New meta? TenZ’s reason for using windowed mode in VCT playoffs actually makes sense

VCT star TenZ was seen using windowed mode during the playoffs elimination match between Sentinels and 100 Thieves, and while it sounds odd, it might be a good setting for other VALORANT players to start testing.

The VCT Americas playoffs began yesterday with two important elimination matches, including one between Sentinels and 100 Thieves. In addition to witnessing an intense series, VALORANT fans couldn’t help but notice something interesting on TenZ’s screen—the Sentinels star was actually playing in windowed mode rather than fullscreen.

As it turned out, TenZ had been experimenting with another new setting the day before the playoffs and explained it all on stream. Together with windowed mode, he tested stretched resolution and instantly fell in love—even comparing it to Counter-Strike. “It feels easy to hit shots,” he explained. “If I could use this for the rest of my life, I’m 100 percent doing it.” He also admitted it made the game look faster and more engaging.

As seen on-stream, stretched resolution zooms you in more, making it easier to see and connect shots. TenZ pointed out how nice it is to have your gun further to the side than the standard setup.

Now, the specific reason why he used windowed mode during the VCT match is it’s a legitimate way to utilize stretched resolution without being banned by Riot. As long as you aren’t using third-party software to achieve it, stretched is fine for VCT, according to the pro.

Perhaps the biggest issue with stretched resolution is it requires you to mess with multiple settings in-game and on your computer, rather than having a single button to turn it on or off. If it were more convenient, more VALORANT players would likely use it—especially if they play with their eyes closer to the screen. But if you’d still like to give it a spin, TenZ explained the whole process step-by-step.

At the end of the day, VALORANT settings often just depend on preference and whatever you’re most comfortable with, so what works for pros like TenZ might not necessarily work for other players. Feel free to try it yourself or stick to whatever feels most natural to you.

The next time we see TenZ and Sentinels will be at Champions Seoul in August.