Windows 10 Will Soon Get a High-Performance "Gaming Mode"

[Steven Bogos]

Windows 10 Will Soon Get a High-Performance "Gaming Mode"

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We don't know the full specifics of Windows 10's upcoming "gaming mode," but Microsoft claims it will increase performance for many games.

Microsoft has revealed that it will be rolling out something known as "Windows 10 Game Mode" [http://news.xbox.com/2017/01/13/creators-update-beam-streaming-increased-performance-fan-requested-features-coming-xbox-one-windows-10/] as part of Insider previews "this week." Game mode is a piece of the gaming-focused features the company promised as part of its big "Creator Update".

We aren't completely sure on the specifics of game mode just yet, but the company has promised it will fine-tune your PC to speed up gaming performance on both older Win32 applications as well as the new, controversial UWPs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/16911-Microsoft-s-UWP-Will-be-Games-for-Windows-Live-2-0].

"Our vision is for Game Mode to optimize your Windows 10 PC for increased performance in gaming," said Microsoft [http://news.xbox.com/2017/01/13/creators-update-beam-streaming-increased-performance-fan-requested-features-coming-xbox-one-windows-10/].

Additionally, both the Windows and Xbox One will receive Xbox Live upgrades that help you connect to friends on social networks, a more social-friendly Activity Feed, better tools for Clubs and looking-for-group posts, and the option to start your own Arena tournaments.

We'll let you know when we know more about this gaming mode and how exactly it works.

Source: Microsoft [http://news.xbox.com/2017/01/13/creators-update-beam-streaming-increased-performance-fan-requested-features-coming-xbox-one-windows-10/]

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[Dr.Awkward]

Here's my idea for what a "Gaming Mode" can be, Microsoft:

-Completely remove background processes that have do next to nothing to enhance performance, even if they claim to do so
-Clean up your UI code, it's nice to see the simplicity but it means nothing if it can't perform well on a low-end computer
-Stop trying to phone home every ten minutes so that live apps can update. In fact, maybe no live apps to start off with is the best idea!
-Don't study how Apple does things (because we know you are), but look more to Unix and Linux as your problems start at the core processes of the OS
-UWPs aren't going to catch. Sorry. But if you must, along with the Unix and Linux suggestion adopt .sh as executable code (it's mainly C-based anyways)
-Complete OS support for Vulkan instead of the exclusivity that is DirectX12.1 and/or graphical library the OS runs on, or maybe it's just time to accept that the newest DirectX shouldn't be limited to the latest OS and push 13 to be released for Windows 7, 8, and 10 so developers don't have to worry.

You know what? Let's not even call this "Gaming Mode". Just make those performance improvements and bloat removals part of the normal mode. It's one less thing I'd need to do when playing games!

 

[Covarr]

-Don't study how Apple does things (because we know you are)

If they were attempting to copy Apple in any way that mattered, multitasking performance would go down the drain with the introduction of significantly worse and outdated RAM management, and file reads would slow down with the introduction of an even more outdated filesystem.

P.S. Thanks

P.P.S. Apple really needs to take a good hard look at some things deep in macOS that haven't changed since the '90s.

 

[aceman67]

Win7 support is ending in 4 years, Micro$haft isn't going to waste money backporting an API that's being designed from the get go to work on Win10.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

I can only imagine it will probably do something like the already existing Razer software that disables currently useless background tasks and free memory and CPU power.

But I don't know too much about the operating system or how they can toy with it, so maybe they will sprinkle some magic in there and it'll do wonders more.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I can only imagine it will probably do something like the already existing Razer software that disables currently useless background tasks and free memory and CPU power.

But I don't know too much about the operating system or how they can toy with it, so maybe they will sprinkle some magic in there and it'll do wonders more.

I expect a lot more. See, those programs do nothing to enhance performance. They don't do anything that you can't do yourself. They only automate the process of stopping certain background tasks and processes and resuming them once you're done gaming. And there's a very simple reason for that. Unlike Microsoft, Razer and other companies that make those useless programs don't have access to Windows 10 source code, so there's a clear limit to changes that they can make to enhance gaming performance. Microsoft is in a position to do a lot more.

You know what? Let's not even call this "Gaming Mode". Just make those performance improvements and bloat removals part of the normal mode. It's one less thing I'd need to do when playing games!

Or even better, release a Windows 10 Gaming OS that doesn't have any of the bloat that Windows 10 comes with + performance improvements for games. And let current Windows 10 users switch to that version if they currently have Home or Pro.

We need a dedicated fuckin' Gaming OS.

 

[wizzy555]

I can only imagine it will probably do something like the already existing Razer software that disables currently useless background tasks and free memory and CPU power.

I expect a lot more. See, those programs do nothing to enhance performance. They don't do anything that you can't do yourself. They only automate the process of stopping certain background tasks and processes and resuming them once you're done gaming. And there's a very simple reason for that. Unlike Microsoft, Razer and other companies that make those useless programs don't have access to Windows 10 source code, so there's a clear limit to changes that they can make to enhance gaming performance. Microsoft is in a position to do a lot more.

I think you're going to be disappointed. I would be very surprised if they start tinkering deeply for the sake of gaming. As it stands it isn't poorly optimised it's just the background crap that steals resources from the main programs.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I think you're going to be disappointed. I would be very surprised if they start tinkering deeply for the sake of gaming. As it stands it isn't poorly optimised it's just the background crap that steals resources from the main programs.

We don't really know that. We don't know what goes on under the hood and what they can do with it. But I'd be surprised if all they do is add the same useless crap that Razer does.

 

[Mister K]

All games or only those bought from THEIR store?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

All games or only those bought from THEIR store?

It's been confirmed that it will work on all of them: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/windows-10-creators-updates-high-performance-game-mode-confirmed/

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Great! Pity no announcement for an Xbone gaming mode update.

 

[Blazing Hero]

Great! Pity no announcement for an Xbone gaming mode update.

Damn it you just made me spit up some coffee!

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Great! Pity no announcement for an Xbone gaming mode update.

Does the Xbone need one? I mean there can't possibly be so many background tasks as there is on a PC on a machine that has gaming as its sole purpose can there? If there is, Microsoft needs to take a good hard look at what they're doing in the OS department.

Edit: I'm realizing the joke may have flown over my head... oops

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Edit: I'm realizing the joke may have flown over my head... oops

I accept any and all responsibility for off-target jokes. My aim is terrible, but headshots are a necessity!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Edit: I'm realizing the joke may have flown over my head... oops

You're slow. Nothing flies over my head. My reflexes are too fast, I would catch it.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Edit: I'm realizing the joke may have flown over my head... oops

You're slow. Nothing flies over my head. My reflexes are too fast, I would catch it.

Those robot arms sure come in handy don't they?

 

[wizzy555]

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/242845-now-know-microsofts-upcoming-game-mode-windows-10-will

And... it is pretty much useless. It doesn't even do what I thought it would.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/242845-now-know-microsofts-upcoming-game-mode-windows-10-will

And... it is pretty much useless. It doesn't even do what I thought it would.

Nah that can't be all of it. Has to be more. Oh, and fun fact(s). UI code IS cleaned up (why do you think they got rid of Windows Aero) and Windows already IS optimized for games as much as it can be. Or should I say, since of course you're not running Windows Server which is optimized for background processes (services and the like) instead of foreground processes, (Paint.NET, Doom, etc.) it's about as optimized as you're gonna get on modern code.

 

[wizzy555]

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/242845-now-know-microsofts-upcoming-game-mode-windows-10-will

And... it is pretty much useless. It doesn't even do what I thought it would.

Nah that can't be all of it. Has to be more. Oh, and fun fact(s). UI code IS cleaned up (why do you think they got rid of Windows Aero) and Windows already IS optimized for games as much as it can be. Or should I say, since of course you're not running Windows Server which is optimized for background processes (services and the like) instead of foreground processes, (Paint.NET, Doom, etc.) it's about as optimized as you're gonna get on modern code.

Yes and while windows is still beating linux on most benchmarks they have very little reason to push any harder anyway.

Window's biggest issues are third-party bloatware, microsoft background crap (which got way worse in windows 10) and windows update.