Overscan
Free · Windows 10 and 11
Your side screens, lit by your main one.
Overscan reads the colours at the edges of what you're watching and paints them across the monitors beside it as a soft glow.
Version 0.7.1 · 28 MB · No account · No tracking
The portable version runs from any folder, no install. 42 MB.
Older versions and every file are on the Downloads page.
See it running
How it works
-
1
Install it.
Run the installer, or unzip the portable version anywhere.
-
2
Tell it where your screens are.
Drag the boxes to match your desk. It shows the real gaps in cm or inches.
-
3
Watch something.
Your side screens glow to match. Pause it from the tray whenever you like.
What you get
- A glow that follows your main screen, live
- Settings for brightness, look and speed
- Side taskbars hidden while it runs, put back when it stops
- Optional start with Windows
One screen or more
Overscan works on a single screen. Every screen you add beside it carries the picture further.
-
One screen
The desktop around a video playing in a window glows in its colours. A fullscreen video covers the whole screen, so there's nothing around it to light.
-
Two screens
The second screen glows from the edge of the main screen it sits next to, even when the video is fullscreen.
-
Three or more Recommended
Both sides glow, so the picture seems to carry on past your main screen. This is the full effect.
With one or two screens, the glow around windows is on by default. Turn it off in Settings.
System requirements
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (x64) |
|---|---|
| Screens | One or more. Three recommended (main screen in the middle) for the full effect. Sizes and resolutions can be mixed. |
| Graphics | DirectX 11 graphics, dedicated or built into the processor. On Auto, scaling runs on the graphics card and moves to the processor (CPU) if the card can't. |
| Screen capture | Windows Desktop Duplication (DXGI), with a GDI fallback. Colours are worked out from a 320 x 180 copy of the main screen. |
| Update rate | 10 to 60 times a second, 25 by default |
| Memory | About 100 MB while running |
| Disk space | About 110 MB installed |
| Install | Per user, no admin rights needed. The portable .zip runs without installing. |
| Internet | Not needed to run. Checks for updates once a day by default (Weekly or Never in Settings), and sends a problem report only if you choose to. |
| Won't light up | DRM-protected video (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+). Windows passes it to screen-capture apps as black frames. |
What it does with your screen
Overscan only looks at your screen to work out colours, and it does that on your PC. Nothing you watch is saved or sent anywhere. It only goes online to check for a newer version (you can turn that off) or to send a problem report you chose to send. Terms and privacy.
- Works on your PC
- Nothing saved
- Nothing sent
- No account
Questions
Do I need more than one screen?
No. With one screen, the desktop around a video playing in a window glows. A screen on each side of your main one gives the full effect.
Does it slow down my PC?
It's light. You can cap how many times a second it updates (10 to 60) and choose graphics card or processor in Settings.
Does it work with games?
Yes. It lights up from fullscreen and borderless games. If you'd rather it stayed off while you play, pause it from the tray.
Is it really free?
Yes. No ads, no account, no trial.
Windows warned me about the download. What do I do?
That's normal for apps without a paid code-signing certificate. Choose "More info", then "Run anyway".
"More info" and "Run anyway" are Windows' own words.