Stardew Valley: Best startup_preferences for Fullscreen Fix

The primary goal for Stardew Valley display optimization is Rendering Handshake Stability. The game often tries to initialize in a “Windowed” mode that exceeds the desktop boundaries, causing the engine to hang. This configuration focuses on hard-coding your resolution and setting the correct windowing mode within the XML structure, ensuring a clean launch every time without the need for manual “Alt + Enter” resets.

Hardware Compatibility & Expectations

• XNA Framework: Stardew Valley relies on the Microsoft XNA framework. If the .xml edits don’t fix the issue, ensuring you have the “XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0” installed is the secondary hardware step.
• Integrated Graphics: On laptops with dual GPUs (Intel/Nvidia), the game may default to the wrong adapter. Forcing the resolution in the preferences file helps the OS hand over the correct rendering task.
• High DPI Scaling: Windows “Display Scaling” (e.g., 150%) can confuse the game’s coordinate system. These edits override that behavior at the engine level.

File Location

The preferences are stored in the AppData directory. Unlike other games, this is an XML-based file:

%APPDATA%\StardewValley\startup_preferences

Technical Configuration (Code Block)

Open the startup_preferences file with Notepad or an XML editor. Locate the tags below and modify their values to match your monitor’s native specifications (example provided for 1080p):

<startupPreferences>
    <windowMode>0</windowMode>
    
    <preferredResolutionX>1920</preferredResolutionX>
    <preferredResolutionY>1080</preferredResolutionY>
    
    <fullscreen>true</fullscreen>
    <forceMasterVolume>1</forceMasterVolume>
    <hardwareCursor>true</hardwareCursor>
    <zoomLevel>1.0</zoomLevel>
</startupPreferences>

Strategy for the Fullscreen Fix

To ensure the game launches perfectly and remains stable:

• The Borderless Alternative: If “Exclusive Fullscreen” (windowMode 0) continues to flicker, change the value to 1 for Windowed Borderless. This allows Windows to manage the frame buffer, which is often more stable for Stardew Valley on Windows 10 and 11.
• Delete to Reset: If the file becomes corrupted or the game still won’t launch, you can safely delete the startup_preferences file. The game will generate a new, default one on the next launch, allowing you to try the edits again from scratch.
• Taskbar Conflict: Ensure your Windows Taskbar is not set to “Auto-hide,” as this can sometimes prevent Stardew Valley from gaining “Focus,” leading to the black screen issue even with correct .xml settings.

Key Performance Parameters

Parameter	Recommended Value	Impact
windowMode	0 or 1	Determines how the game window interacts with the OS.
preferredResolutionX	Native Width	Prevents the engine from stretching the 2D sprites.
fullscreen	true	Forces the XNA framework into high-priority rendering.
hardwareCursor	true	Reduces mouse input lag by using the OS cursor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By manually refining the startup_preferences file, you are eliminating the most common point of failure for the Stardew Valley engine. You can expect a faster boot sequence, no more black screen freezes, and a perfectly scaled 2D world that fits your monitor’s native aspect ratio.