About This Software

WinGrid

WinGrid is a Windows utility that lets you instantly resize a game window with a hotkey while preserving the game's internal rendering resolution.

Unlike changing the game's resolution, WinGrid only resizes the game window. This creates a zoom-like effect while keeping the original render resolution, so GPU workload and FPS remain virtually unchanged.

In addition to window resizing, WinGrid also includes:

• Black Bars (Letterbox) mode.

• Squash Mode for creating custom display resolutions on NVIDIA GPUs.

WINDOW Mode

WINDOW Mode works only with windowed games, including:

• Borderless Windowed

• Fullscreen Windowed

• Windowed

In this mode you can use:

• Resize hotkeys

• Black Bars (Letterbox) hotkeys

WINDOW Mode does NOT work in Exclusive Fullscreen.

SQUASH Mode

SQUASH Mode works only in Exclusive Fullscreen.

This mode is designed for creating custom display resolutions and does NOT support:

• Resize hotkeys

• Black Bars (Letterbox) hotkeys

Example:

A custom resolution such as 1920×880 compressed into 1920×540 creates black bars at the top and bottom while producing a vertically stretched image. This allows you to use custom letterbox resolutions that are not normally available.

Want to learn more? Scroll down for the overview feature or visit the YouTube channel, TikTok, and Instagram to see WinGrid in action with gameplay examples.

Key Features

Window selection and placement:

- Select any visible window as the target.

- Set exact X / Y / W / H position and size.

- Quick-position buttons: Left, Right, Top, Bottom, x4 split, and Center.

- Live position preview with an on-screen selection box.

Resolution and aspect presets:

- Native resolution presets: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, 4K (3840x2160), and Ultrawide (2560x1080).

- Window size presets: 1920x560, 960x1080, 1920x540, and 960x540.

- Live aspect-ratio readout that updates as you change size.

Resize and scaling modes (four engines):

- THUMBNAIL mode: an enlarged DWM preview overlay of the target window.

- WINDOW mode: scales the live window region.

- STRETCH mode: stretches the window to your custom dimensions.

- DPI mode: applies a DPI-based scale to the target window.

Hotkeys and control:

- Bind a resize action to a keyboard or mouse hotkey.

- Toggle or Hold modes.

- Fine-tune the amount with the mouse wheel while holding the hotkey.

- Quick resize multipliers: x1.25, x1.5, and x2.

- Separate bindable Black Bars (cinematic letterbox) action, available in THUMBNAIL mode.

Borderless and resolution handling:

- Borderless fullscreen mode that keeps the application's own render resolution while WinGrid manages the window.

Squash mode (NVIDIA GPUs only):

- Create a custom display resolution that renders at one resolution and outputs it squeezed or stretched into another (for example, render 1920x1080 and output a centered 1920x540 band).

- Per-monitor: pick a monitor and see its capabilities read from EDID (native resolution, refresh range, limits), with a warning before applying a mode it may not support.

- Every change is applied as a safe trial with a Keep / Cancel prompt that auto-reverts, so a monitor is not left without a signal.

- Uses NVIDIA's NvAPI and creates a display-mode change; not available on AMD or Intel GPUs.

Technical Note on SQUASH Mode:

The SQUASH feature utilizes advanced NVIDIA display driver capabilities to create custom resolutions. For optimal performance, it requires a direct hardware connection to an NVIDIA GPU. On some laptop configurations using hybrid graphics (such as NVIDIA Optimus), the display may be routed through integrated graphics (iGPU), which limits the ability to apply custom driver-level resolutions.

Don't worry about compatibility: WinGrid will automatically detect your hardware configuration upon launch. If your specific setup does not support the SQUASH mode, the application will notify you within the interface, ensuring that you can continue using all other window management and grid-based features without any stability issues.

Profiles and convenience:

- Save and load named profiles.

- Automatic restore of your last session.

- Emergency reset hotkey (F8) to revert changes instantly.

Safety and Compatibility

WinGrid's window features use official Windows APIs, such as Win32, the Desktop Window Manager (DWM), and Microsoft Edge WebView2. The optional Squash mode additionally uses NVIDIA's NvAPI to create a custom display resolution (a display-mode change) and works on NVIDIA GPUs only. WinGrid is NOT an injector, automation bot, macro tool, memory editor, cheat, kernel driver, or a tool for reading or modifying another process's memory.

WinGrid does not guarantee compatibility with any specific game, anti-cheat system, protected environment, exclusive fullscreen mode, streaming tool, overlay, or future Windows update. Behavior can differ between applications and may change after updates.

You are solely responsible for reviewing and following the rules, Terms of Service, and acceptable-use policies of any application, game, platform, or anti-cheat service you choose to use WinGrid with.

Before You Buy - Compatibility

- Windows 10 (version 1903+) or Windows 11, 64-bit only. WinGrid does NOT run on Linux, macOS, SteamOS, or Steam Deck.

- Window features (move / resize / stretch / zoom / black bars) work with apps in Windowed or Borderless Windowed mode. Exclusive-fullscreen compatibility is not guaranteed.

- The optional Squash mode (custom squeezed/stretched display resolutions) requires an NVIDIA GPU. On AMD / Intel graphics every other feature works, but Squash is unavailable.

- Hotkey features need WinGrid running in the background. Saved Squash resolutions are the exception — they keep working after WinGrid is closed.

- No internet connection is needed for normal use. The launcher goes online only once, if a required Microsoft runtime is missing, to download it.

- Some games, anti-cheat systems, platforms, or workplaces may not allow window/display tools. Check their rules before using WinGrid with them.