diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
index 962f75e96c..e779c0ba18 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ void MainWindow::FullScreen()
 
   if (was_fullscreen)
   {
-    ShowRenderWidget();
+    ShowRenderWidget(was_fullscreen);
   }
   else
   {
@@ -1191,7 +1191,8 @@ void MainWindow::StartGame(std::unique_ptr<BootParameters>&& parameters)
   }
 
   // We need the render widget before booting.
-  ShowRenderWidget();
+  constexpr bool WAS_FULLSCREEN = false;
+  ShowRenderWidget(WAS_FULLSCREEN);
 
   // Boot up, show an error if it fails to load the game.
   if (!BootManager::BootCore(m_system, std::move(parameters),
@@ -1239,7 +1240,7 @@ void MainWindow::SetFullScreenResolution(bool fullscreen)
 #endif
 }
 
-void MainWindow::ShowRenderWidget()
+void MainWindow::ShowRenderWidget(const bool was_fullscreen)
 {
   SetFullScreenResolution(false);
   Host::GetInstance()->SetRenderFullscreen(false);
@@ -1254,7 +1255,10 @@ void MainWindow::ShowRenderWidget()
     m_stack->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Ignored, QSizePolicy::Ignored);
     m_stack->repaint();
 
-    Host::GetInstance()->SetRenderFocus(isActiveWindow());
+    const bool focus = was_fullscreen || isActiveWindow();
+    Host::GetInstance()->SetRenderFocus(focus);
+    if (focus)
+      m_render_widget->activateWindow();
   }
   else
   {
diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.h b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.h
index c0d5bd110e..0f733cbef7 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.h
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ private:
   void StartGame(const std::vector<std::string>& paths,
                  std::unique_ptr<BootSessionData> boot_session_data = nullptr);
   void StartGame(std::unique_ptr<BootParameters>&& parameters);
-  void ShowRenderWidget();
+  void ShowRenderWidget(bool was_fullscreen);
   void HideRenderWidget(bool reinit = true, bool is_exit = false);
 
   void ShowSettingsWindow();