- Taking advantage of your computer to play games may seem difficult, but there is a setting for it
- What are the Windows 11 setup keys to complement powerful hardware?
One of the most recurring questions that video game lovers are asked is where to enjoy them. Both computers and dedicated machines have advantages over others, but if there is one thing that is certain, it is that playing on PC is not as easy as playing on consoles. Getting the most out of your PC may seem difficult, but this Windows 11 gaming setup will make you get the most out of your PC.
The point is that no matter how much you worry or how much you invest in hardware that meets your demands, whenever you leave Windows settings aside you could be losing a good part of the power.
In this article we intend to review those changes in the operating system that you should introduce so that the response when running video games is the best possible, positively influencing it. And without spending.
Settings for games in Windows 11, the keys
Enable Game Mode
If there’s one thing we should thank Microsoft for, it’s the addition of Game Mode to the latest version of the OS. This is a performance customization package aimed at making all of the device’s resources available to run games. AND you enable it from Settings, Games, Game Mode.
Turn on Auto HDR
If the problem is that games look washed out or lack color definition, turn on Auto HDR. Many titles, especially the older ones, still carry SDR. Auto HDR will make them look much better.
Of course, for that, you must use an HDR-compatible monitor and graphics card.
It is activated from Settings, System, Screen. There you will see if you have this option available.
Select the high performance power plan
Changing your PC’s power plan is another relatively simple step to improve gaming performance. Switching to High Performance will allow your computer to prioritize performance over energy savings. Your laptop’s battery will probably be drained, but if it’s plugged in that won’t be an obstacle.
You can set the power plan from Settings, System, Power, Power & battery.
Prioritize the GPU
There is no doubt that the GPU is one of the main elements related to the sensations transmitted by any video game that we are running. The curious thing, especially if you have a graphics card costing hundreds of dollars, is that Windows can dare to believe that it is better to shift that demand to a less powerful GPU. Remember that in some cases, especially if you consider yourself a gamertwo GPUs, may be worth it.
But Windows 11 allows you to specify which GPU games should use, under Settings, System, Display, Graphics. Once there, you have to look for the installed game in the list of software on your computer, and click on Options. You will automatically be taken to a window where you can choose the default GPU for that game.
You have to repeat the same procedure for all games. It is somewhat annoying but you will notice the optimization.
Pause automatic Windows updates
If you have already enabled Game Mode, there is no need to pause automatic updates. Windows does it for you. However, if you don’t want to be so extreme, you can pause automatic updates without Game Mode.
You can do it in Settings, Windows Update. But let us insist that you check from time to time to make sure there are no new versions of Windows 11 available. It is not only important to receive the various new features of the operating system but also to avoid any security gaps that might exist.
Enable hardware accelerated GPU acceleration
GPU hardware programming is a way of transfer some tasks handled by the CPU to the GPU. By lightening the load on the processor, the best performance should be immediate. We advise you to do it if your CPU is several years old but your GPU is new and is old. You will be surprised how much better the response of Windows 11.
You can activate this function from Settings, Games, Game mode, Graphics. If you don’t see the message that says “Change default graphics settings”, your hardware doesn’t support the feature.
conclusions
The above is the best settings for gaming on Windows 11 that you can access, and it only takes a few minutes. You should also not ignore other things like updating graphics drivers, updating some hardware, getting rid of some of the Windows Startup or background programs, etc.
What modifications have you made in Windows 11 to enjoy your games? Do you recommend any?
