Configure Display Settings for a Virtual Machine

You can specify monitor resolution settings, configure multiple monitors, and select accelerated graphics capabilities for a virtual machine. You can use the multiple-monitor feature when the virtual machine is in full screen mode.

For Windows guests, to use DirectX 9 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be Windows XP or later. To use DirectX 10 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be Windows Vista or later. To use DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be Windows 7 or later.

Prerequisites

Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
Verify that the guest operating system in the virtual machine is Windows XP or later, or Linux.
If you plan to use DirectX 9, DirectX 10, or DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics, prepare the host system. See Prepare the Host System to Use 3D Accelerated Graphics.
If the guest operating system is Windows 7 or later and you want Workstation Pro to automatically adjust the virtual machine user interface size, update VMware Tools in the guest to the newest version.
If you are using Windows 8.1 (Update 2) or Windows 10, Workstation Pro detects the DPI on each monitor and scales the virtual machine to match the DPI on the host.

Procedure

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
On the Hardware tab, select Display.
(Optional) To run applications that use DirectX 9, DirectX 10, or DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics, select Accelerate 3D graphics.

Specify whether host settings determine the number of monitors.

Option	Description
Use host setting for monitors	When you select this setting, the SVGA driver uses a maximum bounding box width of 7680 and a maximum bounding box height of 4320. The virtual machine uses the number of monitors on the host system. The guest monitors cannot exceed the maximum bounding box that the SVGA driver uses, 7680x4320. You should select this setting in most cases.
Specify monitor settings	Set the number of monitors that the virtual machine will see, regardless of the number of monitors on the host system. This setting is useful if you use a multimonitor host system and you need to test in a virtual machine that has only one monitor. It is also useful if you are developing a multimonitor application in a virtual machine and the host system has only one monitor. After you power on the virtual machine, the guest operating system sees the number of monitors that you specified. Select a resolution from the list or type a setting that has the format `width` x `height`, where `width` and `height` are the number of pixels. Note: You cannot configure the resolution setting for a remote virtual machine.

Option

Description

Use host setting for monitors

When you select this setting, the SVGA driver uses a maximum bounding box width of 7680 and a maximum bounding box height of 4320. The virtual machine uses the number of monitors on the host system. The guest monitors cannot exceed the maximum bounding box that the SVGA driver uses, 7680x4320. You should select this setting in most cases.

Specify monitor settings

Set the number of monitors that the virtual machine will see, regardless of the number of monitors on the host system. This setting is useful if you use a multimonitor host system and you need to test in a virtual machine that has only one monitor. It is also useful if you are developing a multimonitor application in a virtual machine and the host system has only one monitor. After you power on the virtual machine, the guest operating system sees the number of monitors that you specified. Select a resolution from the list or type a setting that has the format width x height, where width and height are the number of pixels.

Note: You cannot configure the resolution setting for a remote virtual machine.

(Optional) Select the maximum amount of guest memory that can be used for graphics memory using the drop-down menu. The default value of video memory varies by guest OS.

Guest OS	Default
Windows 7 and later	1 GB
Windows XP and earlier	512 MB
Linux	768 MB

Note: If you manually edited the .vmx file to change the memory size for the virtual machine, the value you entered in the .vmx file is displayed, labeled Custom.

(Optional) Either enable display scaling or set the display stretch ratio for a virtual machine, depending on the option available to you.

Workstation Pro presents the option that the selected guest operating system supports.

Option	Guest Support	Description
Display scaling	Windows 7 or later	To enable the DPI synchronization, select Automatically adjust user interface size in the virtual machine.
Display scaling, Stretch mode	All	To allow the virtual machine display to stretch when the virtual machine is in full screen mode or windowed mode, select Stretch mode and select one of the stretch options. Keep aspect ratio stretch When you adjust the Workstation Pro window, the virtual machine display maintains the user interface aspect ratio. Free stretch When you adjust the Workstation Pro window, the virtual machine display stretches to fill the user interface, without maintaining the user interface aspect ratio.

Click OK to save your changes.