Borderless Gaming news & patch notes

All of the changes below are for BGProxy.

Misc Fixes

• Fixed input issues introduced in the previous update. The mouse cursor should now work in Dishonored and other Unreal games again.

• Fixed some minor render issues.

GPU spoofing

You can now make games think you have a different graphics card. Some games won't launch or will disable features if they don't recognize your GPU; this gets around that. Add a \ section to your bgproxy.ini (details below).

OpenGL on DX12

• OpenGL games now present through a DirectX 12 pipeline. Best case is zero-copy via a shared texture, otherwise it falls back to async or synchronous readback depending on driver support.

• OpenGL contexts are automatically upgraded to the highest compatibility profile your driver supports, which lets the driver apply more optimizations while keeping legacy rendering working.

• Frame latency waitable is now waited on before rendering instead of after, which fixes cases where the game could start drawing before a back buffer was available.

Timer and sleep fixes

All on by default, no config needed.

• Games using Windows wait timers get ~0.1ms precision instead of the default 1–16ms. Needs Windows 10 1803+.

• Old multimedia timer calls are also upgraded to Windows 10 high precision timers.

• Some games sleep their render thread between frames, which causes micro-stutter. BGProxy now intercepts these fix them.

Other

• Device loss now logs the specific HRESULT from GetDeviceRemovedReason.

• Proxy DLLs set a window property identifying which proxy type is loaded, so external tools can check without inspecting the file.

bgproxy.ini configuration

Place a file called bgproxy.ini in the same folder as the proxy DLL. If you don't create one, defaults are used.

\

Setting

Default

Description

ForceWindowed

true

Forces the game into windowed mode. The game still thinks it's fullscreen.

UseFlipModel

true

Uses a newer Windows presentation method that reduces latency. Turn it off if you get visual issues like black cursors or flickering.

MinBackBuffers

3

Minimum back buffer count when flip model is on. Higher values can help frame pacing but add a bit of latency. Only matters when UseFlipModel is on.

Width

0

Override the render width. 0 means the game decides. Set to a pixel value like 1920 to force a resolution.

Height

0

Override the render height. 0 means the game decides. Set to a pixel value like 1080 to force a resolution.

\

Makes the game see a different GPU. Only fill in what you need to change.

Setting

Default

Description

VendorId

0 (no spoof)

GPU manufacturer ID. Common values: 10DE (NVIDIA), 1002 (AMD), 8086 (Intel).

DeviceId

0 (no spoof)

GPU model ID. Look these up on pcilookup.com.

SubSysId

0 (no spoof)

Subsystem ID. Most people won't need this.

Revision

0 (no spoof)

Revision number. Most people won't need this.

Description

empty (no spoof)

The GPU name string the game sees, e.g. "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080".

DriverVersion

empty (no spoof)

Driver version in A.B.C.D format (e.g. 31.0.15.5000). All four numbers required.

BGProxy Fixes

Background Behavior

• All games now continue rendering and playing audio when alt-tabbed.

• Keyboard and mouse input is blocked while the game is in the background, so you can type in other apps without affecting the game. Gamepad input still passes through.

Tabbing back into a game no longer leaves keys in a pressed state.

Stability

• Fixed crashes on startup for Yakuza 0, Metro 2033, Fallout: New Vegas, and others.

Rendering

• Fixed the "wavy" / shimmering motion artifact at native resolution in Dishonored.

• Anti-aliasing and color accuracy are now preserved in games that use MSAA or sRGB when using flip model presentation.

Major performance improvement for OpenGL games (KOTOR, StarStable Online, etc.) — rendering no longer goes through the CPU.

Improved Proxy Detection for Unity & Custom Engines

Previously, the installer only checked for graphics DLLs through static PE import analysis. Engines like Unity and Unreal load D3D and OpenGL dynamically rather than through static imports, so the analyzer would find no available proxies for these games. The installer now properly supports these engines. This means the correct proxy is detected and offered automatically, even for engines that load their graphics APIs at runtime.

For years, Borderless Gaming has helped thousands of you wrangle stubborn games into borderless windowed mode. But there have always been two classes of games we've struggled with. The first: games with no windowed mode at all. Classic OpenGL games, older DirectX 8/9 titles, and even some modern DX11 games that change your desktop resolution and take over your entire screen. Without a window, Borderless Gaming had nothing to work with. The second: games that technically have a window, but fight you every step of the way. Older OpenGL and DirectX games that break, flash, or refuse to render properly when their window is moved or resized. This is why Borderless Gaming has accumulated dozens of profile options — delay timers, style overrides, resize workarounds — all to deal with games that don't cooperate. Even with all those options, some games just won't behave. Today, that changes.

Introducing BGProxy

BGProxy is a new feature that intercepts a game's graphics pipeline and converts fullscreen-only games into normal, resizable windows. It supports OpenGL, DirectX 8, DirectX 9, and DirectX 10/11/12 (via DXGI) — covering everything from early 2000s classics to modern titles. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (OpenGL) — no native windowed mode, now running in a resizable window via BGProxy.

What's Different From Classic Mode?

Previously, Borderless Gaming could reposition and resize a game's existing window, but the game still rendered at its original fixed resolution. BGProxy patches the rendering pipeline directly — and what that means depends on the graphics API: DirectX 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 games get their presentation parameters rewritten on the fly. BGProxy forces the game into windowed mode and upgrades the swap chain to use modern FLIP model presentation, which reduces latency and improves frame pacing. The game actually renders to fit your window — drag the border, maximize, span ultra-wide across all your monitors, and the game re-renders at that resolution in real-time. OpenGL games work differently — the GL backbuffer can't be resized after creation. Instead, BGProxy captures the rendered frame and scales it to your window using high-quality interpolation. The result is a clean, smooth image at any window size, even when stretching a 640x480 game across a 4K display. For older games running at low native resolutions, this scaling makes a visible difference. Instead of blocky nearest-neighbor upscaling, BGProxy uses halftone filtering that smooths the image and produces a noticeably better picture on modern high-resolution displays. For even higher quality, pair it with BGFX and apply real-time upscaling effects like FSR, CAS, and more. Borderlands — drag the border to any size and the game renders to match.

BGProxy also makes games behave like proper desktop applications:

• Alt-tab without pausing — The game always thinks it has focus, so it won't pause, mute, or drop to a menu when you switch windows

• Full window controls — Minimize, maximize, resize, move between monitors

• Input isolation — Keyboard, mouse, and controller input is suppressed when the game is in the background

• Mouse coordinate scaling — Input stays accurate at any window size

Once BGProxy gives you a window, Borderless Gaming does the rest — borderless fullscreen, custom positioning, ultra-wide spanning, automatic profiles. You can also combine BGProxy with BGFX to apply real-time upscaling and post-processing effects on top of the windowed game. They're all designed to work together. Star Stable Online (OpenGL) — forced into windowed mode with BGProxy.

Under the Hood

BGProxy analyzes your game's executable to determine its graphics API, then places a small proxy DLL in the game directory. When the game launches, it loads the proxy instead of the system graphics library. The proxy forwards normal calls through to the real DLL, but intercepts key operations:

• Fullscreen display mode changes are caught and redirected into a window

• DirectX swap chains are upgraded to FLIP model presentation for lower latency and smoother frame pacing

• OpenGL framebuffers are captured and scaled with high-quality filtering to any window size

• Game-originated window management calls (resize, move, style changes) are blocked to prevent the game from fighting windowed mode

• Focus and activation messages are spoofed so the game never detects it lost foreground

• DirectInput and XInput are filtered when the window is in the background

Borderless Gaming automatically detects the correct architecture (x86, x64, or ARM64) and graphics API from the executable — you don't need to figure out which proxy to use. Constructor — running in a proper window via BGProxy.

How to Use BGProxy

New Features

• Slang-based BGFX - Effects now use Slang as the shader foundation, enabling cross-platform support for the upcoming SteamDeck and Linux release.

• DX12 Renderer - DirectX 12 is now available and being A/B tested. If you experience issues, launch with

to use the DX11 pipeline.

• Fixes a crash caused by a race condition in window enumeration

• Fixes a crash on the latest release of Windows

• The app refresh button has been removed from the UI. It’s no longer needed.

• Profiles can now be quickly created using existing profiles as a template.

• Fixed games with splash screens not having profiles applied.

• Fixed a bug that would cause Borderless Gaming to become unresponsive when Once Human was launched.

• Fixed an issue where sometimes moving the mouse during scaling would block rendering

• Effect compilation errors now get logged and display on the overlay during scaling mode

• In multi-GPU systems such as those with integrated graphics, you can choose which GPU handles upscaling and running effects from the global settings menu. Feedback wanted.

• Fixed an endless loop where scaling fails but does not properly shutdown.

BGFX is a new mode for Borderless Gaming that captures game windows at the compositor level and processes them through a GPU effect pipeline. If you can see it on screen, BGFX can capture it and upscale it.

100% game compatibility

Games that never worked with BorderlessGaming, like Dishonored, titles that reset after being made borderless, or anything with unusual window handling—now work.

Built-in upscaling

Run games at lower resolutions, upscale to native. We ship FSR, NIS, GSR, Anime4K, NNEDI3, RAVU, and dozens more. Works on any content; games, video, anime.

History and feedback

Effects can access up to 7 previous frames and their own prior output. Build temporal AA, motion blur, accumulation effects.

Mouse input

Effects can read cursor position and clicks. Build effects that respond to where you're looking.

Window mode

Render to a separate window instead of fullscreen.

Background effects

Fill letterbox/pillarbox areas with blurred content, gradients, or ambient lighting instead of black bars without an app container.

Other changes

• Window detection is now instant

• Lower memory and CPU usage

• Shader cache speeds up effect loading

Creating presets

Presets are JSON files (.bgfxp) that chain effects together. You can create them through the UI:

Or manually by writing them and dropping them into the presets folder in your data directory.

{

"version": 1,

"name": "My Preset",

"category": "Upscaling",

"passes": \

{

"effect": "FSR/FSR_EASU.hlsl",

"scalingType": "Fit"

},

{

"effect": "FSR/FSR_RCAS.hlsl",

"parameters": {

"sharpness": 0.87

}

}

]

}

Each pass runs an effect. Set scalingType to control output size: Normal (use scaleX/scaleY multipliers), Fit (fit to display), Fill (fill display, may crop), or Absolute (fixed pixel size). Override effect parameters by name in the parameters object. Check the included presets for examples.

Writing your own effects

BGFX documentation is in the Effects folder. Effects are HLSL with header directives. Write a function that takes UV coordinates and returns a color; BGFX generates the compute shader dispatch code.

This architecture exposes the zero-copy renderer internals directly. Slang shader support and ML model integration (for BGUS upscaling and BGFG frame generation) are planned for the next minor release. They will be free content updates.

Join the Discord to share feedback, report bugs, or show off what you're doing with BGFX.

Multi-Language Support

Compatibility Mode

• Launch Borderless Gaming with the --compat command line argument
• The title bar will show "" to indicate you're running in compatibility mode
• Uses legacy-style window style removal and positioning that some older games expect

Profile Pinning & Sorting

• Pin Profiles - Right-click any profile to pin it. Pinned profiles always appear at the top of your list
• Smart Sorting - Profiles are now sorted alphabetically, with pinned profiles grouped at the top
• Visual Indicators - Pinned profiles show a pin icon for easy identification

Improved Monitor Detection

• Better Fallback Logic - If monitor detection fails, the app now gracefully falls back to the primary monitor
• Enhanced Logging - More detailed logging for monitor retrieval helps diagnose multi-monitor issues
• Improved Reliability - Fixes edge cases where monitor info could fail on certain display configurations

Technical Improvements

A Note on Compatibility Mode

• Works with --compat flag but not normally
• Has visual glitches in normal mode but not in compat mode
• Crashes or behaves strangely only in one mode

Thank you for using Borderless Gaming!

• When Borderless Gaming is launched it will apply profiles to apps started before it

• Fixes launch issues

Version 1.1.0 - UI Overhaul & Performance Update

• Modern Fluent Design - Redesigned interface using Windows Fluent components for better visual consistency with your operating system
• Improved Dark Mode - Fully native dark/light theme support that seamlessly matches Windows system preferences
• Cleaner Layout - Reorganized main window with better spacing and visual hierarchy
• No More Distracting Animations - Removed unnecessary UI animations for a snappier, more responsive feel
• Enhanced Settings Panel - Redesigned settings flyout with better organization and clearer labels
• Native Dialogs - All dialogs now use Windows-native styling for consistency

Brand New Profile Editor

• Organized Sections - Settings grouped into logical categories with sidebar navigation
• Better Visual Hierarchy - Clear headings, descriptions, and help text for every setting
• Full-Screen Experience - Editor scales to 80% of window size for comfortable editing
• Live Preview - See your background container images in a large preview panel
• Comprehensive Options - All profile settings in one beautiful, organized interface

Performance Improvements

• Reduced Memory Usage - Removed heavy animation and blur frameworks
• Faster Startup - Streamlined initialization and resource loading
• Smoother UI - Eliminated expensive rendering effects for better responsiveness
• Lower CPU Usage - More efficient rendering pipeline with optimized graphics settings

New Features

• Process Path Regex Matching - New matching type that lets you match games by their full executable path using regular expressions (useful for games in different install locations)
• Enhanced Startup Task - Completely rewritten startup task creation with gaming-optimized settings: - Works on battery power (no AC requirement) - No execution time limits - Won't interfere with gaming sessions - Better error handling and reliability
• Improved Notifications - Native Windows notification system replaces old toast system
• Open File Location - Right-click any window to quickly open its containing folder in Explorer

Bug Fixes

• Fixed Launch on Startup - Completely rewrote Task Scheduler integration for reliable startup functionality
• Fixed Window State Persistence - Window size and position now properly saves and restores
• Better Error Handling - Improved error messages and graceful failure handling throughout
• Profile Image Loading - Fixed issues with background container image paths and preview generation
• Settings Persistence - All settings now properly save and load on application restart

UI/UX Improvements

• Redesigned Window List - Cleaner window cards with better icon sizing and text hierarchy
• Enhanced Profile Cards - More compact design with quick access to edit and toggle
• Better Keyboard Shortcuts Panel - Redesigned shortcut recorder with clearer visual feedback
• Improved WinIgnore Manager - Better layout and more intuitive controls
• Enhanced Confirmation Dialogs - Custom designed dialogs that match the new UI aesthetic
• Cleaner Context Menus - Reorganized options with better icons and clearer labels
• Better Empty States - Helpful messages and suggestions when no windows or profiles are present

Compatibility Notes

• All existing profiles will work without modification
• Settings will be preserved during update
• Startup task will be automatically recreated with new settings

Thank you for using Borderless Gaming!

⚠️ Important: Unreal Engine Games

Profile Examples

• 'Preserve Client Area Size' - Maintains correct internal resolution
• 'Send Maximize' - Properly expands the game window width
• 'Nudge Window' - Expands height to cover the taskbar area (works whether taskbar is hidden or visible)

• 'Send Maximize' + 'Flip Processing Order'

• 'Flip Processing Order'

• 'Preserve Client Area Size' + 'Send Maximize' (no 'Flip Processing Order' needed)

Important Notes

• Every game behaves differently, so experiment with your profile settings if the defaults don't work
• Remember to restart Unreal Engine games after changing profiles if they're not working correctly
• To make this easier, I'm adding Steam Workshop support in version 1.1 so you can share working profiles with the community!

• Resolves issues with older Unreal Engine games that historically haven't worked with Borderless Gaming (see details below)
• Fixes profiles for certain Unity and Google Play on PC games
• Corrects state synchronization issues in foreground tracking

New Features

• Smart Focus Management: Window modifications (cursor clipping, cursor hiding, taskbar hiding) now automatically restore when you alt-tab away and reapply when returning to the game
• "Restore Taskbar on Focus Loss" option: New profile setting that controls whether the taskbar reappears when switching away from the game (useful for games that don't handle taskbar changes well)

Bug Fixes

• Fixed crash when setting shortcuts with unrecognized keyboard keys
• Fixed crash that occurred when Windows On-Screen Keyboard was open
• Fixed F12 key reservation conflict with debugger
• Improved shortcut system stability and error handling

Improvements

• Enhanced support for international keyboards and special keys in shortcuts
• Better handling of window focus changes and alt-tab behavior
• Improved reliability of volume adjustments when switching between applications

New Features

Customizable Global Keyboard Shortcuts

• All hotkeys now remappable through Settings with conflict detection
• Shortcuts work as toggles - press once to apply, press again to revert
• Default shortcuts remain unchanged but can be customized

Enhanced App Container Support

• Custom positioning for containerized apps
• Automatic solid color background removal for seamless blending
• Improved DPI scaling for all apps regardless of monitor setup

Bug Fixes & Stability

Critical Fixes

• Fixed crashes when windows close during operations
• Improved exception handling and stability

Audio Management

• Fixed volume restoration when switching windows
• Improved foreground/background audio detection
• Added proper cleanup on application exit

Container & Window Improvements

• Fixed click detection and focus management in app containers
• Fixed window title change detection for proper profile application
• Enhanced real-time window tracking

Performance

• Reduced memory usage and improved startup time
• Optimized profile matching logic

Additional Improvements

• Improved UI responsiveness
• Various quality-of-life improvements

Support

Demo

What Changed

In Action

Dark Mode is Now Free

When I initially released the dark mode DLC it was done to fund the rewrite of Borderless Gaming and the creation of the upcoming upscale / frame generation features. With the rewrite done, I believe the dark mode DLC has served its purpose. Despite its good intentions, based on the constant wave of negative reviews around it, just isn't worth having it available anymore as an optional DLC. So the DLC is being retired. Dark mode is now part of the base product. I'll be putting up a website that allows you to get early access to the new features (BGUS/BGFG) before everyone else if you previously purchased dark mode.

Other Changes

Performance

• App starts faster - shows immediately while profiles load in background instead of freezing

• Fixed hangs when windows close unexpectedly during borderless operations

• Better detection of Microsoft Store/UWP apps

Multi-Monitor

• Monitor selection persists across reboots - uses hardware IDs instead of display names

• Fixed window positioning with offsets, especially for fullscreen

• More reliable monitor detection using EDID data

Audio

• Volume slider at 0% now properly mutes apps instead of just setting volume to zero

• Fixed volume restoration when apps regain focus - preserves original mute state

Stability

• Added fallback to software rendering if graphics drivers fail

• Better error messages when app can't start - tells you exactly what to try

• Automatic retry when window positioning fails

Fixes

• UWP apps now properly hide title bars when going borderless

• Window position verification with automatic retry on failure

• Better handling of invalid window handles

Borderless Gaming 1.0.11

Improvements

• Added better cleanup when Borderless Gaming exits - automatically restores taskbar, mouse cursor, and unlocks cursor clipping
• Improved cleanup when profiles are disabled - now properly restores all system settings (taskbar, cursor, etc.)
• Added helpful suggestion when manual borderless fails - prompts to create a profile for better control
• Better timing detection for games like Dishonored

Fixes

• Fixed system settings not being restored when borderless operations fail
• Fixed window positioning for profiles using "No Change" with maximize enabled
• Removed debug test shortcut that was accidentally left in (ctrl+shift+z)

Developer Note

Fixes

• Fixed timing issues in the windowing engine - games like Dishonored now work properly (use Custom Size or No Change in profile settings for best results)
• Various minor bug fixes and stability improvements

New: SDL_NoFrame Proxy

Major Changes

• Multi-Window Support: Borderless Gaming now properly detects and manages ALL windows for each process, not just one. This fixes issues with applications that have both console and main windows, or multiple game windows
• Improved Window Matching: Profiles now correctly match and apply to specific windows rather than just the first window that has the heuristics of the 'main window' found for a process
• Better SDL Support: Added special handling for SDL windows which require different flags to properly update when made borderless

Fixes

• Fixed window detection for applications with multiple windows (console + main window)
• Fixed profiles not applying to the correct window when multiple windows exist
• Fixed window restoration issues with certain game engines
• Improved retry logic with exponential backoff
• Fixed various edge cases with window state detection

Technical Note