Surface Laptop 3 with more 3:2 aspect ratio resolutions

It’s nice to have a high pixel density on the Surface Laptop 3 display that offers a better viewing experience when browsing the web, watching movies, and working with office tasks. However, there are some situations where you might need to lower the screen resolution, like playing games, connecting multiple monitors with different pixel densities, or improving performance and battery life.

We previously posted a guide on how to set custom resolutions on Microsoft Surface since Microsoft didn’t offer any 3:2 display ratio resolutions other than the native resolution of the display. However, with recent Windows and Surface updates, my Surface Laptop 3 now has more than 3:2 display ratio resolutions I can set without any tools or tweaks.

What are the new 3:2 Resolutions on Surface Laptop 3?

From what I tested, here are the resolutions that are properly designed to fully cover the Surface Laptop 3 display:

  1. 2256 x 1504 (Native Resolution)
    Ideally for watching movies, browsing the web, and graphics design.
  2. 1692 x 1128
    Ideally, for more screen real estate and multitasking with 100% display scaling.
  3. 1620 x 1080 (1080p)
    Ideally for pairing with 1080p external monitor.
  4. 1128 x 752
    Ideally, it maximizes gaming performance with a minimum screen resolution while taking advantage of the full 3:2 aspect ratio display.

All the above resolutions have the same 1.5 results when you divide the number of horizontal pixels by the number of vertical pixels. They perfectly cover your Surface Laptop 3 display without letterboxing.

Note You might need to change the display scaling on your Surface Laptop 3 from 150% (default Surface Laptop 3 display scaling) to 125% or 100% when you lower the screen resolution to optimize system UI size for the selected resolution.

How to Set a New 3:2 Resolution on Surface Laptop 3?

To change the screen resolution on your Surface Laptop 3 to a new 3:2 resolution:

  1. Open Windows Settings
    First, you need to access Windows Settings by going to Start and clicking the Gear icon (or by using Win + I shortcut key).
  2. Go to System
    In Windows Settings, select “System“.
    Settings App > System
  3. Go to Display > Display Resolution
    Under the “Display resolution”, select the drop-down menu to select a new resolution.
    Settings App > System > Display > Resolution List
  4. Select one of the resolutions we listed above
    Settings App > System > Display > Resolution List > Select
  5. Click the Keep Changes button
    Click the “Keep changes” button if you like the selected resolution, or click the “Revert” to return to the previous resolution.
    Settings App > System > Display > Resolution List > Keep Changes

That’s what I found on my Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, and it’s not mentioned in the Surface Laptop 3 Update history. So, if you have other Surface models with multiple 3:2 resolutions, as mentioned in this article, please let me know in the comments section below.

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