resolutions for maximum flexibility:

<global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

<resolutions>
    <!-- Full HD -->
    <resolution>
        <width>1920</width>
        <height>1080</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    
    <!-- QHD -->
    <resolution>
        <width>2560</width>
        <height>1440</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    
    <!-- 4K UHD -->
    <resolution>
        <width>3840</width>
        <height>2160</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    
    <!-- Ultrawide -->
    <resolution>
        <width>3440</width>
        <height>1440</height>
        <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
</resolutions>

Fractional Refresh Rates

For video production, fractional refresh rates are important:

<!-- These are defined in monitor_profile.xml -->
<MonitorMode>
    <Width>1920</Width>
    <Height>1080</Height>
    <RefreshRate>59.940</RefreshRate>
    <RefreshRateMultiplier>999</RefreshRateMultiplier>
    <NominalRefreshRate>60</NominalRefreshRate>
</MonitorMode>

Fractional refresh rates (23.976, 29.970, 59.940) are specified in monitor_profile.xml when using the EDID integration system. See EDID Integration.

Auto Resolution System

The driver includes an automatic resolution system that can generate modes from EDID data:

<auto_resolutions>
    <enabled>false</enabled>
    <source_priority>manual</source_priority>
    <edid_mode_filtering>
        <min_refresh_rate>24</min_refresh_rate>
        <max_refresh_rate>240</max_refresh_rate>
        <exclude_fractional_rates>false</exclude_fractional_rates>
        <min_resolution_width>640</min_resolution_width>
        <min_resolution_height>480</min_resolution_height>
        <max_resolution_width>7680</max_resolution_width>
        <max_resolution_height>4320</max_resolution_height>
    </edid_mode_filtering>
    <preferred_mode>
        <use_edid_preferred>false</use_edid_preferred>
        <fallback_width>1920</fallback_width>
        <fallback_height>1080</fallback_height>
        <fallback_refresh>60</fallback_refresh>
    </preferred_mode>
</auto_resolutions>

Auto Resolution Parameters

auto_resolutions.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable automatic resolution generation from EDID data.

auto_resolutions.source_priority

string

default:"manual"

Priority for resolution sources.Valid values:

manual - Use only manually defined resolutions
edid - Generate resolutions from EDID data
both - Combine manual and EDID resolutions

edid_mode_filtering.min_refresh_rate

integer

default:"24"

Minimum refresh rate to include from EDID (Hz).

edid_mode_filtering.max_refresh_rate

integer

default:"240"

Maximum refresh rate to include from EDID (Hz).

edid_mode_filtering.exclude_fractional_rates

boolean

default:"false"

Exclude fractional refresh rates (23.976, 29.970, 59.940) from EDID modes.

preferred_mode.use_edid_preferred

boolean

default:"false"

Use the preferred mode from EDID data instead of the fallback values.

The auto resolution system is disabled by default. Most users should define resolutions manually for predictable behavior.

Resolution Limits

The driver enforces these limits:

Parameter	Minimum	Maximum
Width	640 px	7680 px (8K)
Height	480 px	4320 px (8K)
Refresh Rate	24 Hz	240 Hz
Total Modes	1	System-dependent

While the driver supports up to 8K resolutions, actual limits depend on your GPU capabilities and available bandwidth.

Troubleshooting

Resolution not appearing in Windows

Possible causes:

Invalid resolution dimensions
Refresh rate out of range
XML syntax error

Solution: Check driver logs for validation errors and verify XML syntax.

High refresh rates not working

Possible causes:

GPU limitations
Display bandwidth constraints
Incorrect configuration

Solution: Reduce resolution or refresh rate. Check GPU capabilities.

Too many resolution options

Possible causes:

Multiple global refresh rates creating many combinations

Solution: Reduce number of global refresh rates or use fewer manual resolutions.

Best Practices

Start with common resolutions

Begin with 1920x1080 and 3840x2160 at 60Hz for broad compatibility.

Add global refresh rates sparingly

Each global refresh rate multiplies the number of available modes.

Test each configuration

Verify new resolutions work before adding more.

Match your use case

Gaming needs high refresh rates; video production needs specific framerates.

EDID Integration

Advanced resolution configuration via EDID

HDR Configuration

HDR settings for high-quality displays

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Configuration

Management

Advanced Features

Use Cases

Troubleshooting

Manual Resolution Configuration

Resolution Parameters

Global Refresh Rates

How Global Refresh Rates Work

Standard Resolution Presets

Gaming Configurations

Content Creation Configurations

Multi-Resolution Setup

Fractional Refresh Rates

Auto Resolution System

Auto Resolution Parameters

Resolution Limits

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

EDID Integration

HDR Configuration

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Configuration

Management

Advanced Features

Use Cases

Troubleshooting

Documentation Index

​Manual Resolution Configuration

​Resolution Parameters

​Global Refresh Rates

​How Global Refresh Rates Work

​Standard Resolution Presets

​Gaming Configurations

​Content Creation Configurations

​Multi-Resolution Setup

​Fractional Refresh Rates

​Auto Resolution System

​Auto Resolution Parameters

​Resolution Limits

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

​Related Topics

EDID Integration

HDR Configuration

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Manual Resolution Configuration

Resolution Parameters

Global Refresh Rates

How Global Refresh Rates Work

Standard Resolution Presets

Gaming Configurations

Content Creation Configurations

Multi-Resolution Setup

Fractional Refresh Rates

Auto Resolution System

Auto Resolution Parameters

Resolution Limits

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Related Topics