Top 11 gaming Settings on Windows 11

 According to Microsoft, gaming on Windows 11 is much better than the previous Windows versions, solely because of the improved settings. Some improvements include a new Game Pass app for game management, DirectStorage for faster gameplay, and auto HDR for updated lighting and color.

In previous Windows editions, users reported low FPS issues, lagging, and crashing when playing games. With Windows 11, you can skillfully tackle this issue. This article will run you through simple steps to achieve that and help you have the best gaming experience.

1. Activate Game Mode

Activating Game Mode can enhance your gaming experience by allocating additional system resources to gaming applications, disabling notifications, and minimizing background activities, causing improved gaming sessions. Here is how to activate Game Mode:

1. Press the Windows and I keys at once to open the Settings application, then find Gaming and open Game Mode.
   
2. Under Game Mode, click on Game Mode and toggle the its switch On.
   

2. Turn on Auto HDR

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is an improvement over Standard Dynamic Range (SDR). HDR characterizes marvelous inclusions to game looks, such as better brightness representation and color depth. Here is how to turn HDR on:

1. Press the Windows and I keys at once to open the Settings application, then click System Settings and open Display.
   
2. Under Display, select HDR.
   
3. Then select your display in the drop-down menu next to Select a display to view or change its settings if you connected multiple displays.
4. Afterwards, look under Display Capabilities to see if your device supports HDR.
   
5. Finally, if it does, toggle Use HDR and Auto HDR switches On.

3. Set your games to use primary GPU

Setting your games to use primary GPU helps with graphically-demanding games. Some gaming PCs incorporate both a dedicated GPU and a GPU built into a CPU. For the best experience, use the dedicated GPU. Here is how to set it:

1. Press the Windows and I keys at once to open the Settings application, then find Gaming and open Game Mode.
   
2. When Game Mode opens, click on Graphics.
   
3. Then, click on Change default graphic settings.
   
4. Finally, toggle Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling switch On.
   

4. Use Per-App GPU Selection Settings

Using Per-App GPU Selection Settings is valuable for gaming laptops having two GPUs; an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU. You can set your gaming apps to use the GPU. To select your CPU, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows and I keys at once to open the Settings application, then find Gaming and open Game Mode.
   
2. When Game Mode opens, click on Graphics.
   
3. Then, select the GPU for your apps and include game apps to the list using the Browse button.
   
4. Windows assigns a GPU to each app automatically. But, you can alter it manually.
5. Set the Power Saving option to apps with minimal graphics performance and the High-Performance option for games and GPU-centric apps and click Save.
   

5. Optimize Gaming by Turning On High-Performance

Editor Power Plans, power plan profiles, or power schemes are pre-configured settings for controlling the system’s power consumption management, performance prioritization, and various hardware and software settings adjustments. These functions are essential for game optimization. Here is how to enable it:

1. Press Windows and S simultaneously, type power plan and click open.
   
2. When the window opens, click on Power options.
   
3. Finally, select High Performance
   

6. Activate Optimization for Windowed Games

Games displayed in windowed mode don’t utilize the entire screen; instead, they occupy a portion of your desktop space. If you’re looking to optimize your Windows experience while playing such games, here’s how to enable it:

1. Hold the Windows key, then hit the I key to launch the Settings app and click Display on the right pane.
   
2. When on the Display screen, select Scale.
   
3. Click Graphics.
   
4. Then, click the Change default graphics settings link.
   
5. Finally, toggle the Optimization for windowed games switch On.
   

7. Disable Windows Security Memory Integrity

Memory Integrity, also known as HVCI (Hypervisor-protected code integrity), is a security feature in Windows 11 that protects your kernel from malware threats but can impact gaming performance. It can be resource-intensive. You can disable it if needed.

If you find that HVCI is affecting your gaming experience, here’s how to disable it.

1. Press the Windows + S keys simultaneously to open Windows Search and search for Windows security.
   
2. When the app opens, click Device Security on the left pane and click Core isolation details on the right.
   
3. Then, look for the Memory integrity switch and toggle it off.
   

8. Adjust the Display Settings

Display settings significantly affect the gaming experience. While opting for a lower resolution reduces workload, it also harms image quality. Maximize resolution for an immersive experience. When using a high-end computer, maximizing the display resolution is preferred for an immersive gaming experience.

Follow the steps to adjust.

1. Hold the Windows key, then hit the I key to launch the Settings app and click Display on the right pane.
   
2. Look for the Scale option, set it to 100%, and set the Display resolution to the highest available setting.
   

9. Deactivate Enhanced Pointer Precision

Windows 11 includes an enhanced pointer precision setting to improve mouse performance and user experience. However, it can cause conflicts with in-game settings, causing reduced gaming efficiency. To prevent this issue, you can disable the feature by following these steps:

1. Press the Windows + S keys simultaneously to open Windows Search, search for Pointer Options, and Change the mouse pointer display or speed.
   
2. When in the Mouse properties windows, uncheck the Enhance pointer precision checkbox.
3. Then, click Apply and OK.
   

10. Optimize Sound Settings

Sound is essential to gaming, and Windows 11 provides personalized gaming sound preferences. This allows you to select specific microphones and speakers while ensuring smooth gameplay, even when receiving calls like Skype. Let’s go through the steps to achieve this customization:

1. Begin by right-clicking the Sound icon on your Taskbar and clicking Sound settings.
2. Under the Output section, click Speakers and disable any speaker not actively in use.
   
3. Then, click Microphone under the Input section and disable any inactive microphone if available.
   

11. Enable Storage Sense

Do you struggle with limited disk space when gaming? Storage Sense could be the answer to your problem. This useful Windows tool can easily delete temporary and system files, improving gaming performance. Plus, you can personalize how often these cleanups occur to fit your schedule and preferences.

1. Hold the Windows key, then hit the I key to launch the Settings app and click Storage on the right pane.
   
2. Then, scroll down, find Storage Sense, and click it.
   
3. Toggle the Automatic User content cleanup switch On.
4. Then, set the Run Storage Sense, Delete files in recycle bin if they have been there for over, and Delete files in Downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than to your preferred value.
   

Related FAQs

1. Is Windows 11 good for gaming?
   Generally, yes! Windows 11 incorporates upgrades with customizations targeted to gaming and performance enhancements. Earlier versions of Windows 11 came with concerns like glitches in NVIDIA graphics cards, which forms the core of many gaming computers. But those have been resolved.
2.  Why is my Windows 11 so slow for gaming?
   Windows 11 incorporates a Memory Integrity security feature, which helps protect your PC from high-level malicious attacks. When enabled, it affects gaming performance, like performance lag. Deactivate the feature to help optimize Windows 11 gaming performance.
3.  Is Windows 11 better than Windows 10 for gaming?
   Benchmark testing displays identical hardware features in almost similar results when performing tests between Windows 11 and 10. Windows 11 appears slightly higher in several assessments. But occasional turns appear in lower results when checking for FPS performance when playing certain games.
4.  What is the best virtual RAM setting for Windows 11?
   Microsoft recommends setting virtual memory to a minimum of 1.5 times and a maximum of 3 times the RAM size on your computer. For power PC owners (most UE/UC users), the RAM size is at least 2 GB, making it possible to set the virtual memory to 6,144 MB (6 GB).

In conclusion, Windows 11 gaming settings are easy to use and have an immense effect on the performance of your game. Additionally, update your driver and OS to unlock your hardware’s full potential, achieve smoother gameplay, reduce input lag, and enjoy visually stunning graphics.

From performance optimizations to graphical enhancements, these settings customize your system to meet the demands of several games, including modern games like aesthetic browser games, space adventure browser games, Halo MCC, etc.