To add virtual displays to the device you are connecting to you will need to install our Virtual Display Driver on the end device.

Virtual displays function just like physical monitors. They let you connect to headless devices without relying on a dummy dongle, while giving you the ability to set custom resolutions and add multiple displays even when only one physical monitor is present, providing greater flexibility for your remote access needs.

Installation

You can find the Virtual Display Driver download in the Downloads section of RealVNC Portal.

Note: Please ensure you are on the correct plan to access this feature. See our plans page for details.  

Installing on a single remote device

Download the MSI to the remote device that you want to add the virtual displays to.

Run the installer and select the number of displays and the resolution of the display(s) when prompted.

Installing on multiple remote devices

Once you have downloaded the MSI, you can then deploy it to the devices in your organization that you want to add virtual displays to. This can be done through an endpoint management solution such as Microsoft Intune.

When deploying the MSI you can set parameters for the number of virtual displays (COUNT) and the resolution of the displays (RESOLUTION). E.g. COUNT=2 RESOLUTION=1920x1080

Note: you can select a maximum number of displays of 3 and a resolution from the following: 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1600x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440, 2560x1600, 3840x2160.

Using virtual displays

The virtual displays work in the same way as a physical monitor. The position, resolution and other settings can be changed in Windows Display Settings.

When connecting to a device with virtual displays, they work in the same way as physical monitors. For more help with working with multiple monitors see our knowledge base article. 

FAQs

Why aren’t my virtual displays showing up?

If the driver has been installed successfully on your Windows device but the virtual displays don’t appear during a remote connection, open the display settings on the remote device. Verify that the virtual displays are listed and confirm they are configured correctly with the Extend or Duplicate option enabled. 

How do I change the number of virtual displays I have on a device?

To change the number of virtual displays on your device you will need to uninstall the driver and then reinstall it, setting the number of desired displays as part of the installation.

This can be done by going to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed Apps on the end device and selecting uninstall. Running the installer again will then prompt for the number of displays to add. 

How do I change the display resolution for a virtual display?

You can change the display resolution of a device by going to the display settings of the device in Windows' Settings app and changing the resolution in the ‘Scale & layout’ section. 

The maximum resolution available is 3840x2160.

How do I add X virtual displays to one set of devices but Y virtual displays to another set of devices?

To do this, deploy the MSI separately to each group of devices, setting the desired number of virtual displays for each separate deployment.