(Permanently) changing resolution in Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

steamthe-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind

When I launch "Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind" from Steam, it pops up a launcher that looks like this:

Launcher

If I go into "Options", I can change the resolution from 1024×768 (default) to 1400×1050 (still tiny, but not as bad as the default):

Changing resolution

But when I start the game, it launches at 1024×768, and I have the go back into the Options from the main menu and reselect the resolution. My choices from the launcher don't appear to ever be honored, and my chosen resolution always resets between launches. (And since this game crashes to desktop often on Windows 10, constantly going into the Options menu and setting it becomes tedious.)

Is there some way to make this resolution sticky, possibly by futzing around with an ini file or maybe a Steam launcher commandline argument?

Best Answer

I don't know why the launcher settings aren't getting saved, but I can imagine Steam somehow obstructs this.

In any case, the resolutions of Morrowind are set in its registry entry — not in an .ini file — so changing it is a bit harder than editing a straightforward(ish) text file.

Still, the steps are provided here:

You can also set any custom resolution by hand: (Note that Morrowind must be fully launched at least one time for these registry settings to be viewable)

Press Windows+R on keyboard, then type regedit in the box that opens.
Locate the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind (for 64-bit Windows system, locate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind).
On the right pane, you will see several numerical values. Double-click on "Screen Height" and "Screen Width", and set them to values you wish to use (e.g. 1050 and 1400, respectively).

In Windows 7 64-bit, these same registry values can be found at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind.

Do note that without any third-party mods or plugins the game will only allow for 4:3 aspect ratios.

To circumvent that limitation, and make the entire process easier, there are some plugins that give you a graphic interface to tweak these and many more settings:

Also, take a look at this post and this guide. The first one is for general optimizations, the second to overhaul and mod the graphics. It's unrelated to the question, but might dramatically improve your experience.

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