Are you experiencing those annoying black bars when playing Hollow Knight? Don't worry, you're not alone! Many players encounter this issue, especially when trying to play in fullscreen mode on various monitor resolutions. Luckily, there are several ways to get rid of those pesky black bars and enjoy the game in all its glory. In this article, we'll dive into the solutions to fix this problem, ensuring you get the most immersive experience possible in the hauntingly beautiful world of Hallownest.

Understanding the Black Bar Issue

Before we jump into the solutions, let's understand why these black bars appear in the first place. The black bars usually show up when the game's aspect ratio doesn't match your monitor's aspect ratio. Hollow Knight, like many games, has a default aspect ratio. If your monitor has a different aspect ratio, the game will add black bars to the sides (or top and bottom) to maintain the correct image without stretching or distorting it. Understanding the root cause is the first step in fixing this issue, and it helps to know that this isn't necessarily a bug, but rather a compatibility issue between the game's settings and your display.

Sometimes, the problem arises from your graphics card settings. NVIDIA and AMD control panels have options that manage how games are displayed on your monitor. These settings can sometimes override the game's own settings, leading to black bars even when you think the game should be in fullscreen. Therefore, tweaking these settings can often resolve the problem. We will walk through the different methods for adjusting these settings to eliminate black bars and achieve a true fullscreen experience. Ensuring compatibility between your hardware and software is key.

Lastly, outdated drivers can also contribute to display issues. Keeping your graphics drivers up to date is crucial for optimal performance and compatibility. Newer drivers often include fixes and improvements that can resolve display issues, including those related to aspect ratios and fullscreen modes. Checking for and installing the latest drivers is a simple yet effective step in troubleshooting black bar problems. Regularly updating your drivers not only fixes potential display issues but also enhances overall system performance, making it a worthwhile habit for any PC gamer. So, before diving into more complex solutions, make sure your drivers are up-to-date to rule out this common cause.

Method 1: In-Game Settings

The first and simplest solution is to check and adjust the in-game settings. Adjusting the in-game settings is often the most straightforward approach to resolving display issues, and Hollow Knight offers a few options that can help eliminate black bars. Start by launching Hollow Knight and navigating to the Options menu. Look for the Video or Graphics settings. Here, you should find options related to resolution, display mode, and aspect ratio. Experiment with these settings to see if you can achieve a fullscreen display without black bars.

Ensure that the resolution setting matches your monitor's native resolution. Matching the resolution is critical because using a mismatched resolution can force the game to display with black bars to maintain the correct aspect ratio. For example, if your monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, make sure the game is set to the same resolution. If the resolution is set lower, the game might not scale properly, resulting in black bars around the screen. This simple check can often resolve the issue immediately, providing a quick and easy fix.

Next, try toggling between different display modes, such as Fullscreen, Windowed, and Borderless Windowed. Experimenting with display modes can sometimes bypass issues related to aspect ratio scaling. Fullscreen mode should ideally fill the entire screen, but sometimes it doesn't work as expected due to driver or hardware compatibility issues. Borderless Windowed mode often provides a good alternative, as it allows the game to run in a full-sized window without the window borders, effectively mimicking fullscreen mode without the associated problems. Try each mode to see which one works best for your system.

Method 2: NVIDIA Control Panel Settings

If adjusting the in-game settings doesn't solve the problem, the next step is to delve into your NVIDIA Control Panel settings. Configuring the NVIDIA Control Panel can override the game's default settings and force the display to scale correctly. This method is particularly effective if you have an NVIDIA graphics card and are experiencing black bars despite setting the game to fullscreen mode. Here’s how to adjust the settings:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel. This will open the NVIDIA settings interface, where you can customize various display and graphics options.
2. In the NVIDIA Control Panel, navigate to Display and then select Adjust desktop size and position. This section controls how your desktop and applications are scaled to fit your monitor.
3. Under the Scaling tab, you'll see a few options. Choose Fullscreen as the scaling mode. This tells your graphics card to stretch the game to fill the entire screen, regardless of its original aspect ratio. Selecting the correct scaling mode is crucial for eliminating black bars.
4. Next, make sure the Perform scaling on option is set to GPU. This ensures that your graphics card handles the scaling, which usually provides better performance and compatibility compared to letting the display handle it. Offloading the scaling to the GPU often results in a smoother and more accurate display.
5. Finally, click Apply to save your changes. Launch Hollow Knight to see if the black bars are gone. If not, you may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect fully. Applying and testing the changes is essential to verify that the new settings are working as expected.

By adjusting these settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel, you can often force Hollow Knight to display in true fullscreen mode, eliminating the black bars and providing a more immersive gaming experience. This method gives you greater control over how your graphics card handles scaling, ensuring that the game fills the entire screen without distortion.

Method 3: AMD Radeon Settings

For those with AMD graphics cards, the process is similar but involves using the AMD Radeon Settings. Utilizing AMD Radeon Settings allows you to customize how your graphics card handles display scaling, ensuring that games fill the entire screen without black bars. Here’s how to adjust the settings:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select AMD Radeon Settings. This will open the AMD settings interface, where you can customize various display and graphics options.
2. Navigate to the Display tab. This section contains settings related to your monitor and how content is displayed on it.
3. Look for the Scaling Mode option. Set this to Fullscreen. This tells your graphics card to stretch the game to fill the entire screen, regardless of its original aspect ratio. Setting the scaling mode to Fullscreen is a key step in removing black bars.
4. Ensure the GPU Scaling option is enabled. This ensures that your graphics card handles the scaling, which usually provides better performance and compatibility compared to letting the display handle it. Enabling GPU Scaling ensures that the graphics card efficiently manages the display scaling process.
5. Click Apply to save your changes. Launch Hollow Knight to see if the black bars are gone. If not, you may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect fully. Testing the changes after applying them is important to confirm that the settings are working correctly.

By adjusting these settings in the AMD Radeon Settings, you can often force Hollow Knight to display in true fullscreen mode, eliminating the black bars and providing a more immersive gaming experience. This method gives you control over how your graphics card handles scaling, ensuring that the game fills the entire screen without distortion. Experimenting with these settings can significantly improve your gaming experience.

Method 4: Editing Configuration Files

If none of the above methods work, you can try editing the game's configuration files. Modifying configuration files is a more advanced technique, but it can be effective in forcing the game to display in the correct aspect ratio and resolution. This method involves locating and editing a specific file that contains the game's settings.

1. Locate the Hollow Knight configuration file. This file is typically located in the game's installation directory or in your user's AppData folder. The exact path may vary depending on your operating system and how the game was installed, but a common location is: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight\settings.ini. Finding the correct configuration file is crucial for this method to work.
2. Open the settings.ini file with a text editor such as Notepad. Using a simple text editor ensures that you don't accidentally introduce formatting changes that could corrupt the file.
3. Look for the following lines in the file: