How to easily play Valorant in stretched resolution

Stretched resolution in Valorant has been a popular trend ever since the game's release. Many players have consistently chosen to experience Valorant in stretched resolutions for better FPS output and stretched crosshair styles.

One can switch to a stretched aspect ratio using the in-game settings. However, changing through the resolution dropdown list won't offer any visible modifications to the hitbox or player model. It will only optimize the game and make the crosshair appear stretched. Fortunately, there's a trick that players can use to apply true stretched resolution in Valorant.

Here's how you can switch to true stretched resolution in Valorant: For AMD and NVIDIA GPUs

The need for a stretched view is more prominent amongst Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players, who are used to such resolutions and want a similar visual appearance in Riot's tactical shooter. Unfortunately, Riot Games doesn't provide an official option to switch to true stretched resolution. The reason why true stretched resolution is popular, is because it makes enemy Agents' hitboxes appear bigger due to stretching. That said, it gives no scientific advantage and is more of a placebo effect in hindsight.

If your PC is powered by a GPU from NVIDIA, follow these steps:

Right-click on the desktop to open the context menu and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
Go to Manage 3D Settings and make sure that DSR Factors is set to Off.
Next, go to Adjust Desktop Size and Resolution.
Select the option for Full Screen and check the box beside Override the scaling mode set by games and programs.
Now, select a stretched resolution from the drop-down list. Some popular examples for a 1080p monitor are 1280x960, 1440x1080, and 1600x900.
If you don't see the resolution you want, you can create new stretched resolutions. Go to Change Resolution option from the left panel.
In the Change Resolution section, select Customize. Make sure that the box beside Enable resolutions not exposed by the display is unchecked and click on Create Custom Resolution.
Enter the resolution you want in the text boxes for horizontal and vertical pixels and click on Test and then on Yes.
Once the above settings are applied, open Valorant and head over to Settings > Video > General.
For true stretched resolution, choose Windowed instead of Full Screen for Display Mode.
From the drop-down list, select the resolution you chose in the NVIDIA Control Panel. Next, click on Apply and then Confirm. Valorant will now run in stretched resolution.

If your PC is powered by an AMD GPU, follow these steps instead:

Download the AMD Radeon app from AMD's website, if you don't have it installed already.
Right-click on the desktop to open the context menu and select AMD Radeon.
On the top right, click on the gear icon to open settings.
Open the Display section and then click on Custom Resolutions.
Now, click on Create New to add a stretched resolution. Some recommended stretched resolutions are 1440x1080, 1280x1024, and 1600x900.
Now, set the Timing Display option to the stretched resolution you selected in the previous step. Select Create and Save the resolution to apply the settings.
Once the above settings are applied, open the game and head over to Settings > Video > General.
For true stretched resolution, choose Windowed instead of Full Screen for Display Mode.
From the drop-down list, select the resolution you chose in AMD Radeon. Next, click on Apply and then Confirm. The game will now run in stretched resolution.

It should be noted that playing Valorant in a windowed mode may negatively affect FPS output and also increase latency.